(i)Þáfyldonhíhímidyfelummannum.
(ii)tháfyldenhihimidyvelemen.
(iii)thenfilledtheythemwithevilmen.

[6.] Comparisons of Words and Inflexions.—Let us take a few of the most prominent words in our language, and observe the changes that have fallen upon them since they made their appearance in our island in the fifth century. These changes will be best seen by displaying them in columns:—

Anglo-Saxon. Early English. Middle English. Modern English.
heom.to heom.to hem.to them.
seó.heó.ho, scho.she.
sweostrum.to the swestres.to the swistren.to the sisters.
geboren.gebore.iboré.born.
lufigende.lufigend.lovand.loving.
weoxon.woxen.wexide.waxed.

[7.] Conclusions from the above Comparisons.—We can now draw several conclusions from the comparisons we have made of the passages given from different periods of the language. These conclusions relate chiefly to verbs and nouns; and they

may become useful as a [KEY] to enable us to judge to what period in the history of our language a passage presented to us must belong. If we find such and such marks, the language is Anglo-Saxon; if other marks, it is Early English; and so on.

I.—MARKS OF ANGLO-SAXON. II.—MARKS OF EARLY ENGLISH (1100-1250). III.—MARKS OF MIDDLE ENGLISH (1250-1485).
Verbs.Verbs.Verbs.
Infinitive in an. Pres. part. in ende. Past part. with ge. 3d plural pres. in ath. 3d plural past in on. Plural of imperatives in ath. Infin. in en or e. Pres. part. in ind. ge of past part. turned into i or y. 3d plural in en. Infin. with to (the en was dropped about 1400). Pres. part. in inge. 3d plural in en. Imperative in eth.
Nouns.Nouns.Nouns.
Plurals in an, as, or a. Dative plural in um. Plural in es. Dative plural in es. Plurals in es (separate syllable). Possessives in es (separate syllable).

[8.] The English of the Thirteenth Century.—In this century there was a great breaking-down and stripping-off of inflexions. This is seen in the Ormulum of Orm, a canon of the Order of St Augustine, whose English is nearly as flexionless as that of Chaucer, although about a century and a half before him. Orm has also the peculiarity of always doubling a consonant after a short vowel. Thus, in his introduction, he says:—

“Þiss boc iss nemmnedd Orrmulum

Forr þi þatt Orrm itt wrohhte.”

That is, “This book is named Ormulum, for the (reason) that Orm wrought it.” The absence of inflexions is probably due to the fact that the book is written in the East-Midland dialect. But, in a song called “The Story of Genesis and Exodus,” written about 1250, we find a greater number of inflexions. Thus we read:—