"Introduction to the History of the English
Language"
Sound change 2c - Unconditioned change
(The Great Vowel Shift)
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The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
Middle English long monophthongs
i:
u:
e:
o:
a:
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
Middle English long monophthongs
ME ModE
mice
/?/>/?/
hous
e
/?/>/?/
meet
/?/>/?/
boot
/?/>/?/
meat
/?/>/?/
boat
/?/>/?/
tale
/?/>/?/
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
Changes in ME long monophthongs
ME ModE
mice
/i:/ >
hous
e
/u:/ >
meet
/e:/ > /i:/
boot
/o:/ > /u:/
meat
> /i:/
boat
>
tale
/a:/ >
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
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Raising
Diphthongisation
ME ModE
mice
/i:/ >
hous
e
/u:/ >
meet
/e:/ > /i:/
boot
/o:/ > /u:/
meat
> /i:/
boat
>
tale
/a:/ >
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
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Raising
Diphthongisation
i:
u:
e:
o:
a:
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
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Where does the change start?
Push-chain or drag-chain?
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2 Suggestions
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(1) Otto Jespersen
(2) Carl Luick
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(1) Jespersen
Change starts at the top, i.e. /i:, u:/
Drag-chain
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(2) Luick
Change starts with mid-close vowels, i.e. /e:, o:/
Combination push- & drag-chain
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
O. Jespersen (start with /i:, u:/)
i:
u:
(1) /i:, u:/ diphthongise & leave empty
slot
e:
o:
(2) /e:, o:/ are dragged up into empty
slot
(3) Mid-open Vs dragged up
a:
(4) Low vowel dragged up
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
C. Luick (start with /e:, o:/)
i:
u:
(2) /i:, u:/ are pushed out &
diphthongise
e:
o:
(1) /e:/, /o:/ are raised & push out /i:, u:/
(4) Mid-open Vs dragged into empty
slots
a:
(3) Low vowel moves up & merges with
(cf. ModE mate : meat)
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
Problem:
Luick
Jespersen
2 Different chronologies Starts with /e:, o:/ Starts with /i:, u:/
2 Different accounts
Push- & drag chain
Which is the correct one?
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
2 arguments
(1) Chaucer rhymes
(2) Scottish reflexes of ME /u:/
(1) Chaucer rhymes
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Chaucer sometimes rhymes orig. /e:/ with /i:/
Indicates change /e:/ > /i:/
Drag chain
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Supports Luick's hypothesis of push- & drag chain
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
Southern vs northern ME long monophthongs
Southern
Northern
i:
u:
i:
u:
e:
o:
e: ø:
!
a:
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a:
OE /o:/ > Sc. /ø:/
Leaves empty slot - no /o:/ any more in Northern system
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
(1) Luick /e:, o:/ - Northern:
i:
u:
e: ø:
!
!
a:
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Front Vs behave as expected.
But since there is no /o:/ to push /u:/ out of place, there
should be no diphthongisation in modern Sc. dialects.
This is indeed the case; cf. W. Boyd (1988: 363) The New
Confessions: "Oh, yer up. Borrowed yer dressin'-goon" Sc.
/u:/ for SthE
gown
Luick's account is compatible with modern Sc. reflexes
The Great Vowel Shift (GVS)
(2) Jespersen /i:, u:/ Northern:
i:
u:
e: ø:
!
a:
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If GVS starts with /u:/, the change /u:/ >
should be
unaffected by the missing /o:/.
So there should be Sc.
pronunciations, e.g. for gown.
However, there aren't.
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So, Jespersen's account is incompatible with modern Sc.
reflexes.