On “Standard” Written English in the Later Middle Ages
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10786002 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J J Smith (0000-0003-4788-3966, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 99 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 762-779 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Speculum (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0038-7134 • E-ISSN: 2040-8072 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/730766 |
| OpenAlex | W4400074367 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 13 |
This paper argues that it is time to set aside traditional teleological narratives about late medieval English standardization in favor of a different approach that accepts the distinctive functions—as well as forms—of the language during the period. It identifies a series of correlations between spelling systems, text types, and script choices found in late Middle English manuscripts and aligns the resulting groupings with particular discourse communities and communities of practice. Texts covered include important manuscripts of the works of Chaucer, Gower, and Langland. The paper includes a plea for an integration—or perhaps more correctly reintegration—of paleography and linguistic study, as part of a broader reimagining of the philological endeavor: a reimagining that aligns with recent trends in the exciting interdisciplinary paradigm known as historical pragmatics
Ancient history · Middle Ages · Middle English · Classics · Historical Linguistics and Language Studies · History · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Linguistics and language evolution
| Highly cited | No |
|---|