Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 2: Notes — John Shaqi
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
There is no title in the MS.: Rex Suos Judicans is from Anselm’s title.
2. #gelest#, extended; probably the earliest example of the word in this
sense. OE. #gelǣstan#, to accomplish, follow, last. With #wide ⁊ side#,
spacious, extensive, comp. ‘Ðu leof cyningc leod-scipas ðine wide and
side þu hætst,’ Ælf. Lives, i. 496/145; ‘⁊ ta wass Romess kinedom | Full
wid ⁊ sid onn eorþe,’ Orm 173.
3. #ærfeðtelle#, difficult to number; comp. ‘earueðhealde,’ 48/311;
‘Earfoðfynde,’ Ælf. Lives, i. 492/82; ‘arueðwinne,’ OEH ii. 49/14. OE.
#earfoðe#, #ēaðe#, #unēaðe# are usually followed by the _dat._ of the
infinitive, ‘earfoðe is ænegum men to witanne,’ Cura Past. 51/5, to
which corresponds, ‘Hit is arfeð to understonden,’ OEH ii. 205/14; but
they are also associated with a kind of verbal noun having a _dat._
termination in _e_, in imitation of the Latin supine in _u_, as
earfoðlǣre, ēaþlǣre, unēaþlǣce, and the two words come to be treated as
a compound adjective. For the _acc._ inf. comp. ‘Ac þe ben swo fele ꝥ
hie ben arfeð tellen,’ OEH ii. 201/30.
4. #ꝥ--befell#, lit. that it occurred to him in purpose, that he formed
a resolution: comp. ‘Ich wilnie a mine þo{n}ke[;] to walden al Rome,’ L
25091; ‘þat him wes on þonke,’ id. 13258.
5. #nam him to rede#, lit. took to himself for counsel, adopted the
plan: comp. 110/298; ‘nam him to ræde,’ Ælf. Lives, i. 64/230; ‘let him
to ræde,’ id. 506/319; ‘hwæt him to ræde þuhte,’ id. 244/113; ‘him to
ræde fand,’ BH 201/25. See Minot vi, 68 note. For omission of subject
after ꝥ, see 6/18 note.
7. #berie# was meant to supersede #curt#, but the scribe forgot to put
dots under the latter. He uses berie regularly afterwards. With ꝥ comp.
‘& swa he nom enne dai[;] þat come heore drihtlice folc,’ L 2550.
8. #be þe latst#, at the latest; so 14/69. #to#, at: comp. 14/68; ‘to
þan dæie heo comen,’ L 13187.
9. #mistlice#, variant of mislice (Bülbring § 535). It means, diversely,
of different sorts, friends and foes. But note fastlice, 16/114.
10. #derewrlice#, so as to confer honour on him.
11. #formemete#, first meat, breakfast, the ‘morȝemete’ of 16/125;
‘mixtum cibi,’ Ans. With #to lang#, comp. 4/38.
12. #none#, after formemete is probably for nonemete, midday meal,
dinner: though #to# might mean _at_, as at l. 8. See 206/323.
13. #stiarne swepen#: ‘strong whips,’ Morris: ‘stiff (strong) whips,’
Specimens: comp. 16/132. But the adj. is rarely applied to a thing:
perhaps stearce or smerte would suit better.
14. #besie#, look to, provide for, handle: comp. underfangeð 16/131;
‘Euele thai gonnen him bisen,’ Seuyn Sages, 507 (said of a whipping);
bisen, 202/195 is similar, look after.
15. #abide#, _inf._ depends on _he sceolde_ understood from sceolden 12.
#clone#, without exception, entirely: comp. ‘Ne dude hit noht þe king
ane[;] ah duden we alle clæne,’ L 8825; ‘mare ich habbe ane[;] þane þa
oðere al clæne,’ id. 13059, 13264.
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