Fascinating:
“During the Middle English period many Old English grammatical features were simplified or disappeared. Noun, adjective and verb inflections were simplified, a process that included the reduction (and eventual elimination) of most grammatical case distinctions. Middle English also saw a mass adoption of Norman French vocabulary, especially in areas such as politics, law, the arts, religion and other courtly language. Everyday English vocabulary remained mostly Germanic, with Old Norse influence becoming apparent. Significant changes in pronunciation took place, especially for long vowels and diphthongs, which in the later Middle English period began to undergo the Great Vowel Shift.
Little survives of early Middle English literature, most likely due to the Norman domination and the prestige that came with writing in French rather than English. During the 14th century, a new style of literature emerged with the works of notable writers such as John Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer, whose Canterbury Tales remains the most studied and read work of the period.[4] Poets wrote in both the vernacular and courtly English.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=3644021,500
Yes, I was an English major.
Sorry, wrong url. This should be correct:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English
Clearly, I was not a student of computer science. :(
I had a semester of Chaucer in college...I was an English major, too, trish!
;o)
LOL...I knew there would be someone out there who would appreciate the Billy Goats farting! hahaha!