Unless the alliteration is to be monotonous, there must be many synonyms for common words like _man_, _kniȝt_: e.g. _burne_ 3, _wyȝe_ 6, _lede_ 27, _gome_ 50, _freke_ 57, _tulk_ 65, _knape_ 68, _renk_ 138, most of which survive only by reason of their usefulness in alliterative formulae. Similarly, a number of verbs are used to express the common idea 'to move (rapidly)': _boȝen_ 9, _schowued_ 15, _wonnen_ 23, _ferked_ 105, _romeȝ_ 130, _keuereȝ_ 153, _whyrlande_ 154, &c. Here the group of synonyms arises from weakening of the ordinary prose meanings; and this tendency to use words in colourless or forced senses is a general defect of alliterative verse. For instance, it is hard to attach a precise meaning to _note_ 24, _gedereȝ_ 92, _glodes_ 113, _wruxled_ 123, _kest_ 308. The _Gawayne_ poet is usually artist enough to avoid the worst fault of alliterative verse—the use of words for mere sound without regard to sense, but there are signs of the danger in the empty, clattering line: _Bremly broþe on a bent þat brode watȝ aboute_ 165. #Inflexions#: The rime _waþe_: _ta þe_ 287-9 shows that organic final _-e_ was sometimes pronounced in the poet's dialect. VERB: pres. ind. 1 sg. _haf_ 23; _leue_ 60. 2 sg. _spelleȝ_ 72. 3 sg. _prayses_ 4; _tas_ 237. 2 pl. _ȝe han_ 25. 3 pl. _han_ 345. imper. pl. _gotȝ_ (= _gǭs_) 51, _cayreȝ_ 52. pres. p. normally _-ande_, e.g. _schaterande_ 15; but very rarely _-yng_: _gruchyng_ 58. strong pp. _born_ 2, _wonnen_ 23; _tone_ (= _taken_) 91. The weak pa. t. and pp. show occasional _-(e)t_ for _-(e)d_: _halt_ 11, _fondet_ 57, &c. Note that present forms in _-ie(n)_ are preserved, and the _i_ extended to the past tense: _louy_ (OE. _lufian_) 27, _louies_ 31; _spuryed_ 25. PRONOUN 3 PERS.: pl. nom. _þay_ 9; poss. _hor_ 345, beside _her_ 352; obj. _hom_, beside _hem_ 353. #Sounds#: _ǭ_ for older _ā_ is common, and is proved for the original by rimes like _more_: _restore_ (OFr. _restorer_) 213-15, _þore_: _restore_ 286-8. But _a_ is often written in the MS.: _snaw_ 20, 166 (note rimes), _halden_ 29, &c. _u_ for OE. _y_, characteristic of Western dialects, is found especially in the neighbourhood of labial consonants: _spuryed_ (OE. _spyrian_) 25; _muryly_ 268, 277; _munt_ vb. 194 and sb. 282; beside _myntes_ 284, _lyfte_ 78, _hille_ 13. _u_ for OE. _eo_ (normal ME. _e_) is another Western feature: _burne_ 3, 21, &c., _rurde_ 151. _aw_ for OE. _ēow_ (normal ME. _ew_, _ow_) as in _trawe_ 44, _trawþe_ 219, _rawþe_ 136, is still found in some Northern dialects.