Late Middle English (1300-1500)

Late Middle English (1300-1500)

The Late Middle English era commenced in the 14th century and concluded in the 15th century. Throughout this period, the English language experienced further impact from French.

Nonetheless, the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between England and France resulted in an increased usage of English in official documents. This contributed to the standardization and uniformity of the language.

Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, written in the late 14th century, stands as one of the most renowned examples of Middle English literature. Chaucer, being the first prominent English writer, played a significant role in further standardizing the language. Hence, Middle English is often referred to as Chaucerian English.

Geoffrey Chaucer

The influence of French can also be observed in the vocabulary, as numerous French loanwords were introduced into English during this period. Additionally, Middle English was influenced by the introduction of Christianity, leading to the adoption of many religious terms from Latin.

It was during the 14th century that a different dialect (known as the East-Midlands) began to develop around the London area.

Geoffrey Chaucer, a writer we have come to identify as the Father of English Literature[5] and author of the widely renowned Canterbury Tales, was often heralded as the greatest poet of that particular time. It was through his various works that the English language was more or less “approved” alongside those of French and Latin, though he continued to write up some of his characters in the northern dialects.

It was during the mid-1400s that the Chancery English standard was brought about. The story goes that the clerks working for the Chancery in London were fluent in both French and Latin. It was their job to prepare official court documents and prior to the 1430s, both the aforementioned languages were mainly used by royalty, the church, and wealthy Britons. After this date, the clerks started using a dialect that sounded as follows:

• gaf (gave) not yaf (Chaucer’s East Midland dialect)
• such not swich
• theyre (their) not hir

As you can see, the above is starting to sound more like the present-day English language we know.

If one thinks about it, these clerks held enormous influence over the manner of influential communication, which ultimately shaped the foundations of Early Modern English.