Imagining Medieval English - Language Structures and Theories, 500-1500

A wide-ranging study of medieval English from 500 to 1500, exploring forms and ideas about language in a literary and cultural context.

List of contents

Part I. Introduction: 1. The metaphysics of medieval English Tim William Machan; Part II. Organizing Ideas: 2. What was medieval English? Seth Lerer; 3. The evolution of Old and Middle English texts: linguistic form and practices of literacy Jeremy Smith; 4. Snakes, ladders, and standard language Tim William Machan; Part III. The Continuities of Language: 5. 'þæt is on englisc': performing multilingualism in Anglo-Saxon England Christopher M. Cain; 6. Regional language and culture: the geography of Middle English linguistic variation Merja Stenroos; 7. The linguistic repertoire of medieval England, 1100¿1500 Ad Putter; Part IV. The Discontinuities of English: 8. The nature of material evidence Simon Horobin; 9. Sifting through the evidence: principles and pitfalls Cynthia L. Allen; 10. Everyday English in late medieval England Colette Moore; 11. Imagining the literary in medieval English Andrew Galloway; Part V. Retrospection: 12. 'The most excellent creatures are not ever born perfect': early modern attitudes to Middle English Helen Cooper; 13. Ideas of medieval English in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries David Matthews; Bibliography.

Summary

A comprehensive account of the English language from 500 to 1500, which integrates literary and linguistic approaches to explore how we think about language. Drawing on a wide range of examples, this collection of essays by leading academics is accessible to scholars and students of medieval English language, literature, and history.

Product details

• Authors: Tim William Machan, Tim William (University of Notre Dame Machan
• Assisted by: Tim William Machan (Editor), Tim William (University of Notre Dame Machan (Editor), Machan Tim William (Editor)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.01.2016
• EAN: 9781107058590
• ISBN: 978-1-107-05859-0
• No. of pages: 322
• Series: Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature; Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > English linguistics / literary studies; LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, LITERARY CRITICISM / Medieval, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, Historical & comparative linguistics, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval, Historical and comparative linguistics, Middle English