More On Middle English
- 1. More on Middle English English 4613 Fall 2008
- 2. Five Languages Spoken in England after 1200 Latin Anglo-Norman Welsh Cornish English The Celtic “Cumbrian” language was virtually extinct
- 3. Trilingual Vocabulary 1100- “kingly” from OE, “royal” from French (Norman), “regal” from Latin “warden” from French; “guardian” from French but of Germanic origin Anglo-Norman vocabulary takes the primary place in jurisprudence
- 4. Nouns and the loss of inflection (examples)”Angel” and “Name” Engles Nomen Engle Nome Dative Engle(ne) Nomen Engles Nome Genitive Engles Nomen Engel Nome Nominative/ Accusitive Plural Singluar
- 5. Verbs First Person singular (present tense) ends in “-e” (ich here) Second person-”est” spekest Third person-” eþ “-he comeþ “ In the past tense, weak verbs have an –ed, -t, or –d ending. A system of strong verbs remains.
- 6. Pronouns Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English_personal_pronouns Yes, I used Wikipedia. So what?
- 7. Chancery Standard Much of the variation in Middle English writing before 1400 comes from the preferences of scribes Henry V (reign 1413-1422) wanted a standard system developed By 1430 it was standardized according to London and east Midland dialects although simpler forms from other dialects were included
- 8. Have you seen this before? Whan þat Aprill with his shoures sote Þe droghte of Marche haþ perced to the rote, And baðed euery veyne in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is þe flour; Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeþ Inspired haþ in euery holt and heeþ Þe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Haþ in the Ram his halfe course yronne, And smale fowles maken melodye, That slepen al the niȝt with open ye— So prikeþ hem Nature in hir corages— Þan longen folk to goon on pilgrimages, And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes, couthe in sondry londes; And specially, from euery shires ende Of Engelond to Caunterbury þey wende, The holy blissful martir for to seke, Þat hem haþ holpen, whan þat þey were seke
- 9. Timeline William Langland 1332-1386 Geoffrey Chaucer 1343-1400 John de Mascy of Sale (?-1403)