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ME dialects. Major written records. Chaucer and his Canterbury tales.

In ME period we can observe the change of the names of dialects:

Northumbrian → Northern dialect

Mercian → East Midland d.

→West Midland d.

Kentish ----

Wessex → South Western d.

East Midland became the modern language (today). It was spoken not far from London.

For a long time after the Norman Conquest there were two written languages in England: Latin and French. English was held in disdain as a tongue used only for common illiterate people and not for writing.

Early Middle English: The earliest samples of Early ME prose are the new entries made in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles (1122) known as Peterborough chronicle, Poem morale (Moral ode) – Kentish dialect, Ormulum – North-East Midland dialect, Ancrene Riwle – South-Western dialect.

The dialect division which evolved in Early ME was on the whole preserved in later periods. In the 14^th, 15^th cent there were the same grouping of local dialects.

1. Southern group → Kentish

→ South-West dialect

2. Midland group → East Midland

→ West Midland

3. Northern group

French was ousted from official spheres and from the sphere of writing.

The Hourishing of literature which makes the second half of the 14cent testifies to the complete reestablishment of English as the language of writing. It was “the age of Chaucer ”, the greatest author of this period. “ Canterbury tales ”

Chaucer was the most outstanding figure of the 14^th cent. He had the most varied experience as student, official member of Parliament. His later works were imitative of other authors. He never wrote in any other language than English. The culmination of his work as a poet is his unfinished collection of stories “The Canterbury tales”. He presented in the pilgrims a gallery of life-like portraits taken from all works of life. Chaucer’s literature language based on the mixed London dialect is known as classical ME, in the 15-16^th cent it became the basic of the national literary Engl language.

ME 12-15^th:

1. Kentish: 13^th – Kentish Sermons, Po

ema Morale.

14^th – Dan Michael, Ay En

bite of Enwit.

2. South Wester: 13^th – Layamon “Brut”;

14^th – Robert of Gloucester, a versified chronicle, Ser Gawaine and the Green Knight.

3. London – 13^th – Proclamation of Henry III, polit novel;

14^th – roman of chivalry, Chaucer’s works;

15^th – Lydgate poems.

4. Midland W and E Midland: 12 cent – the Peterbour chronicle;

14^th – Adam Davy’s poems, Miracle Plays

15^th – Jork Plays;

5. Northern: 13^th – the Prose ryle of St Benedict;

14^th – Hampole “The prick of Conscience”;

6. Scottish: 14^th – J.Babour “Bruce”, Henry the Minstrel “Wallace”.