English pronunciation has changed dramatically from the past to the present and most of our current pronunciations are significantly different from how words were actually pronounced in past times. Archaisms in speech are of paramount interest to anybody interested in historical linguistics or literature, even Shakespearean drama. In the following guide we will outline key features of archaic English pronunciation and give hints on how to pronounce it.
- The Great Vowel Shift
One of the most important events in the history of English pronunciation is the Great Vowel Shift, which occurred between the 14th and 18th centuries. During this time, the long vowels of Middle English underwent dramatic changes, affecting the way words were pronounced.
Key Changes:
- /iː/ (as in “feet”) shifted to /aɪ/ (as in “fight”).
- /eː/ (as in “meet”) shifted to /iː/ (as in “meet”).
- /aː/ (as in “name”) shifted to /eɪ/ (as in “day”).
- /oː/ (as in “goat”) shifted to /əʊ/ (as in “go”).
- /uː/ (as in “boot”) shifted to /aʊ/ (as in “out”).
For instance, words like “house” were once pronounced more like “hoose,” and “time” sounded more like “teem.”
How to Approach:
When reading older texts or listening to performances of Early Modern English (think Shakespeare), try to imagine the vowel sounds of Middle English. The vowels in these texts were much purer and more distinct compared to today’s diphthongs.
Non-Rhoticity: Dropping the “R”:
In Middle and Early Modern English, especially in Southern English dialects, rhoticity—the pronunciation of the “r” sound—was not commonly used at the end of syllables. This is what linguists call a non-rhotic accent, and it’s still present in modern British English accents like Received Pronunciation (RP).
Examples:
- “father” would be pronounced as “fah-thuh.”
- “car” would sound more like “cah.”
- “more” would be pronounced as “moah.”
How to Approach:
When reading archaic texts, pay attention to words that end in “r” and try dropping it, especially when they are in unstressed syllables. This non-rhotic style is characteristic of Early Modern English, particularly in poetry.
Unstressed Vowel Sounds: The Schwa and Beyond
In modern English, we often reduce unstressed vowels to the schwa sound (/ə/), but in earlier forms of the language, unstressed vowels were often more distinct. For example, in Middle English, the word “sovereign” would have been pronounced with a distinct vowel sound at the end, something like “sov-ree-en.”
Examples:
- “nature” might have been pronounced as “nay-chur” (with a more distinct ‘a’ sound).
- “governor” could have been pronounced “guh-vern-or.”
How to Approach:
When dealing with archaic texts, try to keep vowels clearer, avoiding the modern tendency to reduce them to a schwa. It might help to read these words slowly, giving each syllable its due emphasis.
4. Consonant Changes
Archaic English also featured certain consonantal pronunciations that have since disappeared or changed over time.
The “Thorn” and “Eth” Sounds (þ and ð):
In Old and Middle English, the letters þ (thorn) and ð (eth) were used to represent the “th” sound in words like “this” and “thing.” In Modern English, we simply use “th” for both voiced and voiceless “th” sounds, but the sounds were once distinguished more clearly.
- Þe (the) was pronounced as “thee.”
- Þing (thing) was pronounced as “thing.”
How to Approach:
Modern speakers often use “th” for both sounds, but try to make a distinction when reading archaic texts. A voiced “th” (as in “this”) would sound more like “ð,” while a voiceless “th” (as in “thing”) would sound like “þ.”
The Silent “K” and “C”:
In Middle English, the letter “k” was often pronounced in words like “knight” or “knit,” and the “c” could sometimes have a hard sound even before “e” or “i” (like “church” pronounced “kurch”).
How to Approach:
Pronounce the “k” in words like “knight” and “know,” and treat “c” in words like “cent” or “cease” as a hard “k” sound.
old english pronunciation guide
5. The Influence of French and Latin
During the Middle Ages, English borrowed extensively from both French and Latin. As a result, many words took on pronunciations that were closer to their French or Latin origins.
Examples:
- “courtesy” would have been pronounced more like “coo-teh-see,” with an emphasis on the first syllable.
- “ballet” would have been pronounced with more of a French “ballet” sound, rather than the English “bal-lay.”
How to Approach:
When you encounter French or Latin-derived words in older texts, try to retain a more “continental” pronunciation, with more syllabic emphasis on the first or second syllable, similar to how French or Latin speakers would say it.
6. Spelling Variations and Pronunciation Clues
English spelling has also undergone significant changes over time, and archaic spellings often offer clues to how words were pronounced. For example, “y” was once pronounced like the “i” in “bit,” and the letter “u” was often pronounced like a short “v” (as in “vulgar”).
Example:
- “ye” (the) was pronounced “thee” or “the.”
- “circuitous” might have been pronounced more like “ser-kyu-i-tus,” with the “c” being softer than it is today.
How to Approach:
When reading archaic English, be aware of these spelling variations and try to match them with their likely pronunciations, which often align with older phonetic systems rather than modern conventions.
Conclusion
The most fulfilling and informative recreational activity for someone interested in the historical background of this language can be acquiring the ability to properly pronounce words in archaic English. You will develop a respect for older literary works, documents from history, and even some contemporary accents for an examination of significant shifts in vowel sounds, consonants, and stress patterns. This book will assist you in appreciating the diverse range of accents that have contributed to English as it exists now, whether you are researching Shakespeare’s works or the evolution of the language. Therefore, the next time you pick up a classic book, try reading it out loud while maintaining an eye out for its archaic pronunciation. This will assist you better to understand the language and might even make you sound somewhat more like you belong in the Elizabethan England
Other articles for a detailed study of Archaic English
