Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 2: Notes
General
Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 2: Notes
English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500
The personal pronouns are ich, me, we, ure _pl. g._ 182, us, te = þu in
likeste 122, ge, giu 147, 148, 153. The pronoun of the third person is
_s. n._ he _m._ 12, _d._ him _m._ 19, _a._ 27, hit _neut._ 19 (with asse
_m._), it 21 (with strete _f._); _pl. n._ hie 33, 74, _g._ here 107,
_d._ hem 72, _a._ 11. Reflexive is himseluen _d._ 107, _a._ 90:
definitive, himself _s. n._ 155: possessives are mi, ure, þin, his, hise
_pl. d._ 10, 78, here. The general form of the article is þe, te 6, 156,
166; inflected forms are ðet _s. n. neut._ 26, 117, þo _pl. n._ 17 (3);
þet 14, 84 is demonstrative: the article is used pronominally in þo þe,
those who 27 (10). The compound demonstrative is _s._ þis, tis 174,
_pl._ þese, once þis[e] 125. The relatives are þe, ꝥ = þet, þat 115: wat
38 (3) is interrogative: swiche 106, 129 is _pl._ Indefinites are me 27;
sum 24, sume _pl._ 33 (3); eiðer 126; oðer 117, oðre _s. d. m._ 15,
_s. a. m._ 136, _pl. d._ 22, _pl. a._ 135; ech 38, elhc 36, eches _s. g.
m._ 175, 178; ani 136; manie 104; fele 105; al _s. a. m._ 71, _s. a. f._
167, alle 114, _pl. n._ 105 (3), alre _pl. g._ 12 (6), alle _pl. a._
135 (3).
The infinitive ends in -en, bidden 188, þolen 6 and fifteen others;
exceptions are crepe 100, reine 171, and the contract verb fon 74.
Dative infinitives with inflection are to clensende 177, to lesende 148,
to quemende 68, for to quemende 70; without inflection, for . . . to
hauen 70, to blissen, to gladien 83, to bete 73 and ten others. Presents
are _s._ 1. speke 104, spece 118; 2. likeste (= likest þu) 122; 3.
beregeð 114, liðe 100 (miswritten for liðeð), bidded 86, for biddeð;
contract verb, underfoð, 106, 117; syncopated forms, about one-third of
the total number, bet 120, bet 147, bit 120, 143, sent 53, understont
176, &c.; _pl._ 1. hauen 186, undernimen 142; 2. understonden 154; 3.
bidden 46, herien 46, noten 45, þanken 48, wunien 9 and ten others in
-en, lereð 67, semeð 73, wisseð 63, maked 62, for makeð: _subjunctive
s._ 3. drinke 91, wurðe 84, 140; _pl._ 1. bugen 88; nime we 56, 182,
understonde 88; 3. liuen 153: _imperative s._ 2. haue 121, underfo 113;
_pl._ 2. brukeð 147, cumeð 87, lerneð 17, understondeð 87, 146. Past of
Strong Verbs: I a. _s._ 3. gaf 14, gef 172, bad 88, 120, bed 11, set 71,
spec 160; _pl._ 3. eten 172: I b. _s._ 2. come 130; 3. com 8, 26; _pl._
3. beren 23, breken 33, 60, comen 28: I c. _s._ 3. warð 175; _pl._ 3.
funden 19: II. _s._ 3. aros 137, rod 20: IV. _pl._ 3. understoden 27: V.
_s._ 3. let 171; _pl._ 3. bihengen 21; _s._ 3. hatte 9. Participles
present: I a. queðinde 16 (3), quedinde 145; past: I b. brokene _adj._
65, cumen 182, cumene _pl._ 185: I c. bigunnen 179, 187, bigunne 177,
bunden 127, worpen 128: II. driuen 127: III. chosene _pl._ 78: V.
forleten 179, 187, shad 148. Past of Weak Verbs: _s._ 3. fette 138,
kidde 135, lufede 175, rerde 137, seide 155, sende 10 (3); _pl._ 3.
wenden 23, ferden 18, 28, leiden 20, makeden 61, but exceptionally
ferde, makede 58.
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