LECTURE 6LECTURE 6

Middle English:Middle English:language (II)language (II)

Lei ZHUShanghai International Studies

University

ISTORY OF ENGLISHISTORY OF ENGLISH

4 Orthography and sound changes• Evidence

1. Spelling2. Poetry meter

e.g. a. Scots dialect: a/e/o+i/y=ā/ē/ōhaiff ‘half’neid ‘need’noyne ‘noon’

b. Ormulum (late 12th century)c. The Pentacost Play (c. 1470)

Ormulum

Ormulum

Ormulum

Ormulum

Ormulum

The Pentacost Play

x / x / x / x /

4 Orthography and sound changes

4 Orthography and sound changes• Vowels in unstressed syllables

4 Orthography and sound changes• Vowels in stressed syllables

4 Orthography and sound changes• Vowels in stressed syllables

4 Orthography and sound changes• Vowels in stressed syllables

French influence

Latin influence

4 Orthography and sound changes• Vowels in stressed syllables

4 Orthography and sound changes• Consonants

4 Orthography and sound changes• Consonants

French influence

4 Orthography and sound changes• Consonants

4 Orthography and sound changes• Consonants

French influence

4 Orthography and sound changes• Summary of French and Latin influences

1. OE c� > ME chleoflic�e > leofliche “lovingly”

2. OE c > ME c/k/ckboc > bock “book”macode > makede “ma

de”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/owcūþe > couþe “knew”nū > now “now”

6. OE u > ME osunu > sone “son”

5 Grammar• Declension

5 Grammar• Conjugation

OE Strong verbs: 1/3 were lost in time; 40 became weak verbs.

5 Grammar• 3rd person pronouns

5 Grammar• Double/multiple negation

His moder nes na t þerʒhis mother ne-was not there

(Michael of Northgate: Ayenbite of Inwyt)That noon of us ne speke noght a wordthat none of us ne speak not a word

(Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales)

ne: dropped in timenot: standard particle of negation

5 Grammar• Periphrasitic expressions

have + donehe hath a thousand slaynhe has a thousand slainbe + on/in + doinghe was on huntingthis church was in building

6 Vocabulary

• Germanic1. Native English words2. Scandinavian/Old Norse loan w

ordsOE fisc� > ME fisch “fish”ON fiskr > ME fisk “fish”

(See list of ON loan words)

6 Vocabulary

• French1. Old Northern French (ONF) loan wo

rds(11th & 12th centuries)

2. Parisian (and other) French loan words

(13th century –)

(See list of French loan words)

6 Vocabulary

• French

6 Vocabulary

• FrenchStress pattern

left-handed vs. right-handed Germanic Romance

dominant (14th cen.)

In divers art and in diverse figures.(Chaucer: CT 2: 1460)

/ x x /

6 Vocabulary• French

faux amis “false friends”

Actuellement "at the present time“ ActuallyAssister à “attend” AssistAttendre à “wait for” AttendAvertissement “warning” Advertisemen

tBlesser “wound, injure, or offend” BlessBras “arm” BrasCaractère “nature/temperament” Character (but never “a person in a play”)Cent “hundred” CentChair “flesh” ChairChance “luck” ChanceChristian “a masculine French name” ChristianCoin “corner” CoinCollège “high school” College

6 Vocabulary

• Frenchwords and expressions of mixed origi

nsFrench Germanic hybridgentle 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)

6 Vocabulary

• Frenchwords and expressions of mixed ori

ginsFrench Germanic hybridpray beseech pray and beseechpermission leave by leave and by permis

sionsource head head and sourcehazard hap haphazard (1575)court yard courtyard (1552)

7 Describing dialect differences• Scandinavian influence

geographical variation

• French influencevariation through time

8 Reading practice (IV)

• South Eastern dialect / Kentish dialectSouth Eastern dialect / Kentish dialect

Ayenbit of Inwyt (1340) by Michael of Northgate

• Northern dialectNorthern dialectThe Bruce (ca.1375) by John Barbour

• West Midland dialectWest Midland dialectSir Gawayn and þe Grene Kny tʒ(late 14th century)

• East Midland dialectEast Midland dialectThe Canterbury Tales(late 14th century)by Geoffrey Chaucer

South Eastern dialSouth Eastern dialectect

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. þa his moder him byete ofte þeruore. Þaʒnne be-vil þet / þet child yze manie poure þet hʒedden mezeyse. he aspide þet his moder nes na

t þer. an haste he yarn to þe gerniere / and al þʒet 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)

Efterward saint gregori telþ þet saint boniface uram þet he wes child / hewes zuo piteuous: þet he yaf ofte his kertel and his sserte to þe poure uor god,þa his moder him byete ofte þeruore. Þanne be-vil þet / þet child yzeʒ ʒmanie poure þet hedden mezeyse. he aspide þet his moder nes na t þer.ʒan haste he yarn to þe gerniere / and al þet his moder hedde y-gadered uorto pasi þet yer: he hit yaf þe poure. and þo his moder com and wyste þeilke dede: hy wes al out of hare wytte. Þet child bed oure lhorde: and þetgernier wes an haste aluol.

South Eastern dialectSouth Eastern dialect

Northern dialectNorthern dialectA! 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 likingIs yarnyt our all othir thing.Na he that ay has levyt freMay nocht knaw weill the propyrtè,The angyr, na the wretchyt domeThat is couplyt to foule thyrldome.Bot gyff he had assayit it,Than all perquer he suld it wyt;And suld think fredome mar to priseThan all the gold in warld that is.Thus contrar thingis evirmarDiscoweryngis off the tothir ar.

from The Bruce by John Barbour (ca. 1375)

Northern dialectNorthern dialectA! 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 likingIs yarnyt our all othir thing.Na he that ay has levyt freMay nocht knaw weill the propyrtè,The angyr, na the wretchyt domeThat is couplyt to foule thyrldome.Bot gyff he had assayit it,Than all perquer he suld it wyt;And suld think fredome mar to priseThan all the gold in warld that is.Thus contrar thingis evirmarDiscoweryngis off the tothir ar.

from The Bruce by John Barbour(ca. 1375)

West Midland dialeWest Midland dialectct

Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Kny t ʒ (late 14th century)

West Midland dialeWest Midland dialectctThe grene kny t vpon grounde grayþely hym dresses,ʒA littel lut with þe hede, þe lere he discouere ,ʒHis longe louelych lokke he layd ouer his croun,ʒLet þe naked nec to þe note schewe.Gauan gripped to his ax, and gederes hit on hy t,ʒÞe kay fot on þe folde he before sette,Let him doun ly tly ly t on þe naked,ʒ ʒÞat þe scharp of þe schalk schyndered þe bones,& schrank þur þe schyire grece, and scade hit in twynʒne,Þat þe bit of þe broun stel bot on þe grounde.

Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Kny t ʒ (late 14th century)

West Midland dialeWest Midland dialectctThe grene kny t vpon grounde grayþely hym dresses,ʒ

A littel lut with þe hede, þe lere he discouere ,ʒHis longe louelych lokke he layd ouer his croun,ʒLet þe naked nec to þe note schewe.Gauan gripped to his ax, and gederes hit on hy t,ʒÞe kay fot on þe folde he before sette,Let him doun ly tly ly t on þe naked,ʒ ʒÞat þe scharp of þe schalk schyndered þe bones,& schrank þur þe schyire grece, and scade hit in twynne,ʒÞat þe bit of þe broun stel bot on þe grounde.

Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Kny t ʒ (late 14th century)

West Midland dialeWest Midland dialectct

Piers Plowman (14th century)

In a somur sesoun whan softe was the sonneY 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 hullesMe biful for to slepe, for werynesse of-walkedAnd in a launde as y lay, lened y and slepteAnd merueylousliche me mette, as y may telle.

East Midland dialectEast Midland dialect

The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

East Midland dialectEast Midland dialect

The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

East Midland dialectEast Midland dialect

This worthy lymytour / this noble FrereHe made alwey / a manere louryng cheereVp on the Somonour / but for honesteeNo vileyns word / as yet to hym spak heBut atte laste / he seyde vn to the wyfDame quod he / God yeue yow right good lyfYe han heer touched / also moot I theeIn scole matere / greet difficulteeYe han seyd muche thyng / right wel I seyeBut dame here as we ryden by the weyeVs nedeth nat / to speken / but of gameAnd lete auctoritees / on goddes nameTo prechyng / and to scoles of clergyeBut if it like / to this compaignyeI wol yow / of a somonour telle a game

The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

East Midland dialectEast Midland dialect

The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer’s portrayal of the Northern dialect