Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics |
Editors | Mark Aronoff |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Pages | online |
Volume | 1 |
Edition | 1st |
ISBN (Print) | 9780199384655 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Abstract
Middle English is the name given to the English of the period from approximately 1100 to approximately 1450. This period is marked by substantial developments in all areas of English grammar. It is also the period of English when different dialects are the most fully attested in the texts. At the beginning of the Middle English period, the sociolinguistic status of English was low due to the Norman Invasion, and although religious texts of Old English composition continued to be copied and updated, few original compositions are extant. By the end of the period, English had regained its status as the language of government, law, and literature generally.