The Canterbury Tales - Prologue

Literary Influences on
the English Language
The Contributions of Geoffrey Chaucer

By Kristina Yarberry
Who is Geoffrey Chaucer?
● Born in London, England, c. 1343
● Known as the “Father of English Literature”
● Considered one of the greatest (if not, the greatest) English
poet of the Middle Ages
● The first poet to be buried in the “Poets’ Corner” of
Westminster Abbey
Why Chaucer?
Popular Literary Works
● The Book of the Duchess
● Anelida and Arcite
● The House of Fame
● Parlement of Foules
● The Legend of Good Women
● Troilus and Criseyde
● The Canterbury Tales
What were his
contributions?
Changes in ● Continental
accentual-syllabic
Literary meter
● Five-stress line
Tradition ● Rhyme royal
Rhyme Royal

A
B
A
B
B
C
C
What about linguistic
contributions?
Did Chaucer invent the language in which
he wrote?
Added Words Through his mastery of
vocabulary, Chaucer
● French: “paramour” proved that reformed
● Old English: English was, in fact, fit for
○ Churlish ○ Swivern great literature
○ Friendly ○ Wasp
○ Learning ○ Wifely
○ Loving ○ Willingly
○ Restless
Expectations: Literary & Linguistic
Fluent in French and Latin
+
Connected with nobles and royals
=
Expected to write in these languages for these
audiences
 Chaucer’s ● Emphasis on character
Canterbury development over
audience
Choices ● Tailoring of language to
characters
● Realization of
characters through
their unique uses of
language
Vernacular of the
Common People
No Established Standard

Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, Lines 1786-1798

Those That Doubt
Christopher Cannon - The Making of
Chaucer’s English (1998)
● Chaucer “selected” as the “originator” of English poetry
● OED potentially unreliable in regard to Chaucer’s
contribution of new words
Vernacular of the
Common People
More of Chaucer’s Word Contributions
● Acceptable ● Arbitration Among many
● Alkali ● Armless words first
● Alteration ● Army attributed to
● Amble ● Arrogant Chaucer by the
● Angrily ● Arsenic OED
● Annex ● Arc
● Annoyance ● Artillery
● Approaching ● Aspect
Conclusions?
BBC Animated Canterbury Tales (1998)