[Phonology:] (1) of the Lambeth MS. Oral a is a, baþien 245, faren 176; a before nasals is normally o, mon 22, þonc 71, but a in manke 70, þanke 241, and þenne, þene, þen, wenne are the usual spellings, with occasional þanne 18, 160; a before lengthening groups is o, honde 81, ifonded 147; ent 159 is Anglian end. æ is mostly e, brec 183, et 92, feder 148, efþ 171 (hæfð), hwet 92 &c., weter 248, but a in bað 218, fader 186, 195, habbe 3, 5, hwat 90, water 142, 194, 240. e is e, beren 95, ende 179, strengþe 168, but sullic 181 (syllic; comp. seollic L 18035), ni 77, meind 142 (mengde). i is i, biden 125, binden 216, child 148; after w it is u in wule 34, 39, 155, wulleð 97, 226, uuel 123 (= nule), nute 236, nusten 102, 225. It is e in þerdde 138, u in ofsprung 207; boð 120 is miswritten for bið. o is o, bifore 16, borde 260, but after w, a, walde 49, nalde 185, 261; cumen 202 is c(w)omon. The prep. on is mostly a, sometimes an; u is u, cumeð 234, funde 68, but come 124, 221, iwoned 57 in contact with m, n, w. y is mostly u, abuȝeð 195, cunne 202, duden 265, sunne 201, swuch 80, þunchen 62; before lengthening groups, sungede 258, but i in afirst 37, hwice 136, lifte 83, ofþinchþ 130 (5), swich 80 (3), and e in dede 2, vnnet 5: king 50, drihten 80, drihte 110 are the only forms of these words.
ā is normally a, an 26, are 179, hwam 202, þa 190; before consonant groups, are 207, hattre 247, but it is o in hom 95, hwon 105, þo 53, wori 142, e through loss of stress in se 80 &c., þe 169. ǣ1 is e, eni 53, er 11, þen 71, ech 32, efre 68, ledden 209, but a in anige 269, þan 74: uches 90 descends from ylc. ǣ2 is always e, adrede 6, brede 143, lende 122, uniselðe 198. ē is always e; ī, i; ō, o, but e in te 108: na 134 is Anglian nā. ū is always u. ȳ is normally u, cudde 191, fur 76, hud 77, lutel 46, but litel 28, hwi 104.
ea before r + cons. is regularly e, erȝe 17, þerf 43; before lengthening groups, erninge 64, herde 157, 169, wernin 228, but arme 227, warni 226: the i-umlaut is represented by derne 78, smirte 114. ea before l + cons. is once ea, bifealt 7; normally a (Anglian absence of breaking), al 7 &c., salt 248, ald 4, -fald 54, 247, waldeð 84, but welde 2, welden 55 (by confusion with gewieldan): the i-umlaut is seen in elde 14, 15, eldre 192, helde 197, but alder 1. eo before r + cons. is mostly e, herte 74, werke 27 (9), but horte 113; before length. groups it is o in ȝorne 49, horþe 75, orðe 81, orðliche 153. The wur group is represented by wurð 140; the i-umlaut by wurs 236, wurst 217, 219: bernd 249, berninde 218, bernunde 245 come from bærnan. eo before l + cons. is written o [ö], solf 12 (13), but u in sulf 214 (LWS. sylf). ea, u-umlaut of a is represented by kare 45. eo, u-umlaut of e is o, houene 25 (7), world 153, 222, but e in heuenriche 42, 63, and by influence of w, u in suster 148, 185: eo, å-umlaut of e is written o [ö], brokeð 91, fole 9 (4), unfrome 226, but is e in fele 70, 166, wele 222. eo, umlaut of i is written o [ö], binoþen 87, hore 101, solure 264, souene 26, soððen 9, 117, but is e in biclepie 107, iclepede 104, seue 140; u in suððen 205, hure 141. The palatal diphthong ea is a in scal 24, 35, schal 19, -gate 180; e in scefte 84, ȝere 110; sceamian is skamie 163, 165, sceomu, scome 166. ie after g is regularly e (Anglian), ȝeuen 64, 261, ȝefð 144, ȝeue 45, 74, ȝelde 45, forȝeten 34, 98, but i in giue 56; after č, e, chele 197, 233 (without umlaut); after sc, i, scilde 220. eo after g is u in ȝung 4, 10; after sc, u, sculen 20 (8), sculde 118, 263, sculden 60, 265, but o once in solde 51. eom is em 1, 4, heom, hom 18 &c.
ēa is ea in deaþe 182, uneade 181, otherwise e, brede 189, chep 68, deðe 115, uneðe 189: lan 64 is Scandinavian. The i-umlaut is e, alesed 134, iheren 262, ileuen 255. ēo is eo in beoð 17, beo 29, freonde 220, seon 16, otherwise regularly o, bon 2 (5), bo 134 (10), boð 26 &c., dore 143, doule 97 (5), frond 30 (4), son 158, þoue 43, but e in lef 252, sec 199, tening 253: bið 233 is due to confusion with the singular. The i-umlaut is represented by dore 144, 184, fond 219, frond 220, node 261, þostre 78, but once þestre 76. gīet is ȝet 5; gēar, ȝer 140. ō after sc is seen in scop 84.
a + g is aȝ, draȝen 47, 49, laȝe 170: ah 14, 119, ach 58 is Anglian ah. æ + g is ei, dei 134, mei 14, seið 114, 133. e + g is eȝ in weȝes 72, ei in eie 18, weien 63: ongegn is aȝein 76; e + h is seen in hechte 268; i + h in iwichte 212; o + g in unwron 160 (unwrogen); o + h in bohte 184, unbocht 59; u + g in fuȝeles 83, luȝen 159, muȝe 21, wruȝen 160; y + g in abuh 144 (abygþ). ā + g produces aȝ, aȝen 30 (5), maȝe 29, but ahen 161: ā + h is seen in ahte 2, achten 129. ǣ1 + g is ei in eiðer 62, seiden 223; ǣ1 + h, eh in ehte 259, echte 42 (3), but ach in tachte 268. ǣ2 + g gives eȝ in iseȝen 98, 102, but ei in mei 29, 185. ē + g is seen in forwreien 97; ō + g in inoch 235; ō + h in biþocht 8, brochte 183: uwer 88 is ōwer < ōhwǣr, comp. ouhwar AR 60/25. ea + h gives mihte 13, michte 16, 52, mahte 222, isech 261; the i-umlaut is represented in nihte 78: eo + h, brichte 75, rihte 109; its i-umlaut is represented in ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90. ēa + g is eȝ in eȝen 75; ēa + h gives þah 4, þach 102, 222, þech 181; ēo + h, lihte 76, lihtliche 145. ā + w is au in cnauð 146, knauð 110, saule 136, 245, naut 48, 212; aw in nawiht 150, 249 (but noht 190, nocht 132 are from nōwiht); auw in iknauwen 161; otherwise aw, blaweð 136, mawen 20. ēa + w is aw in scaweð 135. ēo + w is ou in ou 50; ow in ow 228, rowen 19, sowen 20, eow in eow 25: its i-umlaut is represented in untrownesse 265.
In syllables without stress a is levelled to e, abuten 267, bihinden, binoþen 87, biforen 25, sone 38, but biforan 63; o to e, atter 142, siker 41, swikele 251. e is added in areles 216 (ārlēas), ofte 57. The prefix ge is i, ilome 47, iswinc 36, itit 125.
For sw, su is written once in suilch 120; qu is the regular equivalent of cw, iquemen 95, quike 79. An l is lost in ful 6, 145, fulenden 243: gg is written for ng in biginnigge 119. Initial f is once u in uersc 248: f between vowels or vowel and voiced consonant is generally u, buuen 87, eure 86, iuere 229, solure 264, uuel 251, but f in ufel 59, 93, ufele 17, ifere 102; frure 232 is probably frōfre. In heste 242 t is added, but hese 91: ts is c in milce 72. d is lost in leden 93 and added in ordlinghes 103: t is written for d in ent 159, fordemet 270, idemet 106, 171, maket 230, undret 208, 247. þ is lost in abuh 144, ouersich 75; written for d in hefð 147; for it th is written in with 216, t in etlete 148, 153, 257, hauet 65, ofþinchet 10, seit 133, þunchet 233, d in cud 159 (but kuðe 9), uneade 181, h in þench 33, wih 220, c in eclete 74: it is assimilated in attere 127, at ta 156. sc [š] is sc in scal 24, scameþ 165, scilde 220, sch in schal 19, s in bisunien 152, ss in fisses 83 and notably sk in skamie 163. č is generally ch, chele 197, child 3, ich 1, but drunke 258, smike 16; c [k] is palatalized in hech 232, werch 108, 116, werche 254, but werc 177; it is g in þingþ 5; ah 14, 119, 120, ach 58, 166, hi 221 (= ih) have Anglian h: čč is ch, feche 222, reche 221, rechð 133, streche 231, stuche 189, wreche 232: cg is gg, seggen 94, buggen 65, but abuȝeð 195. Palatal g is very regularly represented by ȝ, forȝeten 34, ȝeue 74, ȝere 110, but i in medierne 256 (georne), h in ahen 161 and g in anige 269: gate 180 is plural: ng is ngh in ordlinghes 103, ngg in eueningges 162: g is lost in murþe 154. The prefix ge is lost in bon 137, hud 77, meind 142, write 101. h has been added initially in hech 232, helche 89, his 72, 121, 229, honde 193, dropped in is 217, raþer 131, undret 208, 247: þ displaces h in þurþ 90. For hw, w appears in wa 114, wet 79, 94, h in hom 95. ch for h is frequent, achten 129, brochte 183, brichte 75, hechte 268, isech 261, ouersich 75, þurþsicheþ 90, &c. In soht 30, ht is written for tt.
(2) of the Trinity College MS. Oral a is a, fare 180, habben 39; a before nasals regularly a, man 20, þanc 245, þanne, þane, þan are the usual forms, but þene 343; a before lengthening groups is o, fonded 149, longe 3, but hangeð 312. æ is regularly a, after 28, almesse 28, brac 185, fader 150, water 244, but sæd 392, hweðer 240. e is e, bed 222, beren 95; before lengthening groups, bende 398, felde 348, imengd 144, strengðe 317, but ængles 94, angles 284, 355, 380. i is i, þridde 140, child 3, finde 54, but e after w in nele 336, nelle 291, nesten 229, 388, also in ofspreng 211, þese 312, þesse 328, 383, þesses 338 (ðyssum, ðysses), u after w in swunche 208, 373, as also in ofsprung 198. o is o, bode 264, borde 311, but on prep. is most frequently a, an. sorg is soreȝe 142 (4), but sareȝe 378. u is invariably u, bigunne 218, grunde 180. y is e in deden 269, 270, euel 26 (11), hlesten 230, 387, kenne 206 (4), senne 129 (7), senden 290 (syndun), steche 191, vnnet 5, unwenne 212; u in abugeð 197, abuið 146, bugge 65, dude 2, duden 96, fulle 352, furst 37, gulteð 315 (4), gult 197 (4), hulle 351, misduden 101, 194, muchel 76 (8), murie 156, murihðe 396, þunche 62, ofþunche 207 (3), sunegeden 262; i in tihte 272, þincheð 5, 10, 166, swilch 79, 399, hwilch 138, unwinne 250: king, drihten, drihte are the only forms of these words.
ā is mostly o; the exceptions are aquerne 366, bihat 368, hat 308, hatere 251, hwan 206, lac 203 (loc in corresponding line 73). ǣ1 is mostly a, ani 53, are 124, has 91, 349, hate 236, sa 83, sade 131 (LWS. sǣde), tache 305, þare 346; before two consonants, ache 235 (4), afre 86, mast 7, unhalðe 16 (4); but e in hete 199, mene 170, ðer 216, and before two consonants arerde 172, ech 23 (8); æ in ænes 185; ea in hease 296. In forgoð 358 a plural form is used for the singular. ǣ2 is mostly a, adrade 6, dade 3 (4), lache 306, misdade 132, 166, 275, rade 4, strate 235 (4), before two consonants naddren 277, ofdrad 43, 94, 288, unisalðe 200, 378, wapne 340, but e in mere 393, misdede 209 r. w. ofdrade, unsele 201, iselðe 15; æ in læte 345, and ia in þiar 165. ē is e, beten 242, demde 274, iquemd 174, but a in ache 364 (ǣce): doð 35 (8) is plural form for singular. ī is i, abiden 140, þriste 19, but syrreue 50, ȝietceres 271 (Bülbring, § 306, anm. 1). ō is o except in cam 117 (4), te 316. ū is invariably u. ȳ is e in forbet 307, here 45, kedde 193; u in cuðen 99, fure 43, 152, hudden 162, i in litel 46, 264, 331.
ea before r + cons. is, as a rule, a, arme 231, narewe 343, swarte 282, before lengthening groups mostly a, hardde 171, warnie 304, but e in erninge 64, metheschele 366; ea, æ in middeneard 140, 200, middenærd 195: the i-umlaut is represented by erminges 323, derne 77, smierte 114. ea before l + cons. is regularly a, alle 22, biualle 198, before lengthening groups mostly ea, bihealde 288, eald 4, but bihelden 392, holde 55: the i-umlaut is seen in elde 16 (5), elder 1, 326, elderne 194. eo before r + cons. is mostly e, herte 74 (3), werc 108 (10), but storre 279, hierte 113; before lengthening groups it is ie in ȝierles 324, ȝierne 49, e in erðe 75, erðeliche 155. In the wur group u is the rule, wurðe 142, wurðen 334. The i-umlaut after w gives werse 299, werest 221 (LWS. wyrsa, wyrrest): barneð 253, barnende 222, descend from bærnan; oerre 280 represents eorre. eo before l + cons. is always e, self 131 &c. eo, u-umlaut of e is e, heuene 27, wereldes 271, but o in woreldes 226, 338; the å-umlaut is represented by fele 9 (3), wele 155 (4): eo, umlaut of i is e, icleped 104, henne 400, seðen 9, seuene 28, bineþen 87, but binime 44, ȝieue 74, niþer 347, quike 78, 192, siluer 268, and after w, suster 150, 187, wude 348. ea after palatals is a in sal 21, 26, safte 84, same 168, samie 165, sameð 167, scat 367. ie after g is ie in biȝiete 105, 126, ȝielde 45, forȝiete 34 (4), ȝieuen 64 (12), forȝieue 217; after sc, c, it is i, silde 224 (5), e in chele 199, 236, bicherd 322. The conj. gif is ȝief 121, 166. eo after g gives ȝeunge 10, ȝeunger 326, jung 4, ȝieuð 377 (geogoð): eo after sc, solde 37, 267, solden 60, sulle 22, sullen 103. heom is hem; eom, am.