Evidence of Old English Sound Changes in Chaucer
One of the most interesting features in the whole field of English is the study of that "glorious and imperial mongrel, the English Language." Imperial in the sense that it consists of a dominant strain which is the result of a fusion of various languages; and glorious because it is not only the means of communication between countless millions of people, but also because it has preserved for civilization such productions of literature as Beowolf, the Canterbury Tales, Paradise Lost, Hamlet, Tale of Two Cities and others equally great and equally significant. Since it has been our good fortune to inherit this medium of expression of our thoughts, dreams and desires, it follows that we should take an active interest in its ancestry, its growth, and its future.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations