Differences of Pronunciation between Old English and Middle English

Abstract：Middle English derives from Old English despite of many borrowing words from other cultures.Many researches on Old English and Middle English have been conducted by domestic linguists.The pronunciation is a basic access to understand Old English and Middle English.This paper mainly focuses on the discussion of differences on the sound of vowels and consonants between Old English and Middle English.

Key Words：Pronunciation;Differences;Old English;Middle English

English is usually divided into Old English，Middle English and Modern English in accordance with the historical period in which they were spoken.The evolution of certain languages does not finish overnight，it usually takes century to complete this process.This article mainly focuses on difference of pronunciation between Old English and Middle English，to see how the languages develop.

Old English （hereafter referred to as OE） is the language spoken between mid-5th century and mid-12th century.It is mainly spoken by Anglo-Saxon.Over the time，Old English was developed from languages of different tribes.There were four main dialects，Mercian，Kentish，West Saxon and Northumbrian in Old English.Middle English （hereafter referred to as ME） is the language spoken between late 12th century and late 15th century.The Norman Conquest marks the end of Old English period and the beginning of Middle English.William Caxtons invention of printing press in 1470s helps the appearance of Chancery Standard，which marks the end of Middle English.

1 The Difference of Vowels between Old English and Middle English

According to John Algeo，Old English has seven monophthongs： a，?，e，i，o，u，y and two diphthongs： ea and eo.The letter y has not survived in Modern English.It is pronounced [y]，indicating a rounded front vowel.For example，long [y：] in German Bühne，short in Fünf.But in Middle English，[y] changes to unrounded [i]，as shown in brittened deriving form OE brytnian （destroyed）.One of the striking features of the vowels of Old English is the vowel length.When we say vowel length in Old English，we mean duration，i.e.，how long it takes to pronounce a vowel.Each vowel has both long and short versions and they differ in quantity.We usually add a line above the letter to show it is a long vowel，such as in ī ，as opposed to i.The vowel length is important because it will make a difference in word meaning.For example，in OE，is [is] means yes，while īs [i：s] means ice; m?g [m?：g] means kinsman，while m?? [m?g] means may.If we dont know this，we will make mistakes.

In Middle English，these vowels are either lengthened or shortened depending on their neighboring letters.For example，short vowels before -ld，-nd，-md and -rd are lengthened，as e in feld becomes [e：] ，i in binden becomes [i：].But if a third consonant follows -ld，-nd，md，and -rd，then the vowel doesnt lengthen.If a long vowel is before two consonants or a double consonant，then it will be shortened （Dennis Freeborn：2008：95）.As ē [e：] in mētte is shortened to [e：] in meet in Middle English.

John Algeo says that in Middle English，“long vowel sounds ē，ī，ō，and ū of Old English remain unchanged” （2010：123），despite of some changes of word forms.For example，OE rīdan，changes to rīden （ride）in ME; ME fōde （foot） comes form OE fōda.Then lets mainly look at the long vowels that have changed in the evolutionary process from Old English to Middle English.Long vowel ā，such as ā in gād （goad） in OE，is pronounced [a：].However，in the South of Humber during Middle English period，long vowel ā[a：] is rounded to [??] in pronunciation，as shown in bon [b??n] （bone） and stoon [st??n] （stone） in Middle English deriving from Old English words bān and stān.The sames change falls to diphthong ēa，which is pronounced [?：?]，such as dēaf （deaf）[d?：?f] in OE.Another Long vowels ē，such as ē in fedan （feed） in OE，is sounded [e：] and long diphthong ēo is pronounced [e：?]，such as Bēowulf [be：?wulf] in OE.Their sounds change to [e：] in Middle English.

Short vowels a，e，i，o，u of Old English dont go through any big changes in Middle English.（Ishtla Singh：2005：116） Short ?，such as ? in b?c （back） in OE，is pronounced [?]，changing to [a]，as shown g?ld（glad） in OE，changes to glad.Short y in OE is unrounded to [i]，as mentioned above.Short diphthongs eo and ea in OE are replaced by a and e in ME respectively.So we see that four diphthongs in Old English eo，ea，ēo，and ēa change to monophthongs a，e，[ε：] and [e：] in Middle English respectively.There also appear new diphthongs in Middle English——[aυ]，[?υ]，[ευ]，[iυ].

2 The Difference of Consonants between Old English and Middle English

The consonant letters in Old English are b，c，d，f，g，h，k，l，m，n，p，r，s，t，? or ?，w，x，and z.Old English consonants b，c，d，f，h，k，l，m，n，p，s，t，w，and x are pronounced almost in the same way as they are spoken in Middle English.Then I would like to discuss the sound of consonants in Old English that are different from those of Modern English.

In Old English，h appears before a consonant at the beginning of many words，such as hnappian.But in Middle English h- consonant clusters，such as hl，hn，and hr change to l，n，and r.Other consonant cluster hw，as in hwm?r，in Old English is written wh in Middle English and it reduces to w in some southern dialects.Wh cluster is still used in Modern English.Other consonant clusters include sw and tw in Old English，w is lost in Middle English.For example，swā （so） in OE changes to sa in ME，and twā （two） in OE is replaced by tō in ME.

The pronunciation of g in Old English depends on neighboring sounds.The symbol indicates [g] when initially before another consonants or back vowels，as g in gn?t （gnat），guma （man），and gāt （goat）.When combined with n，the symbol g indicates the same [g] sound.It is pronounced[j] when before a front vowel，as g in giefu （gift） and giestrand?g （yesterday）.When g is between back vowels or after [l] or [r]，it is pronounced [?].For instance，g in lagu （care），and g in sorgian （ sorrow）.In Middle English，fricative g after l or r becomes w，for example halwen （hollow） derives from OE halgain.

In Old English，the consonants f，s，and ? （or ?，the two used more or less interchangeably） are pronounced voiced fricatives [v]，[z]，[?] when they are between vowels or between vowels and other voiced consonants.For example，f in stafas [stɑvɑs] （letter），s in rīsan [‘ri：zan] （rise），and ? in fe?er [fe?er] （feather）.They indicate the voiceless fricatives [f]，[s]，[θ] when they are in word initial，at the end of the word or neighboring to a voiceless consonant.For instance，f in hlāf [hla：f] （loaf），s in sittan [sittan] （sit），and ? in ??t [θ?t] （fat）.However，in Middle English，this distinction becomes not that obvious.For many Old French and Latin words beginning with voiced [v] and [z] are brought into English，while voiceless consonants f，s，?，and ? in Middle English become voiced.

The combinations of consonants cg becomes dg [d?] and sc [? ] is gradually replaced sh or sch [? ] in ME.Old English c can be pronounced [c] and [k]，depending contiguous sounds.When it is before a back vowel or a consonant，it is pronounced [k]，as in snaca （snake），and cwellan （kill）.If c is before a front vowel，it pronounced [t? ]，as in ceorl （free man）.This sound c [t? ] is replace by ch or cch in Middle English.

3 Conclusion

The English we speak today is the result of language evolution from Old English，Middle English to Modern English.Middle English derives from Old English，so inevitably，there exists both similarities and differences on pronunciation between them.Analysis of their differences can help us find a more acceptable way to find how they are pronounced and get a better understanding of Old English and Middle English.

References

[1]Dannis Freeborn.From Old English to Standard English，2ed.ed[M].Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press，Macmilan Publishers Ltd.，2008.

[2]David Crystal.The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language，2ed.ed[M].Cambridge University Press，2003.

[3]Ishtla Singh.The History of English，A Students Guide，First published in Great Britain in 2005 by Hodder Education，part of Hachette Livre UK，338 Euston Road[J].London：NW1 3BH，2005.

[4]John Algeo.The Origin and Development of the English Language[J].Wadsworth，Cengage Learning，2010.

[5]Peter S.Baker.Introduction to Old English，3rd ed[J].Oxford：Wiley-Blackwell，2012.Online Website：http：//www.wmich.edu/medieval/resources/IOE/index.html

作者簡介

吴燕梅，女，讲师，硕士研究生，贵州财经大学商务学院，英美文学。