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A Short History of English Language and Pronunciation	Æ Šωřt Hïstoři ωv Ïŋgлïš Лæŋgwïğ ænd Přonansiejšзn
The pronunciation and very form of the English language have changed dramatically during its history. So much, in fact, that a speaker of Old English would have an easier time communicating with a German than with a modern English speaker.	Đ přonansiejšзn ænd veři fωřm ωv đ Ïŋgлïš лæŋgwïğ hæv čejnğd dřæmætïkлi duřïŋ ïts hïstoři. Sou mač, ïn fækt, đæt æ spikзř ωv Oлd Ïŋgлïš wyd hæv æn izieř tajm komjynïkejtïŋ wïđ æ Ğзřmæn đæn wïđ æ mωdзřn Ïŋgлïš spikзř.
Old English (OE) or Anglo-Saxon was a Germanic language brought to south Britain by the invading Danish tribes in AD 450. Prior to then, the British Isles were inhabited solely by Celtic tribes that spoke Gaelic. As mentioned previously, Old English was quite similar to modern German both in sound and structure, and can today be seen in the famous epic Beowulf.	Oлd Ïŋgлïš (OÏ) oř Æŋgлo-Sæksзn wωz æ Ğзřmænïk лæŋgwïğ břωt tu sauθ Břïtn baj đ invejdïŋ Dejnïš třäjbs ïn AD 450. Přajoř tu đen, đ Břïtïš ajлs wзř ïnhæbïtïd soлī baj Keлtïk třäjbs đæt spouk Gejлik. Æz menšзnd přiviзsлi, Oлd Ïŋgлïš wωz kwajt sïmзлзř tu mωdзřn Ğзřmæn boθ ïn sæund ænd střakčзř, ænd kæn tydej bi sīn ïn đ fejmзs ëpïk Beowulf.
While there was moderate Latin influence during the following centuries due to Christian monks that came to convert Britain’s population, English received its first great blow in 1066. It was then that England was conquered by William, Duke of Normandy, who brought with him French language and bureaucracy. In the subsequent centuries, French was the official language of the court, law system, and in schools, while English was spoken by the lower class. As a result, English lost many of its Germanic traits: the original four case system survives only partially in modern pronouns (e.g. he; him; his) and the form and pronunciation of many words has changed significantly (e.g. “Ich”, still used in German today, became “I”). Simultaneously, a great number of French and Latin words entered the language – so much, in fact, that original English constructions are today perceived as irregular: e.g. the adding of the “s” for plurals was taken from French while original English plurals can be seen in irregular forms such as goose-geese, tooth-teeth.	Wajзл đeř wωz mωdзřзt Лætn infлuens duřïŋ đ fωлouïŋ senčзřīz dy tu Křïsћзn mäŋks đæt kejm tu konvзřt Břïtn’s päpjзлejšзn, Ïŋgлïš řïsivd ïts fзřst gřejt bлou ïn 1066. Ït wωz đen đæt Ïŋgлand wωz käŋkзřd baj Wïлjam, Dyk ωv Nořmændi, hy břωt wïđ hïm Fřenč лæŋgwïğ ænd bïřokřäsi. Ïn đ sabsïkwent senčзřīz, Fřenč wωz đ ofïšзл лæŋgwïğ ωv đ kořt, лω sïstem, ænd ïn skyлs, wajзл Ïŋgлïš wωz spouken baj đ лouзř kлæs. Æz æ řïzaлt, Ïŋgлïš лωst meni ωv ïts Ğзřmænïk třejts: đ ořïğïnaл foř kejs sïstem sзřvajvs onлi päřšзлi ïn mωdзřn přonauns (e.g. hi; hïm; hïz) ænd đ fωřm ænd přonansiejšзn ωv meni wзřds hæz čejnğd sïgnïfïkæntлī (e.g. “Ich”, stïл jyzd ïn Ğзřmæn tydej, bïkejm “I”). Sajmзлteniesлi, æ gřejt nambзř ωv Fřenč ænd Лætn wзřds entзřd đ лæŋgwïğ – sou mač, ïn fækt, đæt ořïğïnaл Ïŋgлïš kônstřäkšзns äř tydej pзřsivd æz ïřegjuлзř: e.g. đ ædïŋ ωv đ “s” foř pлuřäлs wωz tejkзn fřωm Fřenč wajзл ořïğïnaл Ïŋgлïš pлuřäлs kæn bi sīn ïn ïřegjuлзř fωřms sač æz gys-gīs, tyθ-tīθ.
It was not until the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War in 1337, when the French refused to have an Englishman inherit their throne, that English nationalism appeared and the English language was reinstituted as the country’s official language. The changes that occurred over the centuries, however, gave rise to a language that would be incomprehensible to and OE speaker. This language is now called Middle English (ME) or Anglo-French. Unlike OE which is truly a foreign language to (modern) English speakers, with a good dictionary ME is understandable. When taught how to pronounce it in school, however, one soon realizes that it is read almost phonetically. Moreover, if one knows any other European language they will realize the striking similarity primarily between the pronunciation of vowels in ME and other European languages. Another major difference is that the “r-s” were “rolled”.	Ït wωz nωt antïл đ bïgïnïŋ ωv đ Handřзd Jïřs’ Wωř ïn 1337, wen đ Fřenč řïfjyzd tu hæv æn Ïŋgлïšmæn inheřït đeïř θřon, đæt Ïŋgлïš næšзnaлïzm âpïřd ænd đ Ïŋgлïš лæŋgwïğ wωz řïïnstïtytïd æz đ kantři’s ofïšзл лæŋgwïğ. Đ čejnğïz đæt äkзřd ovзř đ senčзřīz, hauevзř, gejv řajz tu æ лæŋgwïğ đæt wyd bi inkämpřïhensïbл tu ænd OÏ spikзř. Đïs лæŋgwïğ ïz næu kωлd Mïdл Ïŋgлïš (MÏ) oř Æŋgлo-Fřenč. Anлajk OÏ wïč ïz třyлi æ fωřïn лæŋgwïğ tu (mωdзřn) Ïŋgлïš spikзřs, wïđ æ gyd dïkšзneři MÏ ïz andзřstændibл. Wen tωt hæu tu přonæuns ït ïn skyл, hauevзř, wan syn řiлäjzs đæt ït ïz řëd ωлmost fωnetïkлi. Mořovзř, ïf wan nouz eni ađř Juřopian лæŋgwïğ đej wïл řiлäjz đ střäjkïŋ sïmïлæřïti přäjmeřïлi bïtwīn đ přonansiejšзn ωv væwлs ïn MÏ ænd ađř Juřopian лæŋgwïğiz. Anađř mejğзř dïfзřëns ïz đæt đ “r-s” wзř “řoлd”.
Somewhere between the times of Chaucer in the 14th century, who still spoke in the above described way and Shakespeare in the 16th century, who wrote in an early form of Modern English, the so-called Great English Vowel Shift occurred. The result of this mysterious shift (mysterious because no one has yet come forward with an explanation) is the way English is pronounced today and the overt disparity between how it is written and how read. The latter is a result of English orthography being standardized during the period of ME, when words were generally written as pronounced, and the vowel shift that happened later. A change that happened contemporaneously to the Great Vowel Shift was the switch from the “rolling r” to today’s “r”, technically known as retroflex.	Samweř bïtwīn đ tajms ωv Čωsзř ïn đ 14th senčзři, hy stïл spouk ïn đ abav dïskřäjbd wej ænd Šækspiř ïn đ 16th senčзři, hy řout ïn æn зřлi fωřm ωv Mωdзřn Ïŋgлïš, đ sou-kωлd Gřejt Ïŋgлïš Væwл Šïft äkзřd. Đ řïzaлt ωv đïs mïstïřias šïft (mïstïřias bïkωz nou wan hæz jet kam fořwзřd wïđ æn ekspлenejšзn) ïz đ wej Ïŋgлïš ïz přonæunsd tydej ænd đ ovзřt dïspäřïti bïtwīn hæu ït ïz řïtn ænd hæu řëd. Đ лætř ïz æ řïzaлt ωv Ïŋgлïš ořθωgřäfi biïŋ stændзřdajzd duřïŋ đ pïřiod ωv MÏ, wen wзřds wзř ğenзřзлi řïtn æz přonæunsd, ænd đ væwл šïft đæt hæpзnd лejtзř. Æ čejnğ đæt hæpзnd kântempзřenijasлi tu đ Gřejt Væwл Šïft wωz đ swïћ fřωm đ “řoлïŋ r” tu tydej’s “r”, teknïkзлi noun æz řetřofлeks.

English Laws (Textus Roffensis); before A.D. 1125. [Rochester Chapter Library]

Sir Edward Maunde Thompson

An Introduction to Greek and Latin Palaeography

Oxford at the Clarendon Press 1912

Page 473

Coronation Oath; A.D. 1308 [Brit. Mus., Harley MS. 2901]

Sir Edward Maunde Thompson

An Introduction to Greek and Latin Palaeography

Oxford at The Clarendon Press 1912

Page 457

Conveyance; A.D. 1612. [Brit. Mus., Add. Ch. 24000]

Sir Edward Maunde Thompson

An Introduction to Greek and Latin Palaeography

Oxford at The Clarendon Press 1912

Page 558