Question

How did the alphabet of Middle English differ from the alphabet of Old English?

Answer 1

The alphabet of Middle English differed from Old English by adding two letters, changing the representation of the 'w' sound, and introducing diacritical marks. These changes reflected the evolving language.

Step-by-step explanation:

The alphabet of Middle English differed from the alphabet of Old English in a few ways:

1. In Old English, the alphabet consisted of 24 letters, while in Middle English, it expanded to 26 letters. The two additional letters were 'v' and 'j'.
2. Old English used a runic letter called 'wynn' (ƿ) which represented the 'w' sound. This letter was later replaced by 'uu' or 'w' in Middle English.
3. Middle English also introduced the use of diacritical marks, such as the 'macron', 'acute accent', and 'diaeresis', to indicate pronunciation differences in certain vowel sounds.

These changes in the alphabet reflected the evolving phonetic sounds and linguistic features of the English language during the transition from Old English to Middle English.

Learn more about Alphabet changes in Middle English