Language Change in Two Early English Printing Houses: Richard Pynson and Wynkyn de Worde, 1490-1530
Alana Cruikshank
&lt;p&gt;The introduction of printing to England in the late fifteenth century dramatically altered form and function written English language, as production texts increased exponentially within a very short time period. This shift from manuscript print is characterised beginning Early Modern English, when standardisation modernisation text began earnest neared completion by 1700. William Caxton, England’s first printer an enthusiast literature, credited with making genuine efforts towards ‘Standard English’ his career; immediate successors, however, are traditionally regarded reverting irregular spelling forms hindering process which was slowly developing century. The aim this thesis examine language two Caxton’s successors – former apprentice Wynkyn de Worde, Worde’s chief competitor Richard Pynson for signs their works. achieved through close study ten forms, both morphological orthographic, between 1490 1530. Thirty-six printed Worde were selected variety genres, including devotional works, sermons, legal texts, travel diaries, histories, philosophical sourced medieval manuscripts, contemporary translations, original compositions, represent work houses. For each printer, ten-page samples taken five-year intervals examined facsimile, data number trends processes can be identified. Innovative, or modern, variants five tended already common decade printing, 1530 firmly established, whereas orthographic modernise mostly after 1500, less regular than studied. Both morphology orthography show clear development away favoured Caxton Chancery scribes more modern forms. Textual evidence strongly suggests that trend due increasingly copy-texts works produced, extension practices writers translators, rather concerted house implementing standard.&lt;/p&gt;
INDIGO (University of Illinois at Chicago)