OE to ME: levelling of inflections

OE ME SOUTH ME NORTH

masculine nouns

sgN se stánA þone stán þe stoneD þǽm stáneG þæs stánes þe stones pl (south) (north)NA þá stánas

D þǽm stánum þe stonen þe stones

G þára stána

OE to ME: levelling of inflections

OE ME SOUTH ME NORTH

feminine nouns

sgN séo sacuA þá sace þe sakeD þǽre saceG þǽre sace pl (south) (north)NA þá saca

D þǽm sacum þe saken þe sakes

G þára saca

OE to ME: levelling of inflections

OE ME SOUTH ME NORTH

neuter nouns

sgN þæt húsA þæt hús þe hous(e)D þǽm húseG þæs húses þe houses plNA þá hús

D þǽm húsum þe housen þe houses

G þára húsa

personal pronouns

OE ME

1 ic mec mé mín ich me min(e)

2 þú þec þé þín þou þe þin(e)

3 m he hine him his he him his

3 f heo híe hire hire ho hir(e)

3 n hit him his (h)it (h)it his

1 wé ús úre we us owre

1 dual wit unc uncer

2 gé éow éower ye yow yowr(e)

2 dual git inc incer

3 mfn híe heom heora he hem hire

personal pronouns

OE ME

1 ic mec mé mín ich me min(e)

2 þú þec þé þín þou þe þin(e)

3 m he hine him his he him his

3 f heo híe hire hire ho hir(e)

3 n hit him his (h)it (h)it his

1 wé ús úre we us owre

1 dual wit unc uncer

2 gé éow éower ye yow yowr(e)

2 dual git inc incer

3 mfn híe heom heora he hem hire

personal pronouns

OE ME SOUTH ME NORTH

1 ic mec mé mín ich me min(e)

2 þú þec þé þín þou þe þin(e)

3 m he hine him his he him his

3 f heo híe hire hire ho hir(e) scho

3 n hit him his (h)it (h)it his

1 wé ús úre we us owre

1 dual wit unc uncer

2 gé éow éower ye yow yowr(e)

2 dual git inc incer

3 mfn híe heom heora he hem hire þai þem þeyre

OE to ME: levelling of inflectionsverbspresent tense

OE ME South Midlands ME North

helpan helpen helpe

1 sg ic helpe ich helpe

2 sg þú helpest þow helpest

3 sg hé hilpþ/helpeþ he helpeþ helpes

123pl

wé helpað we helpeþ helpen helpes

OE to ME: levelling of inflectionsverbspast tense

OE ME South ME North

1 sg ic sang ich sang

2 sg þú sunge þou sangst

3 sg hé sang he sang

123 pl

wé sungon we sungen sunge

p-p gesungen y-sunge(n) sunge(n)

Verbs: salient pointspresent tense

OE ME South Midlands ME North

1 sg ic helpe ich helpe ich helpe ich helpe

2 sg þú helpest þou helpest þu helpes

3 sg hé helpeþ he helpeth helpes123pl

wé helpaþ we helpeth helpen helpes

  SOUTHLondon,Midlands

NORTH

       

stone stoon stoon stan

what what what quhat

for, from vor vram for from for fro

he, she it he heo hit he sche hit he scho hit

they, them, their

he hom hore þei hem hir þai þam þare 

  SOUTH London/Midland NORTH

“stone” stoon stoon stan

“what” what what quhat

“for, from” vor vram for from for fro

“he, she it” he heo hit he sche hit he scho hit

“they, them, their”

he hom hore þei hem hir þai þam þare

“he is” he is, beth he is he is

“we are” we beth we ben we aren

 

  SOUTHLondon

/MidlandNORTH

“he speaks” he speketh he speketh he spekes,spekis

“we speak” we speketh we speken we spekes,spekis

“speaking” spekindespekendespekinge

spekand

v-fvor – forvox – foxvyxen - fyxen

ð – þðink – þinkðis - þis

s - zsea,such

Initial fricatives

show

they them their

hei hem hire

for –s see Markey 1988 in B-Mappa

3rd pers. sg.

all pers. pl.