Middle English Alphabet

The Middle English Alphabet resembled the Old English Alphabet but some changes were introduced:

· th replaced ð/þ/Đ/đ;

· w replaced ?;

· æ, œ disappeared;

· digraphs(2 letters = one sound) appeared (came from French):

o th for [q] and [ð];

o tch/chfor [t∫];

o sch/ssh/shfor [∫];

o dgfor [dζ];

o whreplace hw but was pronounced still as [hw]!;

o ghfor [h];

o qufor [kw];

o ow/oufor [u:] and [ou];

o iefor [e:].

Rules of Reading:

They resemble the modern rules, with several exceptions though:

1.Double vowels stood for long sounds, e.g. oo = [o:]; ee = [e:].

2.g = [dζ]

c = [s] before front vowels ( [i, e] ).

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g = [g]

c = [k] before back vowels ( [a, o, u] ).

3.y = [j] – at the beginning of the word;

=[i] – in the cases when i stood close together with r, n, m and could be confused with one of these letters or could be lost among them, it was replaced with y, sometimes also for decorative purpose.(e.g. nyne [‘ni:nə], very [‘veri]).

4.th = [ð]

s = [z] between vowels.

5.o = [o] – in most cases;

=[u] – in the words that have [Λ] sound in Modern English (e.g. some, love)

6.j = [dζ]

 

H/w:

1. § 292-295, p. 156-157; § 302-308, p. 160-163 in “История английского языка” by Т.А. Расторгуева (copies).

2. Using your knowledge of the Middle English spelling and the rules of reading (Lecture 8) read an abstract from the “Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer (lines 1-14) on p. 33-34 in “A Reader in the History of English” by Е.К. Щука and try to identify the peculiarities of the Middle English spelling and rules of reading.