The Story of Middle English

I studied Middle English in college. From 1066-1500, the English language had no standardized spelling or grammar rules because different ethnicities within England spoke different versions of the language we now know as English, the nobility spoke French, and the clergy only considered those who could read and write Latin as literate.

If you want a taste of Middle English, you can visit the much abridged online version of the MED (Middle English Dictionary) here.

Some English scholars believe that modern English began with the Chancery Standard, developed by King Henry VIII to ensure that the nobility used English as opposed to French or Latin. After the development of the Chancery Standard, all court business was handled in this form of English. In 1470, William Caxton brought the Gutenberg Press to England, and the Chancery Standard was used in mass produced books as well as hornbooks used to teach children how to read.

Other English scholars believe that modern English began in 1755, when writer Samuel Johnson wrote his dictionary.