Images of Language in Middle English Vernacular Writings

An exploration of the use of images in Middle English texts, tracing out what can be deduced of a theory of language. In the Middle Ages, English did not have any explicit theory or philosophy of language: philosophers wrote in Latin. This book addresses the issue. By closely analysing the images and metaphors used to describe language in MiddleEnglish texts, it explores how English writers thought language works. These images are "reverse-engineered" in an attempt to deduce what underlying theo