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The Great Vowel ShiftThe Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English Language between 1350 and 1700. The term "Great Vowel Shift" was actually coined by Danish linguist Otto Jespersen.
The evidence of the Great Vowel Shift is most noticeable in the immediate changeover between Middle English and Modern English in the pronunciation of the long vowels. The vowels of Middle English were all lower down in the mouth and during the Great Vowel Shift the placement of the vowels moved higher in the mouth, and the highest two vowels became diphthongs. Some of the changes include:
The Great Vowel Shift is considered to have come around because of the need for a standardised English language, in addition during the time of Black Death many of the doctors and priests modified their language to better communicate with one-another. The Great Vowel Shift is also responsible for most of the exceptions and awkward spellings. Examples:
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