A Book of Middle English

by Burrow, J. A.; Turville-Petre, Thorlac

• ISBN13: 9781405117098
• ISBN10: 1405117095
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-30
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This essential Middle English textbook, now in its third edition, introduces students to the wide range of literature written in England between 1150 and 1400. New, thoroughly revised edition of this essential Middle English textbook. Introduces the language of the time, giving guidance on pronunciation, spelling, grammar, metre, vocabulary and regional dialects. Now includes extracts from 'Pearl' and Chaucer's 'Troilus and Criseyde'. Bibliographic references have been updated throughout. Each text is accompanied by detailed notes.

Author Biography

J.A. Burrow is Emeritus Professor at Bristol University. His many publications include Medieval Writers and their Work (1982) and Gestures and Looks in Medieval Narrative (2002).

Thorlac Turville-Petre is Professor of Medieval English Literature at the University of Nottingham. His previous publications include England the Nation (1996) and The Piers Plowman Electronic Archive, Vol. 2: Trinity College, Cambridge, MS B.15.19 (CD-ROM, 2000).

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	ix
Preface to the Third Edition	xi
Abbreviations	xii
PART ONE
1 Introducing Middle English	3	(6)
1.1 The Period	3	(2)
1.1.1 From Old to Middle English	3	(1)
1.1.2 From Middle to Modern English	4	(1)
1.2 Varieties of Middle English	5	(4)
1.2.1 Regional Dialects	5	(3)
1.2.2 Early and Late Middle English	8	(1)
1.2.3 Spelling	8	(1)
2 Pronouncing Middle English	9	(5)
2.1 Introduction	9	(1)
2.2 Vowels	10	(2)
2.2.1 The Long Vowels	10	(1)
2.2.2 The Short Vowels	11	(1)
2.2.3 Unstressed Final -e	11	(1)
2.2.4 The Diphthongs	12	(1)
2.3 Consonants	12	(1)
2.4 Stress	13	(1)
3 Vocabulary	14	(5)
3.1 Introduction	14	(1)
3.2 Scandinavian	14	(1)
3.3 English, French and Latin	15	(2)
3.4 Latin Loan-Words	17	(1)
3.5 French Loan-Words	18	(1)
4 Inflexions	19	(19)
4.1 Introduction	19	(1)
4.1.1 The Inflexional System	19	(1)
4.1.2 Loss of Inflexional Endings	19	(1)
4.2 Nouns	20	(4)
4.2.1 Introduction	20	(1)
4.2.2 Noun Inflexions: Earl, Southern Texts	21	(1)
4.2.3 Developments in Noun Inflexions	22	(1)
4.2.4 Genitive Singular Without Ending	23	(1)
4.2.5 Unchanged Plurals	23	(1)
4.2.6 Mutated Plurals	23	(1)
4.3 Pronouns and Articles	24	(3)
4.3.1 Forms of the Personal Pronouns	24	(1)
4.3.2 First and Second Person Pronouns	24	(1)
4.3.3 Third Person Pronouns: Masculine and Neuter Singular	25	(1)
4.3.4 Third Person Pronouns: Feminine Singular	25	(1)
4.3.5 Third Person Pronouns: Plural	26	(1)
4.3.6 The Definite Article	26	(1)
4.3.7 Demonstratives	27	(1)
4.3.8 The Indefinite Article	27	(1)
4.4 Adjectives and Adverbs	27	(3)
4.4.1 Definite and Indefinite Inflexions	27	(1)
4.4.2 Inflexions for Case	28	(1)
4.4.3 Comparison of Adjectives	29	(1)
4.4.4 Comparison of Adverbs	29	(1)
4.5 Verbs	30	(8)
4.5.1 Introduction	30	(1)
4.5.2 Present Tense	30	(2)
4.5.3 Past Tense and Past Participle	32	(1)
4.5.4 Past of Weak Verbs	32	(1)
4.5.5 The Verbs 'Have' and 'Say'	33	(1)
4.5.6 Past of Strong Verbs	34	(1)
4.5.7 Irregular Verbs	35	(1)
4.5.8 The Verb 'To Be'	36	(2)
5 Syntax	38	(18)
5.1 Gender	38	(1)
5.2 Number	38	(1)
5.3 Use of Cases	39	(2)
5.3.1 Nominative and Accusative	39	(1)
5.3.2 Genitive	39	(1)
5.3.3 Dative	40	(1)
5.4 Pronouns and Articles	41	(3)
5.4.1 Pou and Ze	41	(1)
5.4.2 Non-expression of Personal Pronouns	41	(1)
5.4.3 Man	42	(1)
5.4.4 Self	42	(1)
5.4.5 Reflexive Pronouns	42	(1)
5.4.6 Relative Pronouns	43	(1)
5.4.7 The Articles	44	(1)
5.5 Adjectives and Adverbs	44	(1)
5.5.1 Position	44	(1)
5.5.2 Comparatives and Superlatives	44	(1)
5.5.3 Adjectives as Nouns	45	(1)
5.6 Verbs	45	(1)
5.6.1 Use of Present Tense	45	(1)
5.6.2 Use of Past Tense	45	(1)
5.6.3 Auxiliaries of the Past	46	(1)
5.6.4 Auxiliaries of the Future: shall and will	46	(1)
5.6.5 The Infinitive	47	(1)
5.6.6 The Subjunctive	48	(1)
5.6.7 The Imperative	50	(1)
5.6.8 Impersonal Verbs	50	(1)
5.6.9 Verbs of Motion	51	(1)
5.6.10 The Passive	51	(1)
5.7 Negation	52	(1)
5.8 Questions	52	(1)
5.9 Word-Order
5.9.1 Inversion	53	(1)
5.9.2 The Object	54	(1)
5.9.3 Prepositions	54	(1)
5.9.4 Relative Clauses	54	(1)
5.9.5 Adverbial Phrases	54	(1)
5.9.6 Verb in Final Position	55	(1)
5.10 Recapitulation and Anticipation	55	(1)
6 Metre	56	(6)
6.1 Introduction	56	(1)
6.2 Rhymed Verse	56	(3)
6.3 Alliterative Verse	59	(2)
6.4 Lazamon's Brut	61	(1)
7 From Manuscript to Printed Text	62	(3)
8 Select Bibliography	65	(9)
8.1 Bibliographies and Indexes	65	(1)
8.2 Language Studies	65	(2)
8.3 General Studies of the Literature	67	(2)
8.4 Studies of Particular Genres	69	(1)
8.5 Historical and Social Studies	70	(4)
PART TWO: PROSE AND VERSE TEXTS
Note on Treatment of Texts	74	(1)
1 The Peterborough Chronicle 1137	75	(1)
2 The Owl and the Nightingale	81	(1)
3 La3amon: Brut	96	(1)
4 Ancrene Wisse	106	(1)
5 Sir Orfeo	112	(1)
6 The Cloud of Unknowing	132	(1)
7 William Langland: Piers Plowman	141	(1)
8 Patience	162	(1)
9 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight	182	(20)
10 Pearl	202	(19)
11 St Erkenwald	221	(14)
12 John Trevisa: Dialogue between a Lord and a Clerk	235	(8)
13 John Gower: Confessio Amantis	243	(12)
14 Lyrics	255	(17)
15 Thc York Play of the Crucifixion	272	(11)
16 Geoffrey Chaucer: The Parliament of Fowls	283	(26)
17 Geoffrey Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde	309	(18)
18 Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales	327	(29)
18a The Reeve's Tale	328	(18)
18b The Prioress's Tale	346	(10)
Textual Notes	356	(7)
Glossary	363