从古英语到现代英语的元音变化

标签:
古英语元音读音英语现代 |
分类: 练英语学拉丁语 |
从古英语到现代英语的元音变化
友情提示:古英语的发音实际上和西班牙和后期拉丁语很像。其中元音字母a,e,i,o,u的读音和现代日语中的あ、い、う、え、お(a,i,u,e,o)的读音几乎是一样的,和意大利语中的元音字母读音也类似。由于现代英语经历了“元音大变化”,就和古英语变得十分不同了。
请家长朋友们打开电子词典(如《金山词霸》)认真读一读:
Old English varied widely from modern Standard English.
vary from 不同
古英语和现代英语有很大的不同。
Native English speakers today find Old English unintelligible without studying it as a separate language.
如果不是把古英语当成一门独立的语言去学习,母语是英语的人很难读懂。
unintelligible[5Qnin5telidVEbl]adj.难解的, 无法了解的, 莫明其妙的(un+intelligible)
un-否定前缀
intelligible[in5telidVEbl]adj.可理解的(intel+lig+ible)
intel-=inter,用在l前的变化,目的是为了发音方便。
Vowel changes(元音变化)
The following table shows the principal developments in the stressed vowels, from Old English through Modern English (where C indicates any consonant):
表中用“C”表示辅音字母(consonant)。
Old
English |
Middle
English |
Early Modern
English |
Modern English |
Modern Spelling |
Examples |
ɑː |
ɔː |
oː |
oʊ |
oa, oCe |
oak, boat, whole, stone |
oCe表示元音字母o接一个辅音字母再加e。如bone, stone中的one。 |
|||||
æː, æɑ |
ɛː |
eː |
iː |
ea |
heal, beat, cheap |
eː, eo |
eː |
iː |
ee, -e |
feed, deep, me, be |
|
iː, yː |
iː |
ǝi |
aɪ |
iCe |
ride, time, mice |
iCe表“元音字母i接一个辅音字母再加上e。如ice, rice, price。 |
|||||
oː |
oː |
uː |
uː |
oo, -o |
moon, food, do |
现代英语中的oo多数就是代替[u:]音素。绝对不应该再把oo拆解成o和o。 |
|||||
uː |
uː |
ǝu |
aʊ |
ou |
mouse, out, loud |
mouse, house, out, about中的ou读[au],也是不能再拆解的。 |
|||||
ɑ, æ, æ̆ɑ̆ |
a |
æ |
æ |
a |
man, sat, wax |
an, man, can, pan这样的闭音中的a基本上读[æ] |
|||||
aː |
ɛː |
eɪ |
aCe |
name, bake, raven |
|
|
aCe表“元音字母a接一个辅音字母再加e,如name, game, shame。 |
||||
e, ĕŏ |
e |
ɛ |
ɛ |
e |
help, tell, seven |
let, pet, net, wet, set, get中的e都读[e]。 |
|||||
ɛː |
eː |
iː |
ea, eCe |
speak, meat, mete |
|
|
pea, peak, speak, meat, heat, peat, repeat中的ea读[i:](元音字母e的字母音) |
||||
i, y |
ɪ |
ɪ |
ɪ |
i |
written, sit, kiss |
|
位于闭音节中的i多数就是音标[i]。如kiss, piss, miss, sit, bit, big, pig, dig中的i都是读[i]。 |
||||
o |
o |
ɔ |
ɒ |
o |
god, top, beyond |
闭音节中的o多数读[ɔ],如hot dog, lot, dot, pot, spot中的o都读[ɔ] |
|||||
ɔː |
oː |
oʊ |
oa, oCe |
foal, nose, over |
|
|
oCe表“元音字母o接一个辅音字母再加e,如nose, pose, rose中的o都是读其字母音。 |
||||
u |
ʊ |
ɤ |
ʌ |
u, o |
buck, up, love, wonder |
ʊ |
ʊ |
full, bull |
The following chart shows the primary developments of English vowels in the last 600 years in more detail, since Late Middle English of Chaucer's time. The Great Vowel Shift can be seen in the dramatic developments between c. 1400 and 1600 AD.
Neither of the above tables cover the history of Middle English diphthongs, the changes before /r/, or various special cases and exceptions. For details, see phonological history of English as well as the articles on Old English phonology and Middle English phonology.