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
#Accidence:# (1) of C. A peculiar feature of these texts is the
occasional addition of n after a final vowel. This ‘nunnation,’ fairly
common in C, rare in O, is marked here by round brackets. Its use makes
it doubtful at times whether a noun or adjective ending in n is a weak
form or a strong form with added n. Strong declension of _masc._ and
_neut._ nouns. In the _s. n. a._ maide 266, 283, 295 has lost final n.
_Gen._ -es, þunres 73, twines 218: _dat._ -e, ræde 197, gomene 291,
londe 3, vfele 51, crafte(n) 214, cume(n) 24, cunne(n) 188, inne(n) 112,
liue(n) 25, rihte(n) 20, wurðscipe(n) 26; without inflection are ræd
298, gomen 231, kinelond 56, lond 162, vfel 78, gome (#gamene#) 228, lon
64, and the proper name Saturnus 75. The _pl. n. a._ of masculines ends
in -es, cnihtes 17 (6), madmes 134, but cnihten 5, 27, ridern 233, sunen
105 are weak forms: neuters are ȝer 36, þing 50, wif 43, but haefden 87,
loten 37, scipen 4 (3) are weak. Genitives are londe 33, þinge 260, weak
forms are ænglene 262, cnihtene 55, 89, and, before a vowel, cnihten 77,
152, 195: datives have mostly -en, cnihten 155, dæȝen 69, goden 68,
scipen 92, 232, but londes 137, þinge 61. The _fem._ nouns of the strong
declension have -e in the _s. n. a._, duȝeðe 170, 252, 272, hude 202,
210, dæde 197, ferde 85, duȝeðe(n) 166, but sæ 2. _Gen._ -e, duȝeðe 141;
humbre 117 is an indeclinable form: _dat._ -e, halle 99, helue 129,
honde 257, halle(n) 259, but hælf 117, hond 201. _Pl. n._ are laȝe(n)
278, 285, probably weak; _d._ deden 96, laȝen 163, leoden 295 (from pl.
noun #lēode#), runen 159, nihtes 23; _a._ leode(n) 165, 285, rune(n)
148, 156, probably weak. Nouns of the weak declension have mostly -e in
all cases of the singular, but iueren 276, monen 76, læfdi 74 are
dative, læuedi 65 acc.: the plural has -en throughout, _n._ gumen 2,
ileuen 53, 80; _d._ iueren 233; _a._ bemen 249, nomen 231. The minor
declensions are represented by mon _s. n._ 41, wimmon 180, monne _s. d._
205, mon _s. a._ 214, wimmon 299, men _pl. n._ 7 &c., wimmonne(n) _pl.
g._ 270, monnen _pl. d._ 112 (5), hiredmonnen 157, scipenmonnen 6 (for
scipmonnen), cunnesmen _pl. a._ 98; burh _s. n._ 228, _s. a._ 173, 191,
223, burhȝe 205 (? confusion with pl. #burga#), burhȝe(n) _s. d._ 251;
broðer _s. n._ 29; dohter _s. d._ 181; freond _s. n._, freonde _s. d._
273; walden _s. n._ 71; childe _s. d._ 43, child _s. a._ 44, children
_pl. d._ 187.
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