Early Modern English
Prescriptivism
Prescriptivism can result in
hypercorrection.
1 Define hypercorrection.
2 Give an example of
hypercorrection in the history
of English.
Prescriptivism
1 Overuse of the prestigious
variant
2 Overuse of initial h- (as a
response to h-dropping, e.g.,
herb; intrusive -r
2 Sg Pronouns
Middle English had 2 variants of
the 2Sg pronouns.
1 What is this system called?
2 How would a speaker address
the Queen?
2 Sg Pronouns
1 T-V-system (T = familiar; V =
polite)
2 V-pronoun: you (not thou)
What language was spoken in
England before English?
What language was spoken in
England before English?
Celtic
Synthetic vs. analytic
1 Give brief definitions for both.
2 Name one example where
English has become more
analytic.
Synthetic vs. Analytic
1 synthetic: many inflections
analytic: function words & strict
word order
2 e.g., loss of verbal/nom.
Morphology + strict SVO
Great Vowel Shift
The Great Vowel Shift is a very
important sound change in the
history of the English language.
1 What sounds were affected by
the GVS?
2 How was moon pronounced
before the GVS?
Great Vowel Shift
1 long monophthongs
2 mu:n < mo:n
Middle English Dialects
Middle English is not
homogeneous. Name 2 features
associated with the Northern
dialect and 2 with the Southern
dialect.
Middle English Dialects
North:
they-them-their; til-fra; -s; sall;
whik, <a>
South: hi-hem-hir; to-from; -th;
shall; such; <o>
Case
OE had 4 cases. List them and
their function.
Case
NOM: subjects
ACC: direct objects
DAT: indirect objects
GEN: possessors
(INSTR: instrument (with
Germanic
3 changes set Germanic apart from
other PIE languages.
1 Name the 3 changes.
2 Which change(s) is/are
responsible for Latin turba >
OE thorp
Germanic
1 fixed stress; dental preterit &
first sound shif
2 first sound shift (devoicing of
voiced stops b > p & frication
t > th
Northern Cities Shift
The Northern Cities shift is a
chain shift.
1 Define what a chain shift is.
2 Is it conditioned or
unconditioned?
3 How would speakers affected by
this change pronounce lap?
Northern Cities shift
1 One change triggers another
2 Unconditioned
3 læp > lɛp
Language contact
English has been in contact with
numerous languages.
Name one feature which English
acquired due to contact with
Celtic, Norse & French.
Language contact
Celtic (e.g., do-support; twofold
paradigm of be)
Norse (e.g., 3 Sg. -s; she; they)
French (affixes & words)
Anglo-Frisian Brightening
OE mæġ ‘may’ is cognate with
Present-Day-German ‘mag’.
Name the sound change(s) that
resulted in the different
pronunciations. Can you say
something about their chronology?
Anglo-Frisian Brightening
1 Anglo-Frisian brightening
(a > æ)
2 Palatalization
(g > j)
V2
1 What is V2? Give a definition.
2 What is the difference between
strict V2 & info-structure V2?
3 Which dialect(s) used strict V2
in Middle English?
V2
1 The finite verb ist he 2nd
Constituent in the sentence.
2 subject given > precedes finite V
(V3)
Subject new > follows finite V
3 North & East