Pardonetz moi qe jeo de ceo forsvoie : Gower’s Anglo-Norman Identity

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Neophilologus

Publication Date

10-2015

Volume

99

Issue

4

First Page

667

Last Page

684

Keywords

Gower Anglo-Norman identity, Continental French

Abstract

John Gower’s French verse has been seen as diverging from that of his Anglo-Norman predecessors, and he has often been considered as more continental in his affiliation. In this study we consider how distinctive Gower was, linguistically, in terms of the system levels of language, i.e. phonology and syntax. These aspects are investigated with respect to linguistic variables which show that where insular French diverged from continental usage, Gower’s practice was to follow Anglo-Norman rather than continental French. These findings are assessed from the perspective of his presumed authorial stance, as it developed from his earlier to his later work. Throughout his writing in French, Gower’s latent English identity remains a constant in his use of insular language forms.

DOI

10.1007/s11061-015-9442-8

Print ISSN

00282677

E-ISSN

15728668

Publisher Statement

Copyright © Springer Science + Business Media, Dordrecht 2015

Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Ingham, R. & Ingham, M. (2015) ‘Pardonetz moi qe jeo de ceo forsvoie’: Gower’s Anglo-Norman Identity. Neophilologus, 99(4) : 667-684. doi: 10.1007/s11061-015-9442-8

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