When was Middle English spoken in England?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Middle English was the vernacular spoken and written in England from approximately 1100 to 1500. This period serves as the linguistic bridge between Old English and Modern English.1

Historians often divide the era into three distinct phases:

  • Early Middle English (c. 1100–1250): During this time, the writing system remained largely based on Old English traditions.1
  • Central Middle English (c. 1250–1400): This period saw the formation of literary dialects, the influence of the Anglo-Norman writing system, and the rise of the London dialect, notably used by writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower.1
  • Late Middle English (c. 1400–1500): This final phase was characterized by the spread of the London literary dialect and the establishment of the basic inflectional patterns found in Modern English.1