The evolution of English diphthongs as a reflection of the process of standardisation of the language: A case study of the Bible

Abstract

This paper is going to focus mainly on the phonological and lexical changes that the English language suffered all over the centuries as a reflection of the Great Vowel Shift (GVS). As a main point of reference to realise this analysis will be the Old and Middle English period finishing with Modern English. Due to the standardisation process, it can be seen the reflection of the Great Vowel Shift. The two main important events that contributed actively to the standardisation of the language were: The Printing Press in 1439 and the Protestant Reformation, between 1517 and 1648. Regarding the Protestant Reformation, it was a very positive contribution to the spread of English, and it has promoted its usage among all the social classes. It is important to highlight that the English language during the Middle ages was used by lower classes, as the language for upper society was French. However, when the Protestant Reformation, the Printing Press, and other demographical and social changes have occurred, these events contributed to the standardisation of English and its promotion among England as the official language (Freeborn, 2006). In this paper is going to be analysed the evolution of English diphthongs as a reflection of the process of standardisation of the language and how affected the lexicon and phonology of English language. Regarding the methodology used for this analysis, a text will be analysed as a practical case, with the aim to examine the evolution of the words as a reflection of the Great Vowel Shift in terms of phonological and lexical changes. Finally, the results obtained point that during the Great Vowel Shift period some words changed their structure and diphthongized. Likewise, it has been discussed about a Second Great Vowel Shift.