What is some interesting research on the great vowel shift?

Question

I'm writing two papers on the great vowel shift (because I must secretly hate myself and be very masochistic) and I was wondering if there are any really interesting articles, books or anything else out there someone knows of that might help me.

While I'm focusing it on social influence, anything interesting will do :)

Inselstricken · Accepted Answer

There is nothing unusual about writing essays on the GVS, everyone does that at uni if they're studying history of the English language.  Nothing masochistic about it. Welcome to the club - it is indeed extremely interesting.
BUT - are you really saying that you have no reading list, that you have not opened a single book on the history of the language [ such as A C Baugh, which has a chapter on it] that you haven't had the gumption to get down to your uni library, find the appropriate shelf, read what you find there? The major textbooks on language history will also contain, in their bibliographies, pointers to arcles in useful academic journals such as PMLA, MLR, ZDP, etc etc
Focussing on social influence? - hahahahaha. Just start with the phonology, get your head straight, know what you're talking about. Use IPA symbols throughout for your examples, remember to put them in square brackets.

Anonymous · Answer

OMG... you really picked out a tough one.  and this is TWO papers?

My condolences.  I've sure studied it, but nobody ever asked why..... and YOU will be the first.  All that comes to mind is that ease of speaking our "trader's language" might have shifted the vowels.  Perhaps the earlier vowels just took too much energy.

You truly are going where no man has gone before....

What is some interesting research on the great vowel shift?

2 Answers