The new diphthongs have reached a more advanced stage in which w displaces ȝ; y is used extensively for i. a + g, drawe 209, mawe 138. æ + g, day 89, vayre 15, but seyde 9, iseyd 273. e + g, ayeyn 7 (3), pleye 169, seyþ 132, snayles 87, seist 50. i + h, adihte 242, bitwihen 390 (betwih), myht 78. i + g, unwryen 118. o + g, itowen 368. u + g, vowele 64, fowel 65, muwe 62. ā + g, owe 195, þrowe 196. ǣ1 + g, eyþer 9; ihware 172 is OE. gehwǣr. ō + g, bowe 15, wowe 120. ō + h is ouh, brouhte 156, 369, þouhte 269, roughte 305, but þoutest 113. ū + h, þuhte 21, of þuhte 275. ea + h, iseyh 29, ouerseyh 30; the i-umlaut, myhte 42, nyht 252. eo + h, ariht 278, brihter 108, vyhte 128, ryht 76; the i-umlaut, isihþ 285. ēa + g, eyen 75, 100, eye 304, neyh 44; þēah appears as þeih 367, þeyh 137 &c., þey 287, þah 422 (stressed), þe 48, 220. ēo + h, lyhte 119, ryhte 120; the i-umlaut, flyhst 89, flyhþ 132; dīegel is dyele 2. ā + w, snouh 308, nouht 58, nowiht 256, noht 183. ī + w, hewe 108. ēo + w, eure 379, treo 316.
i is levelled to e in chireche 339, clerekes 340, 347, mureþe 257, murehþe 336, 343; in gretture 74, u appears for e; e is inserted in bolewe 101, swikedom 119.
w stands for u in hw 46, 435; it is written for wu in wrche 340, wrse 219, wrste 10, wrþe 278, and for we in wre 159; it is u in suych 283. Final n is omitted in a 241 &c. f is v in ivi 27. d is written for t in bid 319; it is doubled in gladdre 19. For þ, t is written in wit 57, h in bihouhte 155. sć is s, sarp 79, atset 44, sende 210, sc, biscrycheþ 67, scrichest 179, scort 73, sch, schewi 107, scholdest 54, schulle 320, mersche 220. Beside sweche 354 are such 374, suche 134. Final c is written k in spak 279, 288; cc is kk in þikke 308; cw is qu in iqueme 427. nyk 202 (OE. nič) is a Midland form, and probably due to Scandinavian influence; ic is ic 245 (7) beside ich 1 &c.; ilyche 113 r. w. biswike. Palatal g is very regularly written y, yaf 55, 105, ayaf 95, yomere 293, voryete 343. After l, r, g passes into the spirant w, bolewe 101, foleweþ 223, iswolwe 102, amorewe 310, moreweninge 361, sorewe 309, but arehþe 282 (areh + þe). g is lost initially in if 260 &c. h is lost in þoutest 113. hw is generally preserved, hwan 334, hwar 64, hwi 204, hwile 158, ihware 172.
[Accidence:] (1) of C. Strong declension of masc. and neut. nouns. In the s. n. a. bile 79, 205, griþbruche 377, kume 314 (possibly d.), hete 123 have their OE. vocalic ending; songe 259 is a scribe’s mistake for song; bodi 73 has lost final g, eve 41, final n. Gen. -es, fuȝeles 259, speres 355: d. -e, boȝe 15, bore 286, daie 352, houene 346, sumere 1, 294, wintere 293, but adai 89 (3), aniȝt 89, 175, awinter 290; with loss of final consonant, amorȝe 310, eue 239 (3), iui 27; OE. are blo 108, 319, (Portes)hom 395, tro 316; king 371 is miswritten for kinge. The pl. n. a. of masculines ends in -es, snailes 87, tunes 348, but cliuers 111, 206, fuȝele 64 (see note): neuters are ibere 178, þinge 225, wiȝte 87, 160, and with masc. termination, wiȝtes 309, wordes 134, unwiȝtis 174. Genitive is cunne 20; datives have mostly -e, foȝle 213, rise 19 (3), songe 82, stude 410, þinge 312, 415, þuuele 214, vnwrenche 125, volde 72, worde 114 (7), but craftes 329, cliures 84, toppes 306, bischopen 404. The fem. nouns of the strong declension have -e in s. n. a., answare 55, 277, blisse 298, 346, eardingstowe 28, godhede 267, skentinge 324, stefne 233, unrihtfulnesse 385, cheste 133, sorȝe 309, but hen 291, insiȝt 151, woning 227, 403, so ME. grucching, luring 301: þuster 154, 186, 188 is neuter. Gen. -e, worlde ON 476: dat. -e without exception, blisse 335, brede 130, ME. pipinge 232, 253, see 397. Pl. d. is dede 188, 406; a. blisse 311, clawe 109, tale 193, tide 26. Nouns of the weak declension have -e throughout, s. n. swore 73, mose 69, d. deme 426, frogge 85, eȝe 304, wise 20, but uo 281, a. daisterre 244, grame 49, ȝeme 345, but dairim 244, iuo 359: pl. n. blosme 16, eȝene 75, d. fere 179, but earen 254. Minor declensions: uote pl. d. 51; man s. n. 210 (3), monnes s. g. 254, 304, men pl. n. 302, manne pl. d. 365, menne 368, men pl. a. 246; boke s. d. 266; mus pl. n. 87; niȝt s. n. 250, middelniȝte s. d. 241, but aniȝt 89, 175, niȝt s. a. 247, 252, niȝtes pl. n. ON 523; childre pl. d. 419.
Adjectives which in OE. end in -e have e in all cases, breme 158, grene 18, isene 122, 211, murie 261, þicke 17, riche 413, similarly those in -a, lame 375, unwille 300, but hoked 79 has lost e, while ope 124 has vocalic ending by loss of n, and fastrede s. n. m. st., r. w. unrede, has added e. Those in -ig lose g, holi 339. Otherwise the nom. is unchanged. Datives have -e in all genders, str., gode 223, riȝte 170, 200, 212, wk. faire 317, 319, fule 93, 295, olde 163, so acc. m. f. str. stronge 205, vaire 15, bolde 288, schille 98, 364, but stif 205, lodlich 32 before vowels, unwrþ 255, wk. gode 414, longe 247, but ful 94: wrecche s. a. m. wk. 251 has taken the form of wrecca sb. (Breier). The acc. neut. is uninflected, god 131; wole 8 is corrupt. mycel is s. n. muchel 404, s. d. muchele ON 1217: āgen has lost n in oȝe 195. The pl. of all adjectives ends in -e, n. brode 75, isome 378, d. belde 358, smale 213, a. gode 206, scharpe 109, but scharp 206 before a vowel. OE. ān is s. n. m. on 25, 238 before vowel, 82, 330 (pronominal), o 331 (num. adj.), f. a 112, an 80 before vowel, s. d. m. one 2, 15, &c., f. ore 17, 393, 397, one 14, 235, neut. one 1, 236, s. a. m. one 102, a 94, o 249 (num. adj.), f. one 4, 155, 324, an 4, one 403 (num. adj.), neut. a 45, 104. nān is s. n. m. no 210, f. 146, s. d. m. none 168, 387; as adv. na more 169 (3). Adjectives used as nouns are wise s. n. m. 132, pl. d. 181, bare s. d. 106, s. a. 56, gode s. d. 338, ille 299, longe 45, vuele, wroþe 63 (see note), blete s. a. 57, woȝe 120, 154, worste 10, but god 245. Comparatives have -e, betere 330 (3), grettere 74, mildre 418, worse 219, but briȝter 108, gladur 19, icundur 85, uairur 108.
The personal pronouns are ich, i 353, me, unker dual g., of us two 107, we, hure pl. g., of us 141, us, þu, (speddes) tu 125, þe, hunke 376 (see note), ȝe, eu. The pronoun of the third person is s. n. he m. 21 &c., ho f. 19, 368, heo 360, 372 &c., he 97, 274, 279, hi 141, hit neut. 28, d. him m. 167, hire f. 104, him neut. ON 682, a. hine m. 392, hi f. 29, 30, 32, hit neut. 92, pl. n. hi 10 &c., ho 66, 76, heo 418, 434, 435, d. hom 94, heom 408, a. hi 420, hom 62 (possibly d.), heom ON 930: reflexive are hi 155, heom 407; definitive, sulue 69. Possessives are s. n. mi, before vowel or pronom. h, min, d. mine m. 46, mire f. 384, mine 59, 245, neut. 83, 218, a. m. 36, 242, f. 196; pl. mine; s. n. þi, before vowel or h, þin, d. þine m. 58, þin 117, þire f. 307, 383, þine 40 (6), neut. 88, a. m. 119 &c., þin 249, þine f. 194, þin neut. 121 (before vowel), þi ON 104; pl. þine, but þin pl. n. 75, 113 before vowel; his 188, is 281, his neut. 267; hire 26; ure 298; ower 379; hore 216, heore 418; unker 423, 425, 426. The definite article is s. n. þe m. 132, þo f. 26, 155, þe 13, 29 &c., þat neut. 10 &c., þe 352, g. þas m. 254, þare f. 28, d. þan m. ON 125, þen 386, þe 322, 371, þare f. 31, 397, þe ON 96, þan neut. ON 133, þe 56, a. þane m. 414, þe f. 13, þat neut. 8, 10; pl. n. þe 315. The article is also used demonstratively as adj. þat 5, 8 &c., þare 96, as pronoun, þat 82, þan 156, 405. The compound demonstrative is s. n. þes m. 195, þos f. 41 (3), þeos ON 1667, 1707, d. þis neut. 437 (the metre requires þisse), a. þos f. 133, þis neut. 156 (4); pl. n. þos 348, þeos 413, d. þisse 432, a. þos 95, þeos ON 1653. The relatives are þe ON 1346, þat 10, 144; meaning to which 187, that which 78, 115, 174. Interrogatives are wa 425, wo 152, wat 141, 271, 353, what 60, (to) wan 334, wuch ON 1378 and the correlative suich n. s. m. 283, swuch s. a. f. 374, suiche pl. n. 134, swucche pl. d. 354. gelīc is ilich s. n. m. 232, 234; gelīca, ilike pl. n. 113. Indefinites are me 32 &c., man 341; sum s. a. f. 6, summe pl. n. ON 1648; eiþer 9, 141, aiþer 7; oþer s. d. f. 54, s. a. 7, s. a. f. 326, oþeres s. g. 9, oþer pl. n. 160, pl. a. 225; ech s. n. m. 231, neut. 312, eche s. d. m. 151; eurich s. n. m. 150, f. 257, neut. 185, g. m. 304; eni s. a. f. 326, neut. 338; moni s. n. m. 355, mani s. a. m. 399, manie 398, monie pl. d. 72, a. 193; uale s. d. m. 410, uele pl. g. 20, fale pl. d. 365, feole 415; al s. throughout, except all s. d. f. 129, alle s. a. f. 247; alle pl., except alre g. 10.
The infinitive ends in -e, singe 39 (5), wirche 340 and 40 other instances; exceptions in -en are losen 267, singen 327 before vowel or h, abiten 77, smiten 78 at end of line, hoten 192, speten 39, wrchen 286; the second weak conjugation has -i, liki 258, sewi 107; contract verbs are flo 284, 319, flon 106 before vowel. The dat. inf. is not inflected, to biholde 71, for teche 408, [for] ȝiue 410, to seche 402 (virtual nominative): no examples in -en. Presents are s. 1. abbe 130, adiȝte 242, kep (ich) 110; of second wk. conj. warni 246, wndri 184; of contract verbs, iso 243, so 34; 2. axest 325, singest 247 (3), passive, hattest 191, axestu 329, wenestu 219, ME. clackes 81; with -ist, singist 175, wenist 231; seist 50 (4) represents segst; syncopated forms are telst 226, tuengst 112, wenst 47, the metre requires woldẹst 84, hauẹst 109; a contract verb is fliȝst 89, 183, fliȝst(e) 283; 3. blisseþ 313, croweþ 251 and 17 others, singet 152, schuniet 185; syncopated forms are numerous, abid 421, berþ 281, bit 319, 323, demþ 420, diht 399, falt 37, fiȝt 132, halt 32, helpþ 127, lat 224, liþ 308, lust 168, 169, singþ 339, telþ 256, þincþ 430, worþ 283, writ 399, þincþe 46 (= þincþ þe); seiþ 132 represents segð; contract verbs are atfliþ 37, fliȝt 132, 224, isiþ 285, isoþ 302; pl. 3. bigredeþ 215, habbeþ 309, 406, bigredet 67, biledet 68, haued 123, floþ 214: subjunctive s. 1. holde 59, schilde 57; second wk. conj., loki 56; 2. clawe 110, wepe 182; 3. bitide 52, uorȝete 343; pl. 1. lete 133, ute 422, fo 135; 3. bigrede 220; imperative s. 2. hud 120, stond 431, loke 122, schamie 117, seie 173, flo 33; pl. 2. fareþ 379, lateþ 372 (3), lusteþ 372. Past of Strong Verbs: I a. s. 3. aȝaf 95, ȝaf 55, 105, iseȝ 29, ouerseȝ 30, quaþ 143, 145, sat 15, 101, spac 274, 288; pl. 3. seten ON 1102; subj. s. 3. iseȝe 303: I b. s. 3. com 361; pl. 3. bicome 434: I c. s. 3. bigon 13, song 20 (4), sval 7, warp 45; subj. s. 3. wrþe 278: II. s. 3. abod 41: III. s. 3. atschet 44: IV. s. 3. stod 25: V. s. 3. athold 270, bihold 30, hold 100, let 8; pl. 3. holde 12; subj. s. 1. holde 51. Participles past: I a. awreke 198, bispeke 381, underȝete 124: I b. ibore 334: I c. ibolwe 101, ibred 367 (breden), isuolȝe 102, iþrunge 38, tosvolle 101: II. itoȝen 368: II, III. vnwroȝen 118: III. ishote 23: IV. ifare 278: V. bigrowe 27, bihote 388, iholde 366, ofdrad 387. Past of Weak Verbs: s. 1. iherde 3; 2. raddest 115 (weak form), þoȝtest 113, speddestu 125; 3. broȝte 156, hadde 102, sede 33, seide 9; pl. 3. spedde 435, ferden 432: subj. s. 3. roȝte 305. Participles past: acoled 161, aferd 288, ihert 406, iladde 276 (lǣded), ilorned 172, imeind 18, 306, ised 273, oferd 277, oftoned 190. Minor Groups: an 1 pr. s. 382; can 1 pr. s. 126, 436, con 199, kon 326, con pr. s. 415, cunne 1 pr. s. subj. 47, kunne pr. s. subj. 144, kuþe pt. s. 332, cuþe 360; þaref pr. s. 146; wot 1 pr. s. 61, wostu 2 pr. s. 334, wot pr. s. 151, ?wte 2 pr. s. subj. 318, wiste pt. s. 103, wuste pt. pl. 10, nuȝte ȝe 2 pt. pl. 394; schaltu 2 pr. s. 165, schal pr. s. 143, shal 258, shulle 1 pr. s. subj. 320, 323, sholdest 2 pt. s. 54, scholde pt. s. 371, schulde 390; mai 1 pr. s. 184, miȝt 2 pr. s. 64 (3), mist 78, mai pr. s. 141, muȝe 1 pr. pl. 138, pr. pl. subj. 62, miȝtest 2 pt. s. 192, miȝte pt. s. 42, mihte we 1 pt. pl. 392, miȝte pt. s. subj. 411; mote 1 pr. s. subj. 52; bon inf. 198, bo 146, beo 378, ?be 296, am 1 pr. s. 212, icham 126, nam 387, art 2 pr. s. 38, nart 285, is pr. s. 34, his 404, nis 162, boþ pr. pl. 75 (5), beoþ 418, bo 2 pr. s. subj. 127, pr. s. subj. 107 (4), bo 1 pr. pl. subj. 137, 2 s. imp. 197, beoþ 2 pl. imp. 378; was 1 pt. s. 1, were pt. pl. 16, pt. s. subj. 21, nere 22, weren pt. pl. subj. 76, were 305; wille 1 pr. s. 198, wilt 2 pr. s. 121, nel tu 106, wile pr. s. 170, wle 284, wulle ȝe 2 pr. pl. 373, nulleþ pr. pl. 407, wille 2 pr. s. subj. 77, pr. s. subj. 144, wile 141, wille pr. pl. subj. 222, wolde 1 pt. s. 128, nolde 115, woldest 2 pt. s. 84, wolde pt. s. 70, walde 370; don inf. 115, do 374, 1 pr. s. 245, dest 2 pr. s. 49, 237, dost 307, dostu 174, 289, deþ pr. s. 359, doþ 112, 2 pr. pl. 377, pr. pl. 113, misdoð 413, do we 1 pr. pl. subj. 424, do 2 s. imp. 431; gon inf. 170, goþ pr. pl. 221.
The adverb aiware 172, widely, OE. ǣghwǣr has added e; B-T. quotes ǣghwāre from Lye. Adverbs and prepositions in -an have -e, abute 16, bute 403, buue 164, honne 66 (heonane), soþþe 240, vorre 243, ine (innan) 266 (3), upe (uppan) 351, touore 426, witute 139, but bituxen 390: mid 18 (4) and mide 411, oft 36 and ofte 81 occur.
(2) Of J. The few divergences are briefly indicated. Nouns: eyen pl. n. 75, song s. n. 259; adjectives: vuele s. a. neut. wk. 8, iliche s. n. f. str. 235, o a. s. f. 403, non s. d. m. 168, icundere s. n. neut. 85 (unmetrical), beter s. n. m. str. 330, 331. The pronoun of the first person is often ic 245, 385; vr pl. g. 141; heo s. n. m. 23, 280, 375, 394, he s. n. f. 19, hi pl. n. 76, my s. a. m. 36, þi s. a. m. 264, þin s. d. m. 125, þine s. d. f. 383, eure s. d. m. 379; þe s. n. f. 26, þon s. d. neut. 350; þisse s. d. neut. 437, þeos s. a. f. 133; oþres s. g. 9, 11. Tellest 226, biholdeð 30, helpeð 127 are not syncopated; wenest 231, hateþ, luuyeþ 186, abit 421; wite 2 pr. s. subj. 318, unwryen pp. 118 (wrigen), vnne 1 pr. s. 382, beo inf. 198; beon pr. pl. subj. 137. Noteworthy are muchele adv. 413, ne conjunction 74, than.
[Vocabulary:] French are acorde 137, afoled 162, castel 131, certes 412, clerkes clerekes 340, 347, fals 166, gente 160, granti graunti 157 (the latter Anglo-French), grucching 301, ipeint 76, kanunes 347, maister maistre 147, 421, pes pays 373 (the former phonetic, the latter traditional spelling), plait plaid 5, 380, plaidi 140, plaiding 12, rente 410, schirme 222, possibly crei 251. Scandinavian are ilete lete 281, 358, 35, ille 299, lah(fulnesse) 384, nai 202, skentinge 324, sckile 142, þoȝ 220, wronge 152, possibly wailawai 176 and wise 54, if it means song. Noteworthy is the large number of expressive words bearing a popular stamp, such as clackes, clechest, crempe, galegale, misrempe, snepe, spale, totose, ȝollest, ȝoȝelinge.