Name: John Rey Y.

Oñate Teacher: Corazon Cachero

Grade & Section: BAEL 1B Subject: ELS 113

The Great Vowel Shift

The English language has recently become the world’s lingua franca, making it one of
the most widely spoken languages on the planet. The ability to easily adapt to changes
is an important feature that gives it a long-term advantage over other languages. It is
spoken in many dialects across many countries and continues to welcome new words
as old ones change meaning or are gradually phased out. For example, if an
Englishman from the 14th century read the last sentence, the word “abandoned” would
have made no sense because it meant “to subjugate” back then. On the other hand,
many English words, such as “tweep,” “selfie,” and “hashtag,” are added to official
dictionaries on a yearly basis.
Between 1500 and 1800, the Great Vowel Shift occurred in Modern English, resulting in
some changes from Middle English to Modern English. Otto Jespersen is a linguist from
Denmark who discovered The Great Vowel Shift. He was the first to investigate the
Vowel system and the Great Vowel Shift. Furthermore, because of the massive shift in
the vowel system at the time, that period was dubbed The Great Vowel Shift.
Additionally, changes in pronunciation appear between the 15 th and 18th centuries.
Furthermore, The Great Vowel Shift is a significant change in the sound system that
affects the long vowels of English from the 15 th to the 18th centuries. The Great Vowel
Shift is defined as a “racial change in pronunciation.”