LECTURE 6 Middle English: language (II)

1. ISTORY OF ENGLISH LECTURE 6Middle English:language (II) Lei ZHU Shanghai International Studies University

2. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Evidence 1. Spelling 2. Poetry meter e.g. a. Scots dialect: a/e/o+i/y=ā/ē/ō haiff ‘half’ neid ‘need’ noyne ‘noon’ b. Ormulum (late 12th century) c. The Pentacost Play (c. 1470)

3. Ormulum

4. Ormulum

5. Ormulum

6. Ormulum

7. Ormulum

8. The Pentacost Play x / x / x / x /

9. 4 Orthography and sound changes

10. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Vowels in unstressed syllables

11. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Vowels in stressed syllables

12. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Vowels in stressed syllables

13. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Vowels in stressed syllables French influence Latin influence

14. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Vowels in stressed syllables

15. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Consonants

16. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Consonants French influence

17. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Consonants

18. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Consonants French influence

19. 4 Orthography and sound changes • Summary of French and Latin influences 1. OE ċ > ME ch leofliċe > leofliche “lovingly” 2. OE c > ME c/k/ck boc > bock “book” macode > makede “made” 3. OF c/s [s] > ME c/s [s] cité > cité/sité “city” 4. OE cw > ME qu cwene > quene “queen” cwic > quic “quick” 5. OE ū > ME ou/ow cūþe > couþe “knew” nū > now “now” 6. OE u > ME o sunu > sone “son”

20. 5 Grammar • Declension

21. 5 Grammar • Conjugation OE Strong verbs: 1/3 were lost in time; 40 became weak verbs.

22. 5 Grammar • 3rd person pronouns

23. 5 Grammar • Double/multiple negation His moder nes naʒt þer his mother ne-was not there (Michael of Northgate: Ayenbite of Inwyt) That noon of us ne speke noght a word that none of us ne speak not a word (Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales) ne: dropped in time not: standard particle of negation

24. 5 Grammar • Periphrasitic expressions have + done he hath a thousand slayn he has a thousand slain be + on/in + doing he was on hunting this church was in building

25. 6 Vocabulary • Germanic 1. Native English words 2. Scandinavian/Old Norse loan words OE fisċ > ME fisch “fish” ON fiskr > ME fisk “fish” (See list of ON loan words)

26. 6 Vocabulary • French 1. Old Northern French (ONF) loan words (11th & 12th centuries) 2. Parisian (and other) French loan words (13th century –) (See list of French loan words)

27. 6 Vocabulary • French

28. 6 Vocabulary • French Stress pattern left-handed vs. right-handed Germanic Romance dominant (14th cen.) In divers art and in diverse figures. (Chaucer: CT 2: 1460) / x x /

29. 6 Vocabulary • French faux amis “false friends” Actuellement "at the present time“ Actually Assister à “attend” Assist Attendre à “wait for” Attend Avertissement “warning” Advertisement Blesser “wound, injure, or offend” Bless Bras “arm” Bras Caractère “nature/temperament” Character (but never “a person in a play”) Cent “hundred” Cent Chair “flesh” Chair Chance “luck” Chance Christian “a masculine French name” Christian Coin “corner” Coin Collège “high school” College

30. 6 Vocabulary • French words and expressions of mixed origins French Germanic hybrid gentle man gentleman (1275) false -hood falsehood (1290) gentle -ness gentleness (1300) gentle -ly gently (1330) doubt un-; -ed; -ly undoubtedly (1500) -ry husband husbandry (1290) -ess god goddess (1340) -able eat eatable (1483)

31. 6 Vocabulary • French words and expressions of mixed origins French Germanic hybrid pray beseech pray and beseech permission leave by leave and by permission source head head and source hazard hap haphazard (1575) court yard courtyard (1552)

32. 7 Describing dialect differences • Scandinavian influence geographical variation • French influence variation through time

33. 8 Reading practice (IV) • South Eastern dialect / Kentish dialect Ayenbit of Inwyt (1340) by Michael of Northgate • Northern dialect The Bruce (ca.1375) by John Barbour • West Midland dialect Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyʒt (late 14th century) • East Midland dialect The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

34. South Eastern dialect Efterward saint gregori telþ þet saint boniface uram þet he wes child / he wes zuo piteuous: þet he yaf ofte his kertel and his sserte to þe poure uor god. þaʒ his moder him byete ofte þeruore. Þanne be-vil þet / þet child yzeʒ manie poure þet hedden mezeyse. he aspide þet his moder nes naʒt þer. an haste he yarn to þe gerniere / and al þet his moder hedde y-gadered uor to pasi þet yer: he hit yaf þe poure. and þo his moder com and wyste þe ilke dede: hy wes al out of hare wytte. Þet child bed oure lhorde: and þet gernier wes an haste aluol. Michael of Northgate: Ayenbite of Inwyt (1340)

35. South Eastern dialect Efterward saint gregori telþ þet saint boniface uram þet he wes child / he wes zuo piteuous: þet he yaf ofte his kertel and his sserte to þe poure uor god, þaʒ his moder him byete ofte þeruore. Þanne be-vil þet / þet child yzeʒ manie poure þet hedden mezeyse. he aspide þet his moder nes naʒt þer. an haste he yarn to þe gerniere / and al þet his moder hedde y-gadered uor to pasi þet yer: he hit yaf þe poure. and þo his moder com and wyste þe ilke dede: hy wes al out of hare wytte. Þet child bed oure lhorde: and þet gernier wes an haste aluol.

36. Northern dialect A! Fredome is a noble thing! Fredome mays man to haiff liking; Fredome all solace to man giffis, He levys at ese that frely levys! A noble hart may haiff nane ese, Na ellys nocht that may him plese, Gyff fredome fail; for fre liking Is yarnyt our all othir thing. Na he that ay has levyt fre May nocht knaw weill the propyrtè, The angyr, na the wretchyt dome That is couplyt to foule thyrldome. Bot gyff he had assayit it, Than all perquer he suld it wyt; And suld think fredome mar to prise Than all the gold in warld that is. Thus contrar thingis evirmar Discoweryngis off the tothir ar. from The Bruce by John Barbour (ca. 1375)

37. Northern dialect A! Fredome is a noble thing! Fredome mays man to haiff liking; Fredome all solace to man giffis, He levys at ese that frely levys! A noble hart may haiff nane ese, Na ellys nocht that may him plese, Gyff fredome fail; for fre liking Is yarnyt our all othir thing. Na he that ay has levyt fre May nocht knaw weill the propyrtè, The angyr, na the wretchyt dome That is couplyt to foule thyrldome. Bot gyff he had assayit it, Than all perquer he suld it wyt; And suld think fredome mar to prise Than all the gold in warld that is. Thus contrar thingis evirmar Discoweryngis off the tothir ar. from The Bruce by John Barbour (ca. 1375)

38. West Midland dialect Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyʒt (late 14th century)

39. West Midland dialect The grene knyʒt vpon grounde grayþely hym dresses,A littel lut with þe hede, þe lere he discouereʒ,His longe louelych lokkeʒ he layd ouer his croun,Let þe naked nec to þe note schewe.Gauan gripped to his ax, and gederes hit on hyʒt,Þe kay fot on þe folde he before sette,Let him doun lyʒtly lyʒt on þe naked,Þat þe scharp of þe schalk schyndered þe bones,& schrank þurʒ þe schyire grece, and scade hit in twynne,Þat þe bit of þe broun stel bot on þe grounde. Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyʒt (late 14th century)

40. West Midland dialect The grene knyʒt vpon grounde grayþely hym dresses,A littel lut with þe hede, þe lere he discouereʒ,His longe louelych lokkeʒ he layd ouer his croun,Let þe naked nec to þe note schewe.Gauan gripped to his ax, and gederes hit on hyʒt,Þe kay fot on þe folde he before sette,Let him doun lyʒtly lyʒt on þe naked,Þat þe scharp of þe schalk schyndered þe bones,& schrank þurʒ þe schyire grece, and scade hit in twynne,Þat þe bit of þe broun stel bot on þe grounde. Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyʒt (late 14th century)

41. West Midland dialect In a somur sesoun whan softe was the sonne Y shope me into shroudes as y a shep were; In abite as an heremite, vnholy of werkes, Wente forth in the world wondres to here, And say many sellies and selkouthe thynges. Ac on a May morning on Maluerne hulles Me biful for to slepe, for werynesse of-walked And in a launde as y lay, lened y and slepte And merueylousliche me mette, as y may telle. Piers Plowman (14th century)

42. East Midland dialect The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

43. East Midland dialect The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

44. East Midland dialect This worthy lymytour / this noble Frere He made alwey / a manere louryng cheere Vp on the Somonour / but for honestee No vileyns word / as yet to hym spak he But atte laste / he seyde vn to the wyf Dame quod he / God yeue yow right good lyf Ye han heer touched / also moot I thee In scole matere / greet difficultee Ye han seyd muche thyng / right wel I seye But dame here as we ryden by the weye Vs nedeth nat / to speken / but of game And lete auctoritees / on goddes name To prechyng / and to scoles of clergye But if it like / to this compaignye I wol yow / of a somonour telle a game The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

45. East Midland dialect Chaucer’s portrayal of the Northern dialect The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer