Early Modern English

Early Modern English is the stage of English used roughly from the late 15th to the late 17th century, between Middle English and Modern English. It includes major changes in pronunciation, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.

Great Vowel Shift: A chain shift in the pronunciation of English long vowels, beginning in the late Middle English period and continuing into the Early Modern period. It reshaped the pronunciation of many words while their spellings often remained unchanged.
Printing press: A machine that transfers inked type or images onto a surface, enabling the production of multiple copies. Printing expanded the circulation of English texts and encouraged more uniform spelling.
William Shakespeare: An English playwright and poet whose works include tragedies, comedies, histories, and sonnets. His plays and poems are prominent examples of Early Modern English in literary use.
London dialect: The varieties of English spoken in London and its surrounding region. London forms strongly influenced the written norms that spread through printing.
Old English: The earliest recorded stage of English, used from roughly the 5th to the 11th century. Its highly inflected grammar and largely Germanic vocabulary contrast with Early Modern English.
Middle English: The stage of English spoken and written from roughly the late 11th to the late 15th century. It is the preceding stage from which Early Modern English developed.
William Caxton: An English merchant and printer who established the first printing press in England in the late 15th century. His press helped spread written English forms during the period’s early decades.
King James Version: An English translation of the Bible published in 1611 under the sponsorship of James VI and I. Its influential prose made one form of Early Modern English familiar across generations.
Chancery Standard: A developing written variety of English used by royal government offices in the 15th century. It helped establish administrative conventions that preceded Early Modern written English.
Early Modern English Bible: English biblical translations produced during the Early Modern period, including the King James Version. Their language is often mistaken for a timeless form of English, though it reflects its own period.

Linked from 17 pages