(a) When atonic e and another vowel or diphthong come together in a word they are usually contracted, as in asseurer, commeu, eust, receu, veu (2387), vir (for veïr), Beemoth, beneuré, benoit, deesce, emperour, mirour, obeissance, rançon, seur, &c., but in many instances contraction does not take place, as cheeu, eeu, veeu, veïr, veoir, empereour (23624), leësce, mireour (23551), tricheour, venqueour, meëment, &c.
(b) In some words with -ie termination the accent falls on the antepenultimate, and the i which follows the tonic syllable is regularly slurred in the metre and sometimes not written. Such words are accidie, contumelie, familie, misterie, perjurie, pluvie, remedie, vituperie, and occasionally a verb, as encordie.
The following are examples of their metrical treatment:—
‘Des queux l’un Vituperie ad noun,’ 2967;
‘Et sa familie et sa maisoun,’ 3916;
‘Car pluvie doit le vent suïr,’ 4182;
‘Maint contumelie irrous atteint,’ 4312;
‘Perjurie, q’ad sa foy perdu,’ 6409;
‘Qui pour mes biens m’encordie et lie,’ 6958, &c.
Several of these words are also written with the ending -e for -ie, as accide, famile, encorde.