Introduction to Early Modern English

The period between 1500 and 1700 was the most decisive one in the formation of standard modern English, yet no really comprehensive account of Early Modern English has been available. Manfred Gorlach’s Introduction to Early Modern English fills a very real need. It provides a thorough and linguistically informed synchronic description of Early Modern English, dealing with its varieties, with writing and orthography, phonetics and phonology, syntax and the lexicon, including sections on problems of language contact and the lexicographical tradition. In addition, it provides a valuable anthology of texts from a wide range of sources: the texts exemplify features from Early Modern English discussed in the main body of the book, and have also been effectively chosen so as to provide something of the cultural background to the processes of linguistic change of the period. This textbook is admirably suited to undergraduate courses, and will be welcomed by all students of English language and literature studying the Early Modern period.

List of texts; List of figures; Preface; List of symbols and abbreviations; Chronological table; 1. Introduction; 2. Varieties of Early Modern English; 3. Writing and spelling; 4. Phonology; 5. Inflectional morphology; 6. Syntax; 7. Vocabulary; Texts; Bibliography; Index of persons; Index of topics; Index of selected words.