Early Modern English
Period
end of the 15th – beginning of the18th
century
The formation of the National English
Language
Historical background
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1485 - ?
Henry Vll (Tudor) crowned king (1485-1509).
Absolute monarchy
Political and economic unification of the country
> development of capitalism
• London - a bureaucratic and administrative
centre
• One nation >one national language
• The invention of printing gave a great
impulse to the formation of a standard
language and spread of literacy.
• Popularity of great literary works by
Chaucer, who deliberately created in
English
• Oxford and Cambridge, two basic centres
of education, were very close to London
and also propagated London dialect
• Henry VIII's matrimonial difficulties led to
the split with Catholicism. Henry made
himself head of the Church of England
(Latin was ousted from many spheres ).
• Henry VII – commerce, shipbuilding, new
lands (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia)
• Henry VIII (1509- 1547) – the Head of the
Church in England and of the State
• Elizabeth I (1558- 1603) reigns
• It’s the age of Shakespeare
• East India Company is formed.
• 1603 - James VI of Scotland becomes
James I of England uniting the two
kingdoms.
• 1611 - 'King James Bible' ('Authorised
Version of the Bible' ) is published
• It became the most famous English
translation of the scriptures and had a
profound impact on the English language.
• 1620 - The Pilgrim Fathers set sail for New
England from Plymouth, aboard the
'Mayflower'
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The Crown vs. Parliament
Charles I (1625- 1649) ruled without Parliament,
compromise with Parliament
Great Rebellion (Parliament denied the King
control of the army)
• Charles executed (1649)
• Parliament in power
• Oliver Cromwell (Lord Protector - 1653)
• Charles II returns to the throne (from
France). Restoration of monarchy (1660).
Literary English Language ()
• English literary norm – at the end of
the17th c. (first scientific English
dictionaries)
• Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary (1755)
• Late New English – since the 18th c.
Modern English (Late New English)
• Adoption of a standard of spoken English
• Difference between ME and NE
pronunciation but not in spelling.
Geographical expansion of English.
• English on the British Isles up to the 17th c.
• The beginning of the penetration of
English began in the 16th c.
• East India Company
• Expansion of British colonialism.
• 18th c – English in India, Canada
• 19th c. – colonization of Australia
• 20th c. – South Africa