Great Vowel Shift

American  

noun

Linguistics.

1. a series of changes in the quality of the long vowels between Middle and Modern English as a result of which all were raised, while the high vowels (ē) and (o̅o̅), already at the upper limit, underwent breaking to become the diphthongs (ī) and (ou).

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Great Vowel Shift British  

noun

1. linguistics a phonetic change that took place during the transition from Middle to Modern English, whereby the long vowels were raised: ( eː became iː , oː became uː ), etc. The vowels ( iː ) and ( uː ) underwent breaking and became the diphthongs ( aɪ ) and ( aʊ )

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Example Sentences

Then the Great Vowel Shift happened, and those old spellings and pronunciations suddenly looked obscure.

From Slate • Aug. 31, 2020

Between about 1400 and 1600, the English language underwent what’s grandly called the Great Vowel Shift.

From Slate • Aug. 31, 2020

Congratulations, you have just navigated the Great Vowel Shift.

From The Guardian • Mar. 4, 2013

Their long-vowel equivalents—bate, beet, bite, boat, boot, and bout—arrived at their modern pronunciations as a result of the Great Vowel Shift that began around 1400 and established the basic contours of today’s English.

From Slate • Aug. 22, 2012