How did people in the 14th century speak?

The English language was in a transitional period during the 14th century. The Anglo-Saxon influence was still strong, and the language was highly inflected. However, the Norman invasion had also brought French influences, and the development of the English language was beginning to take on a more modern form.

Here are some of the key characteristics of English in the 14th century:

- Pronunciation: The pronunciation of English was different in the 14th century than it is today. For example, the letter "w" was pronounced as a "v," and the letter "th" was pronounced as "dh."

- Vocabulary: The vocabulary of English was also different in the 14th century. Many words that we use today were not used at all or had different meanings. For example, the word "gay" meant "carefree" or "happy."

- Grammar: The grammar of English was also different in the 14th century. For example, it was common to use double negatives and to put the verb at the end of the sentence.

Despite these differences, English in the 14th century was still comprehensible to speakers of Modern English. The language was in the process of evolving, but it was still largely the same language that we speak today.

As well as undergoing change, English existed regionally in its spoken forms. These are some examples of regionalisms in Middle English:

- Northern Middle English:

- ‘k’ pronounced as ‘ch’, e.g. kirk < church

- ‘-and’ ending for the present participle, e.g. singand/singande < singing

- ‘a’ often pronounced as ‘o’, e.g. water < wotor

- Southern Middle English:

- Pronunciation of ‘oo’ as ‘oa’, e.g. foot < f?t

- ‘-eth’ ending for the third-person singular, e.g. sings < singeth

- ‘v’ pronounced as ‘f’, e.g. vurst < first

- Midland Middle English:

- ‘v’ pronounced as ‘v’

- Pronunciation of ‘oo’ as ‘o’, e.g. moon < mone

- ‘en’ ending for the present participle, e.g. singen < singende