THE ROLE OF WILLIAM CAXTON IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Abstract

Annotation. In the English language, a process known as the Great Vowel Shift
began in the fourteenth century. New varieties began to supplant Latin pronunciation
and Low German phonetics. Two long vowels became diphthongs as a result of this
process, while five more were drastically altered. Each county evolved its spelling and
accent over time. In England, for example, the word “church” can be pronounced in 22
distinct ways, whereas “she” can be pronounced in 60 different ways. The word
“though” has over 500 different spellings and pronunciations. William Caxton was the
man who changed everything. Then we'll discuss its significance in the English
language.