O. E. =o=. _wolde_, _scholde_, _golde_, _molde_ rhyme with _tolde_, _holde_, _colde_, &c., but in open syllables a distinction is observed (as in the case of _e_) between new-lengthened _ǭ_ and _ǭ_ from O. E. _ā_, so that _tofore_, _before_, _therfore_, _score_ and the participles _bore_, _forbore_, _lore_, _schore_, _swore_ are kept separate in rhyme from such words as _hore_, _more_, _lore_ (subst.), _ore_, _rore_, _sore_, to which later group should be added _More_ (Moor), and the Romance verb _restore_[S]. This distinction seems to be recognized by Chaucer, cp. _Troilus_, v. 22-26, but with a good many exceptions, as _Legend of Good Women_, 452 f., 550 f., 1516 f., _Cant. Tales_, A 1541 f., 3237 f., &c., chiefly, but not exclusively, in the case of _more_. Gower is very much stricter and allows very few exceptions (_overmore_ : _tofore_, i. 3361 f., _nomore_ : _therfore_, vii. 3279* f., _more_ : _therfore_, vii. 3869 f., _more_ : _fore_, viii. 991 f.), which must be regarded as imperfect rhymes. Considering the frequency with which words of these two classes occur in rhyme, it is remarkable that the distinction should be so well kept. We may note that _bowe_ (subst.) from _boga_ rhymes with words like _knowe_, in which _ow_ is from _āw_. O. E. =u=. In some words _o_ and _u_ interchange, as _begonne begunne_, _conne cunne_, _coppe cuppe_, _dronkeschipe drunkeschipe_, _further forther_, _ronne (over)runne_, _sonne sunne_, _thurgh thorgh(soght)_, _tonge tunge_, _tonne tunne_, &c., but we have without variation, _bole_, _hunger_, _note_ (nut), _some_, _under_, _wonder_, &c. The regular rhyme _under_ : _wonder_ is enough to show that the sound was the same. _love_, _above_ rhyme together and not with any other word. (For the rhyme at v. 7047 f., see under =ō=.) _sone_ (from _sunu_), _wone_ (custom), _astone_, rhyme only with one another: in the rhyme _wones_ : _ones_, which occurs iv. 2217 f., viii. 611 f., we have to do of course with a different word. _dore_ (_door_) rhymes with _spore_ and _dore_ (subjunctive of _dar_), _bole_ with _wole_ (verb).