The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #102264 Message #2070980
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
07-Jun-07 - 05:40 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Chevy Chase pronunciation (1430 Version)
Subject: RE: Origins: Chevy Chase pronunciation (1430 Version)
The Great Vowel Shift was well underway at the time of the song. See http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/vowels.htm
Vowel Shift
At best, pronunciations are approximations.
Even if a dead Englishman of the 15th c. can be found with preservation good enough to permit recreating him from stem cell material, he would have no memory of his language.