An Elementary Historical New English Grammar

Abstract

In this grammar we shall often simply use the terms early NE. and earlier NE. By the former is meant from 1500 to about 1650, and by the latter from about 1650 to 1800. All such subdivisions are rather arbitrary and can lead to no very practical results. It is far more methodical to treat separately the history of the individual ME. sounds in NE., stating when possible the approximate dates at which any of the sounds have undergone a change or changes. 5. In the course of dealing with the phonology and accidence the great characteristic differences between ME. and NE. will become apparent, so that it is not necessary at this stage to state them in detail, but it may, however, be useful to state at the outset just a few of them:1. The great divergences between the sounds and the the local colouring in their statements, there is no wonder that they often contradict each other, and that the modern investigator often finds it difficult to interpret statements about English pronunciation, which were written hundreds of years ago. And although great progress has been made