LECTURE 5 Middle English: language (I)

1. ISTORY OF ENGLISH LECTURE 5Middle English:language (I) Lei ZHU Shanghai International Studies University

2. 1 From OE to ME • Changes already underway - ON influence - reduction and loss of unstressed syllables The Peterborough Chronicle for AD 1137

3. 1 From OE to ME • Changes already underway - ON influence - reduction and loss of unstressed syllables I ne can ne I ne mai tellen alle þe I not know not I not may tell all the wunder ne alle þe pines ðat hi diden wreccemen on þis land. & ðat laste horrors not all the pains that they did wretched-men in this land & that lasted de þa .xix. wintre wile Stephne was king & æure it was uuerse & the 19 winters while Stephen was king and ever it was worse and uuerse. worse The Peterborough Chronicle for AD 1137

4. 1 From OE to ME • Changes already underway 1. Reduction of lexical elements ic > i hit > it hie > hi kyning > king ealle þa wundor > alle þe wunder

5. 1 From OE to ME • Changes already underway 2. Reduction of inflections (levelling) ealle þa pinas > alle þe pines xix wintra > xix wintre tellan > tellen dydon > diden

6. 1 From OE to ME • Changes already underway 3. Loss of inflections on þissum lande > on þis land

7. 1 From OE to ME • Changes already underway 4. Reduction of inflection variety wreccum mannum > wrecce men Dat.pl. Nom.pl/Dat.pl for ure synna > for ure sinnes pinas > pines regularisation

8. 1 From OE to ME • The Norman Conquest (1066) wuccena. & ænne dæg & her weeks & one day & her mlxvi. Her forðferde eaduuard king. & harold eorl feng to ðam rice. & heold hit .xl. 1066 Her died Edward king & Harold earl seized the kingdom & held it 40 cō willelm & gewann ænglaland. came William & conquered England The Parker Chronicle for AD 1066

9. the Vikings Anglo-Norman; Anglo-Norman French Old Norman French; Old Northern French; Old Norman

10. 1 From OE to ME • The “revival” of English (13th cen. –) -Loss of Normandy to France (1204) - Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) - The Black Death (mid-14th cen.)

11. The Triumph of Death (c. 1562) by Pieter Bruegel

13. Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing cuccu! Groweþ sed and bloweþ med And springþ þe wde nu, Sing cuccu! Awe bleteþ after lomb, Lhouþ after calue cu. Bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ, Murie sing cuccu! Cuccu, cuccu, wel singes þu cuccu; Ne swik þu nauer nu. Pes: Sing cuccu nu. Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu nu! Latin: Perspice χρ̅icola (Christicola) que dignacio Celicus agricola pro vitis vicio Filio non parcens exposuit mortis exicio Qui captivos semiuiuos a supplicio Vite donat et secum coronat in celi solio(c. 1250)

14. Summer has arrived, Loudly sing, Cuckoo! The seed grows and the meadow blooms And the wood springs anew, Sing, Cuckoo! The ewe bleats after the lamb The cow lows after the calf. The bullock stirs, the stag farts, Merrily sing, Cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing,cuckoo; Don't ever you stop now, Sing cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo. Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now! Latin: Observe, Christian, such honour! The heavenly farmer, owing to a defect in the vine, not sparing the Son, exposed him to the destruction of death. To the captives half-dead from torment, He gives them life and crowns them with himself on the throne of heaven.

15. Hanc rotam cantare possunt quatuor socij. A paucioribus autem quam a tribus uel saltem duobus non debet dici, preter eos qui dicunt pedem. Cantatur autem sic: Tacentibus cetertis unus inchoat cum hiis qui tenent pedem. Et cum uenerit ad primam notam post crucem, inchoat alius, et sic de ceteris. Singuli uero repausent ad pausaciones scriptas et non alibi, spacio unius longe note.

17. 2 ME dialects • “Gret diversite” “Go, litel bok, go, litel myn tragedye… And ther is so gret diversite In Englissh and in writyng of oure tonge, So prey I God that non myswrite the, Ne the mysmetre for defaute of tonge; And red wherso thow be, or elles songe, That thow be understonde, God I biseche!” (G. Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde, V. 1786-98)

18. Kentish West Saxon Northumbrian Anglian Mercian South Eastern Southern North West Midland East Midland OE ME Middle English dialects

19. Isogloss 同言线

20. 3 Paleography • Book hand (楷书) regular; letters formed separately • Court / Charter / Business hand (行书) cursive; letters joined together Cf. 甲骨文 --- 金文 --- 篆书 --- 隶书 --- 章草 --- 今草 --- 狂草 oracle bone bronze seal clerical regulated modern wild inscription inscription script script cursive cursive cursive 楷书 --- 行书 standard running script script

21. 3 Paleography • Book hand

22. 3 Paleography • Book hand Caroline minuscule > text hand textura Gothic

23. 3 Paleography • Book hand Caroline minuscule > text hand textura Gothic

24. 3 Paleography • Court hand Anglicana

25. Blow northerne wynd / sent þou me my suetyng / blow darling Norþerne wynd blou blou blou. Ichot a burde in boure bryht I-know girl bower bright þat sully semly is on syht wonderfully seemly sight menskful maiden of myht noble might feir ant fre to fonde fair free know In al þis wurhliche won splendid world a burde of blod & of bon blood bone neuer yete y nuste non yet I not-know lussomore in londe // blow … lovelier 3 Paleography

26. 3 Paleography • Bastard Anglicana

27. 3 Paleography • Special letters 1. “ʒ” (yogh) was distinct from “g”, and pronounced [j]; sometimes, it was also used for [z]. 2. “r” was written as “ ” sometimes. 3. Some people kept using “þ” and/or “ð”; some replaced them with “th”; some wrote used “ ” for “þ”; some used “y” for “þ” (so that “ye”=“þe”, and yt”=“þat”).

28. 3 Paleography AN preost wes on a priest was in leoden: Laʒamon land Layamon wes ihoten. He wes was called he was leouenaðes sone: Leovenath’s son liðe him beo drihtē. gracious to-him be Lord • Special letters