-EDE. (A) _dede_, dead, _hede_, head, _lede_, lead (metal), _rede_, red, _sprede_, to spread. (B) _bede_, to offer, _blede_, v., _brede_, v., _crede_, _fede_, _forbede_, _glede_, _nede_[35], _spede_, v., _stede_, a steed. (C) _dede_, deed, _drede_, s. and v., _hede_, to heed, _rede_, to advise. Words in _-hede_ almost always shew open _e_, but a few exceptions occur. -EKE. (A) _br[)e]ke_, v., _sp[)e]ke_, v., _wr[)e]ke_, v., _awr[)e]ke_, _ywr[)e]ke,_ with (original) short _e_; _leke_, leek. (B) _meke_, _seke_, v., _seke_, sick, _biseke_. -ENE. (A) _bene_, bean, _clene_, _lene_, adj., _mene_, to mean, _unclene_. (B) _bitwene_, _grene_, _kene_, _quene_, _tene_, vexation, _wene_, v. (C) _sene_, adj., visible, _y-sene_ (the same), _shene_, bright[36]. -EPE. (A) _chepe_, to buy, _hepe_, _lepe_, v., _stepe_, bright. (B) _crepe_, v., _depe_, _kepe_, _wepe_. (C) _slepe_. -ERE. (A) _b[)e]re_, a bear, _b[)e]re_, to bear, _d[)e]re_, to harm, _[)e]re_, to plough, _h[)e]re_, her, _sp[)e]re_, spear, _st[)e]re_, to stir, _sw[)e]re_, to swear, _t[)e]re_, to tear, _w[)e]re_, a weir, _w[)e]re_, to defend; all with (original) short e. Also _ere_, ear, _gere_, gear, _tere_, tear; and _there_[37], _were_[38], _where_. (B) _fere_, companion, _here_, here, _yfere_, together. (Here belong the F. words, _chere_, _clere_, _manere_, _matere_, _spere_, sphere.) (C) _bere_, bier, _dere_, dear[39], _fere_, fear, _here_, to hear, _lere_, to teach, _yere_, year. -ETE. (A) _bete_, to beat, _grete_, great, _hete_, heat, _spete_, to spit, _swete_, to sweat, _threte_, v., _wete_, wet, _ybete_, beaten. Also _[)e]te_, to eat, _fory[)e]te_, to forget, _m[)e]te_, meat (originally with short _e_). (B) _bete_, to mend, _flete_, to float, _grete_, to greet, _swete_, sweet. (C) _bihete_, to promise, _forlete_, to let go, _lete_, to let, _mete_, to dream, _shete_, sheet, _strete_, street. -EVE. (A) _bireve_, _deve_, pl., deaf, _greve_, grove, _reve_, to reave. (B) _leve_, dear, _reve_, a reeve. (C) _eve_, eve, _leve_, to believe, _bileve_, belief, _leve_, to permit. Note that _yeve_, to give, usually rimes with _live_, to live, as in mod. English. -O. All words in _-o_ are allowed to rime together; of these, _to_, _therto_, _unto_, _do_, _fordo_ should have the close sound. -OLDE. _Nolde_, _sholde_, _wolde_, usually rime together. Occasionally _wolde_ rimes with other words. In only one case does _sholde_ rime with _tolde_ (B. Duch. 1200), where _wolde_ would make better sense. -ONE. (A) _alone_, _echone_, _bone_, bone, _grone_, to groan, _lone_, loan, _mone_, to moan, _one_, one. (B) _bone_, boon, _eftsone_, _mone_, moon, _sone_, soon. (C) _done_, to do. [Note that _s[)o]ne_, son, _w[)o]ne_, to dwell, are really written for _sune_, _wune_, and only rime with each other.]