Middle English

• During the Middle English period, the literary language began to evolve, culminating in the compositions of Chaucer.

• We see the first signs of a Standard English emerging in the work of the Chancery scribes in London.

• The introduction of printing by Caxton in 1476 brought an enormous expansion in the written resources of the language, and was the major influence on the development of a standardized writing system.

• Spelling began to stabilize, and thus became less of a guide to pronunciation, which continued to change.

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