(ii) Close ọ̄ (pronounced rather as in French beau than as in standard English so which has developed a diphthong ọu), derives from OE. ō: OE. gōs, dōm, góld ≻ ME. gọ̄s, dọ̄m, gọ̄ld ≻ NE. goose, doom, gold. The characteristic modern spelling is oo.
NOTE.—(1) After consonant + w, ǭ often develops in ME. to ọ̄: OE. (al)swā, twā ≻ ME. (al)sǭ, twǭ ≻ later (al)sọ̄, twọ̄.
(2) In Scotland and the North ọ̄ becomes regularly a sound (perhaps ǖ) spelt u: gōd ≻ gud, blōd ≻ blud, &c.
Whereas the distribution of ǭ and ọ̄ is practically the same for all ME. dialects, the distinction of open ę̄ and close ẹ̄ is not so regular, chiefly because the sounds from which they derive were not uniform in OE. dialects. For simplicity, attention will be confined to the London dialect, as the forerunner of modern Standard English.
(iii) South-East Midland open ę̄ (pronounced as in there) derives:
(a) from OE. (Anglian) ǣ: Anglian dǣl ≻ SE. Midl. dę̄l ≻ NE. deal;
(b) from OE. ēa: OE. bēatan ≻ ME. bę̄te(n) ≻ NE. beat;
(c) from OE. ĕ in open syllables according to § 7 a iii: OE. mĕte ≻ ME. mę́te ≻ NE. meat.
The characteristic modern spelling is ea.
(iv) South-East Midland close ẹ̄ (pronounced as in French été) derives: