Early modern English refers to the stage of the English language used form the end of the Middle English period to 1650. the standardization of English spelling falls within the Early Modern English period, and is influence by conventions predating the GREAT VOWEL SHIFT explaining much of the non-phonetic spelling of contemporary Modern English.
William Caxton (ca. 1415-1422 – ca. March 1492) was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and printer. As far as is known, he was the first English person to work as a printer and the first to introduce a printing press into England. He was also the first English retailer of printed books
The introduction of printing meant more books were produced, and more people would have had access to books. People who already read books would have read a greater number of different books, and the average literate person´s vocabulary would have been enlarged. Greater political stability and prosperity led to a flowering of literature, which would have helped to stabilise the language and broaden its vocabulary. Greater prosperity would also have led to more trade, with people from different parts of England coming into contact with each other. English was used in church services, making the general population more familiar with a standard version of language, rather than the liturgy being in Latin, which was totally incomprehensible to most people.
The change of Middle English to Early Modern English was not just a matter of vocabulary or pronunciation changing: it was the beginning of a new era in the history of English.
Shakespeare is probably the most famous of all Englishmen. One of the things he is famous for is the effect he had on the development of the Early Modern English language. For example, without even realising it, our everyday speech is full of words and phrases invented by Shakespeare. He was able to do that because English was changing as people modernised it in their normal workaday speech.
