King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady
General
King Horn, Floriz and Blauncheflur, The Assumption of Our Lady
English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Legends; Romances, English
That the dialect of King Horn is a mixed dialect is supported by the
treatment of _æ_ above, by the double pronunciation of WS. _-eald_, and
by further double pronunciations. OE. (WS.) _slēan_, _flēan_ seem to
have had double pronunciations. The _ō_ pronunciation is attested to by
the rime, _slon_ : _vpon_ C, _slon_ : _on_ L H, 47-8. The OE. _e͞a_ is
rendered probable by the written forms, _sle_ : _fle_ 1467-8 C, etc.
Other double pronunciations are _ȝonge_ : _ispronge_ 579-80, and more
frequently the _i_ rime _ȝonge_ : _bringe_ 295-6, _ringe_ : _ȝonge_
599-600.
Prof. Hempl’s _-wǭ-_, _-wō-_ test does not yield very definite results
in this text, but seems to indicate a southern dialect. Cf. _two_ : _þo_
53-4 C, 37-8 L H, _go_ : _also_ 103-4, 107-8 L H, _wo_ : _þo_ 121-2,
279-80. But cf. _wo_ : _do_ 291-2. This might perhaps be cited as
another evidence of mixed dialect.
For consonants we have no definite rime tests, and consequently can
learn concerning them little more than the scribal preferences. In all
three texts, however, the southern forms are the favoured ones; e.g.
_ȝeue_, _ȝate_. Here again, however, we have double forms; e.g.
_wurche_ : _chirche_ 1481-2, but _werke_ : _derke_ 1547-8 C H;
_yliche_ : _riche_ 19, 20, 357-8; _ilike_ : _biswike_ 305-6, though,
perhaps, we are to seek the explanation of these double forms in
difference of vowel-ending rather than in difference of dialect.
From the inflections as from the consonants we can gain no very exact
information, and for the same reason. The evidence, however, such as it
is, points in the same direction, toward the south. The regular endings
of the present indicative seem to be _-e_, _-est_, _-eþ_ for the
singular and _-eþ_ for the plural. The forms are not numerous on account
of the infrequent use of the present tense. There are some departures
from these normal endings. _ben_ occurs occasionally in the plural of
the verb ‘be’; _e.g._ 882 L, 1643 C L, 177 H. Other traces of the
Midland ending _-en_ are to be seen, _wilen_ 2 L, 7 H, etc. Such forms
as _þou seydes_ 588 L, _þou biginnes_ 608 L, _wepes þou_ 696 L, are
probably to be explained as mistakes of the scribe of this MS., who
frequently leaves off a final consonant.
The conservative forms of the past participle, preserving the old prefix
as _i-_ or _y-_, also indicate a southern dialect for the scribes at
least.
The personal pronouns preserve the conservative southern forms, rare
exceptions being _sche_ 380 L, in place of the normal _he_, and _þei_
1557 C, _þe_ 55 L, for the normal _hi_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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