Early Modern English
| Early Modern English | |
|---|---|
| English | |
| Region | England, southern Scotland and British colonies |
| Extinct | developed into Modern English |
Indo-European
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
Early Modern English refers to the stage of the English language used from about the end of the Middle English period (the latter half of the 1400s) to 1650. Thus, the first edition of the King James Bible and the works of William Shakespeare both belong to the late phase of Early Modern English, although the King James Bible intentionally keeps some archaisms that were not common even when it was published. Current readers of English are generally able to understand Early Modern English, though occasionally with difficulties arising from grammar changes, changes in the meanings of some words, and spelling differences. The standardization of English spelling falls within the Early Modern English period, and is influenced by conventions predating the Great Vowel Shift, explaining much of the non-phonetic spelling of contemporary Modern English.
Pronouns
Early Modern English, as with most European languages, had T-V distinction. That is, there were two versions of the second person pronoun: "ye" (plural and formal singular, superseded by the accusative "you") and "thou" (accusative or casus generalis "thee", from Proto-Indo-European "*te"), (informal singular). The "thou" form remained customary in solemn occasions, especially for addressing God, as well as in situations addressing an inferior. "Thine" is the Early Modern English form of "your" with "thy" being used before words starting with consonants. "Mine" was often used in place of "my" where Modern English would use "my", especially before vowel sounds (hence e.g. "mine eyes").
Verb
Verb conjugations in the "thou" form (second person informal singular) end in -(e)st (e.g. "thou takest"). In Early Modern English, third person singular conjugations end in -(e)th instead of -s (e.g. "he taketh"). Both the second person informal singular and third person singular lost their endings in the subjunctive, which utilizes the bare stem of the verb.
From Middle English to Early Modern English
The change from Middle English to Early Modern English was not just a matter of vocabulary or pronunciation changing — it was the beginning of a new era in the history of English.
The introduction of printing meant that more books were produced, and more people would have had access to books. People who already read books would have read a greater number of different books, and the average literate person's vocabulary would have been enlarged. Greater political stability and prosperity led to a flowering of lasting literature, which would have helped to stabilise the language and broaden its vocabulary. Greater prosperity would also have led to more trade, with people from different parts of England coming into contact with each other. English was used in church services, making the general population more familiar with a standard version of the language, rather than the liturgy being in Latin, which was totally incomprehensible to most people. The great differences between the Middle English dialects would have started to be ironed out to some extent.
An era of linguistic change in a language with large variations in dialect was replaced by a new era of a more standardised language with a richer lexicon and an established (and lasting) literature. Shakespeare's plays are familiar and comprehensible today, 400 years after they were written, but the works of Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland, written only 200 years earlier, are considerably more difficult for the average reader.
Timeline: Early Modern English
- 1476 — William Caxton starts printing in Westminster, but the language he uses reflects the variety of styles and dialects used by the authors whose work he prints.
- 1485 — Tudor dynasty established — start of period of (relative) political and social stability.
- 1491 or 1492 — Richard Pynson starts printing in London — his style tends to prefer Chancery Standard, the form of English used by government.
- c1509 — Pynson becomes the king's official printer.
- From 1525 — Publication of William Tyndale's Bible translation (which was initially banned).
- 1539 — Publication of the Great Bible, the first officially authorised Bible in English, edited by Myles Coverdale, largely from the work of Tyndale. This Bible is read to congregations regularly in churches, familiarising much of the population of England with a standard form of the language.
- 1549 — Publication of the first Book of Common Prayer in English, under the supervision of Thomas Cranmer. This book standardises much of the wording of church services.
- 1557 — Publication of Tottel's Miscellany.
- c1590 to c1612 — Shakespeare's plays written — they are still widely read and familiar in the 21st century.
- 1611 — The King James Bible is published, largely based on Tyndale's translation. It remains the standard Bible in the Church of England for many years.
- c1640–1660 — Period of social upheaval in England (the English Civil War and the era of Oliver Cromwell).
- 1662 — New edition of the Book of Common Prayer, largely based on the 1549 and subsequent editions. This also long remains a standard work in English.
- 1667 — Publication of Paradise Lost by John Milton.
From Early Modern to Modern English
The 17th century was a time of political and social upheaval in England, particularly the period from about 1640 to 1660. Certain forms of pronunciation or vocabulary may have lost or gained prestige, as parts of the upper echelons of society were replaced by people from lower classes. The increase in trade around the world meant that the English port towns (and their forms of speech) would have gained in influence over the old county towns. England experienced a new period of internal peace and relative stability, encouraging the arts including literature, from around the 1690s onwards. Another important episode in the development of the English language started around 1600 — the British settlement of America.