[Ancient French Pronunciation]100

Ancient French, the language of the Middle Ages, was spoken from the 9th to the 15th century in the regions that now make up France, Belgium, and parts of Switzerland. It evolved from Vulgar Latin and was the ancestor of modern French. The pronunciation of Ancient French differed significantly from that of modern French, and it is important to be aware of these differences when reading medieval texts.

One of the most striking differences between Ancient French and modern French is the pronunciation of vowels. In Ancient French, all vowels were pronounced with their full value, and there were no diphthongs. The vowels /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/ were pronounced as [a], [e], [i], [o], and [u], respectively. The nasal vowels /ã/, /ẽ/, /ĩ/, /õ/, and /ũ/ were pronounced as [ã], [ẽ], [ĩ], [õ], and [ũ], respectively.

Another important difference between Ancient French and modern French is the pronunciation of consonants. In Ancient French, all consonants were pronounced with their full value, and there were no silent letters. The consonants /b/, /d/, /f/, /g/, /k/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /p/, /r/, /s/, /t/, /v/, and /z/ were pronounced as [b], [d], [f], [g], [k], [l], [m], [n], [p], [r], [s], [t], [v], and [z], respectively.

The pronunciation of Ancient French also differed from modern French in terms of stress. In Ancient French, stress was generally placed on the final syllable of a word. This is in contrast to modern French, in which stress is typically placed on the penultimate syllable.

The following table provides a summary of the main differences between Ancient French and modern French pronunciation:| Phoneme | Ancient French Pronunciation | Modern French Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| /a/ | [a] | [a] |
| /e/ | [e] | [ε] |
| /i/ | [i] | [i] |
| /o/ | [o] | [ɔ] |
| /u/ | [u] | [y] |
| /ã/ | [ã] | [ɑ̃] |
| /ẽ/ | [ẽ] | [ɛ̃] |
| /ĩ/ | [ĩ] | [ɛ̃] |
| /õ/ | [õ] | [ɔ̃] |
| /ũ/ | [ũ] | [ɔ̃] |
| /b/ | [b] | [b] |
| /d/ | [d] | [d] |
| /f/ | [f] | [f] |
| /g/ | [g] | [g] |
| /k/ | [k] | [k] |
| /l/ | [l] | [l] |
| /m/ | [m] | [m] |
| /n/ | [n] | [n] |
| /p/ | [p] | [p] |
| /r/ | [r] | [ʁ] |
| /s/ | [s] | [s] |
| /t/ | [t] | [t] |
| /v/ | [v] | [v] |
| /z/ | [z] | [z] |

It is important to note that the pronunciation of Ancient French varied over time and from region to region. The pronunciation described above is a general overview, and there were many exceptions to the rules.

2025-01-04

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