Phonetic conditions
| Change illustrated
| Examples
|
|
|
| OE
| ME
| NE
|
Before homorganic
consonant
sequences:
| Vowels become long
| cild
| child [tsi:ld]
| child
|
sonorant plus plosive
|
| findan
| finden [fi:ndən]
| .find
|
(Id, nd, mb)
|
| climban
| climben ['кli:mbən]
| climb
|
|
| cold
| cold ['ko:ldJ
| cold
|
|
| feld
| field [fe:ld]
| field
|
|
| fundon
| founden ['fu:ndən]
| found (Past of find)
|
|
| gold
| gold [go:ld]
| gold
|
Before other
| Vowels be-
| fiftfs
| fifty ['fifti]
| fifty
|
consonant
| come short
| fedde
| fedde ['feddə]
| fed
|
sequences
|
| mette
| mette ['mettə]
| met
|
|
| wisdom
| wisdom ['wizdəm]
| wisdom
|
In open syllables
| Vowels be-
| mete
| mete ['me:tə]
| meat
|
| come long and more open
| stelan
| stelen ['ste:lən]
| steal
|
|
| macian
| maken ['ma:kən]
| make
|
|
| talu
| tale [tа:1ə]
| tale
|
|
| nosu
| nose ['no:zə]
| nose
|
|
| stolen
| stolen ['sto:lən]
| stolen
|
|
| yfel
| yvel, evel [i:vəl] [e:vəl]
| evil
|
|
| duru
| doore ['do:rə]
| door
|
Development of OE [y] and [y:] in ME dialects
OE
| ME
| | NE
|
fyllan
| Kentish
| fellen ['fellən]
| fill
|
| West Midland and South Western
| fullen ['fyllən, fullən]
|
| East Midland and Northern
| Fillen [‘fillən]
|
mýs
| Kentish
| Mees [me:s]
| mice
|
| West Midland and South Western
| mus, muis [my:s, mu:s]
|
| East Midland and Northern
| mis, mice [mi:s]
|
| | | | |
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OE
| ME
| | NE
|
stān
| Northern
| stan(e) [sta:nə]
| stone
|
other fialects
| stoon, stone [sto:n]
|
ald
| Northern
| ald [a:ld]
| old
|
other dialects
| old [o:ld]
|
Development of Old English [æ, ǽ] in Middle English
OE →ME
| OE
| ME
| NE
|
æ→a
| þǽt
| that [θat]
| that
|
| earm
| arm [arm]
| arm
|
| blacu
| blak [blak]
| black
|
æ:→ε:
| strǽt
| street [strε:t]
| street
|
Splitting of OE [a:] in Middle English
OE
| ME
| | NE
|
lond, land
| West Midlands
| lond
| land
|
| other dialects
| land
|
|
Lon3, lan3
| West Midlands
| long
| long
|
| other dialects
| lang
|
|
Development of Old English Diphthongs in Early Middle English
Change illustrated
|
| Examples
|
|
OE
| ME
| OE
| ME
| NE
|
ea:
æ:
| ε:
ε:
| ēast
rēad
strǽt
| eest [ε:st]
reed [rε:d]
street [strε:t]
| east
red
street
|
eo:
e:
| e:
e:
| dēop
cēosan
hē
| deep [de:p]
chesen ['tЅe:zən]
he [he:]
| deep
choose
he
|
ie:
i:
e:
| i:
e:
i:
e:
| līehtan
hīeran
rīsan
cēpan
| lighten ['li:x'ten]
heren [‘he:rən]
risen [‘ri:zən]
kepen [‘ke:pən]
| lighten hear
rise
keep
|
ea
æ
| a
a
| earm
bæc
| arm [arm]
back [bak]
| arm
back
|
eo
e
| e
e
| heorte
bedd
| herte ['herte]
bed [bed]
| heart
bed
|
ie
i
e
| i
e
i
e
| nieht, niht hierde, hyrde hit
(see bedd above)
| night [nix't]
herd [herd]
it [it]
| night 'shepherd*
it
|
Growth of New Diphthongs in Middle English
Change
| illustrated
|
| Examples
|
|
OE
| ME
| OE
| ME
| NE
|
e+j
| ei
| we3
| wey [wei]
| way
|
e:+j
| ei
| Згē3
| grey [grei]
| greу
|
æ+j
| ai
| mæ3
| may [mai]
| may
|
a+ γ
| au
| 1а3и
| lawe ['1аuə]
| law
|
o+γ.
| ou
| bо3а
| bowe I'bouə]
| bow
|
a:+w
a: +x
| ou
| cnāwan
| knowen ['кnоuən]
| know
|
au+x
| brāhte
| braughte ['brauxte]
| brought
|
Middle English Vowels
| Monophthongs
|
|
| Diphthongs
|
Short
| i e a
| o
| u
| ei ai oi au
|
Long
| i: e: ε: a: o:
| o:
| u:
| au ou
|
The Great Vowel Shift
Change illustrated
| Examples
|
|
ME(intermediatestage)NE
| ME
| NE
|
i: ai
| time [ti:mə]
ftnden [‘findən]
| time
find
|
e: i:
| kepen l'ke:pən]
| keep
|
| field [‘fe:ld]
| field
|
ε: e: i:
| street [strε:t]
| street
|
| east [ε:st]
| east
|
| stelen ['stε:lən]
| steal
|
a: ei
| maken ['mа:kən]
| make
|
| table ['ta:blə]
| table
|
э: о: ou
| stone ['sto:n]
| stone
|
| open 1'o:рən]
| open
|
| soo [so:]
| so
|
о: u:
| moon [mo:n]
| moon
|
| goos [go:s]
| goose
|
u: au
| mous [mu:s]
| mouse
|
| founden ['fu.ndən]
| found
|
| now [nu:]
| now
|
au o:
| cause ['kauzə]
| cause
|
| drawen ['drauən]
| draw
|
Vocalisation of г and Associated Vowel Changes
Change illustrated
|
| Example
|
|
| ME
| NE
| ME
| NE
|
After short
| o + r
| o:
| for [for]
| for
|
vowels
|
|
| thorn [torn]
| thorn
|
| a+r
| a:
| bar [bar]
dark [dark]
| bar
dark
|
| i + r
e + r }
u + r
|
| first [first]
| first
|
| ə:
| serven ['servant]
| serve
|
|
| fur [fur]
| fur
|
| ə + г
| ə
| brother ['broðər]
| brother
|
After long vowels
| i+r
| aiə
| shire ['Ѕi:ra]
| shire
|
| e: + r
| iə
| beer [be:r]
| beer
|
| ε: + r
| iə
| ere ['e:r(ə)]
| ear
|
| ε: + r
| εə
| there ['θεr(ə)]
beren ['bеrən]
| there
bear
|
| a:+ r
| εə
| hare ['ha:rə]
| hare
|
| o: + r
| oə/o:
| floor [flo:r]
| floor
|
| o:+ г
| uə
| moor [mo:r]
| moor
|
| u:+r
| аuə
| flour [flu:r]
| flower
|
Principal Quantitative Vowel Changes
| Early ME
| Early NE
|
Lengthening
| before l d, nd, mb in open syllables
| before ss, st, nt, ft
|
Shortening
| before other consonant clusters
| before [θ, d, t, k]
|
Development of Sibilants and Affricates in Early Middle English
Change illustrated
|
| Examples
|
|
OE
| ME
| OE
| ME
| NE
|
k'
g’
sk’
| tS
d3
S
| cild
tǽcan
ecse
brycge
fisc
sceap
| child [tSi:ld]
techen [tε:tSən] edge ['ed3ə]
bridge ['brid3ə]
fish [fiS]
sheep [Sε:р|
| child
teach
edge
bridge
fish
sheep
|
Development of Sibilants and Affricates in Early New English