Algeo's Origins and Development of the English Language - Research - Part Four

Revolutionary development in English-speaking countries paved the way for English to become a world language in the Early Modern English period of the language. For example, civil authority in the Act of Supremacy was put above church authority, and Queen Elizabeth's reign had a productive 45 year period on England. Several factors brought about the change from Middle to Modern. The English vocabulary was expanded from Latin and Greek words influencing the language. Innovation of pronunciation and conservation of spelling also had effects, as pronunciation of several letters and groups of letters changed and the spelling of the words. For example, TH replaced Y in some cases, changing ye and yee to the and thee, I became a vowel and J became a consonant, U became a vowel and V became a consonant, and H gained a sound.