Early Middle English language

Early Middle English was the vernacular spoken and written in England from approximately 1100 to 1250. It is the direct descendant of Old English and the ancestor of Modern English. This period is characterized by the continued use of the Old English writing system.1

Key linguistic shifts from Old English to Middle English included the substitution of natural gender for grammatical gender in nouns and adjectives, and the simplification of the old systems of declensions for nouns, adjectives, and largely pronouns. The dialects of Middle English are typically categorized into Southern, Midland, and Northern groups. The earliest examples of verse romance, a popular genre throughout the Middle Ages, also appeared during the 13th century, marking a significant development in literature.12