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Middle English:Morphology & Syntax

History of the English LanguageH. Littlefield, Ph.D.

Middle English Morphosyntax(Inflection, Lexical Categories)

ME Inflection of Nouns

OESingularPlural(Dual)

OENominativeAccusativeDativeGenitive

Number Case

GenderOEMasculineFeminineNeuter

OEStrongWeakMutated

Classes of Nouns

––> ME

Non-Genitive

Genitive

––> ME

LOST

––> ME

LOST

––> MESingularPlural

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ME Noun Declensions

OE(strong, masc)

namen, names

names

name

ME

‘name’‘stone’

Case

namumstanumD

namenastanaG

naman

stones

stanasN/APlural

namanstonesstanesG

namanstaneD

namanstanA

nama

ston

stanNSingular

OE(weak, masc)ME

ME Inflection of Adjectives

OESingularPlural(Dual)

OENominativeAccusativeDativeGenitive

Number Case

GenderOEMasculineFeminineNeuter

Lost in ME except:

Strong / Weak

blindeblindePlblindeblindSgWeakStrong

––> ME

LOST

––> ME

LOST

––> ME

LOST

ME Inflection of Adjectives

OE ––> ME-ra -re, -er

OE ––> MEgo#d goodbetera beterbetst best

Comparative Irregular forms

SuperlativeOE ––> ME-ost(a)-est(a) -est-st(a)

OE ––> MEswettermore swetemore swetter

‘more’/ ‘most’

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ME Determiners

fla #s, this, the #seflo #(s), thos(e)

demonstratives

flis, fles, fle #os, this

‘this’

definite

Plural

flæt, thatse, se #o, the

Singular

‘that’‘the’

ME Declension of Personal Pronouns

his

hit, it, him

hit, it

3rd (Neut)

her(e), their(e), flair, heore, hore, flar, heres,theires…

hem, hem, heom, them, thaim, theim, ham,flaim, flam…

he, hi(e), hi#, ho, flai, flei, they, thai…

hir(e), heore,her(e), hires…

hi#, hir(e), her(e),

hure, heore…

she#, ho#, hyo#, hye#,hi#, sho#, cho#, he#,heo, sche, Zho…

3rd (Fem)

Zou, eu, you,

Ziu…u#s, usA

Ze, ye #…we#, weN

Case

Zur(e), your(e),

youres…ure, our(e),

ouresG

Plural

hisfli #, fli#n(e),

thi #n(e)…mi#, mi,

min(e)G

him, hinefle#, thee…me#, meA

he, he #flu#, thou…ich, I, ikN

Singular

3rd (Masc)2nd1st

ME Use of 2nd Person SingularExcerpt from Orm’s Dedication Page (early 13th century)

1. Nu broflerr wallter.

2. …Icc hafe don swasumm flu badd & for fledd te flin wille.

3. Icc hafe wennd innttill ennglissh Goddspelles hallhe lare.

Now brother Walter.

… I have done as you bade and performed your will.

I have turned into English Gospel’s holy teaching.

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ME Use of 2nd Person PluralExcerpt from Richard Cely’s letter to his family (1497)

1. I grete you wyll I late you wit of seche tydyng as I here

2. Thomas belhom hatth a letter from caleys the weche ys of a batell…

I greet you while I let you know of such tidings as I hear.

Thomas Belhom hath a letter from Calais the which is of a battle…

ME Use of 2nd Person PluralExcerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c. 1375)

1. ‘God moroun, Sir Gawayn,’ sayde flat gay lady,

2. ‘Ze ar a sleper unslyZe, flat mon may slyde hider;

3. I schal bynde yow in your bedde, flat be Ze trayst.’

4. ‘Goud moroun, gay,’ quofl Gawayn fle blyfle,

5. Me schal worfle at your wille, and flat me wel lykez,

Good morning, Sir Gawain, said that gay lady.

‘You are an unwary sleeper, that man may slide hither;

I shall bind you in your bed, that be you trust [= you be certain of that].’

‘Good morning, gay,’ quoth the blithe Gawain,

Me shall worthy at your will, and that me well likes,

ME Use of 2nd Person PluralExcerpt from Margaret Paston’s letter to her new husband (15th century)

1. Ryth reverent and worscheful husbond,

2. I recomaude me to yow,

3. Desyryng hertyly to here of yowre wylfare,

4. Thankyng yow for the tokyn that ye sent me…

Right reverent and worshipful husband,

I recommend myself to you,

Desiring heartily to hear of your welfare,

Thanking you for the token that you sent me…

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ME Interrogative Pronouns

whichDat

why, whi, why #, whi #Inst

whos, who #sGen

whom, who #mAccwhat

who, who #Nom

NeuterMasc/Fem

ME Inflection of Verbs

OEFirstSecondThird

OEIndicativeSubjunctiveImperative

Person Mood

NumberOESingularPlural(Dual)

OEPastPresent

Tense

––> MEFirstSecondThird

––> MESingularPlural

––> MEIndicativeSubjunctiveImperative

––> MEPastPresent

ME Inflection of Verbs: Classes

Weak Strong Other

Dental suffix

Two classes-ed(e)-de, -te

Suppletion

Seven classes(Some vowel shift)

Irregular

High frequencyverbs

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ME Verbs: Present tense

(y)hopende,(y)hoping(e),(y)hopinde

hopafl, hopes

hope

hope(n)

hope

hopafl, hopes, hopen

hopefl, hopes

hopest

hope

hop(en)‘to hope’

Weak

Present

Participle

Imper

SubjIndicative

Infinitive

2 Pl

2 Sg

Pl

Sg

Pl

3 Sg

2 Sg

1 Sg

(y)drinkende,(y)drinking(e),(y)drinkinde

drinkafl, drinkes

drink

drinke(n)

drinke

drinkafl, drinkes, drinken

drinkefl, drinkes

drinkest

drinke

drink(en)‘to drink’

Strong

ME Verbs: Past tense

(y)hoped

hoped(e)(n)

hoped(e)

hoped(en)

hoped(est)

hoped(e)

hop(en)‘to hope’

Weak

Past

Participle

SubjIndicative

Infinitive

Pl

Sg

Pl

2 Sg

1, 3 Sg

drunken, (y)dronke(n)

drank, dronke(n)

drank, dronke

drank, dronke(n)

drank, dronk(e)

drank

drink(en)‘to drink’

Strong

ME Other Verbs: Present tense

willende

willafl

wille

wile(n)

wile

wilen

wil(le)

wilt

wil(le)

willan‘to want to’

ga #nde

ga #fl, go #fl

ga #, go#

go#(n), ga #(n)

go#, ga #

go#(fl)

go#fl

go#st

go#

go#n, ga #n‘to go, walk’

do#inge

do#fl, do#(s)

do#

do#(n)

do#

do#fl, do#(n)

do#fl, do#s

do#st

do#

do#(n)‘to do’

Present

Participle

Imper

SubjIndicative

Infinitive

2 Pl

2 Sg

Pl

Sg

Pl

3 Sg

2 Sg

1 Sg

be #and(e), be #ing

be #s

be #

be #

be #

a #r(e)(n)

es, is, ys

art

am

be #(n)‘to be’

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ME Other Verbs: Past tense

wold

wold(en)

wold(e)

wolden

woldest

wolde

willan‘to want to’

(y)be #(n)

we #r(e), wa #r(e)

we #r(e), wa #r(e)

we #r(e), wa #r

we #re, wo #re, was

was

be #(n)‘to be’

(y)go#n

went(en)

went(e)

went(on)

went(est)

went(e)

ga #n‘to go, walk’

Past

Participle

SubjIndicative

Infinitive

Pl

Sg

Pl

2 Sg

1, 3 Sg

(y)do#n

dide(n)

dide

did(on)

dide(st)

dide

do#(n)‘to do’

ME Uninflected CategoriesPrepositions Conjunctions

Same as OEmid ––> with

Compoundabove out ofnext to unto

Functional shiftalong (OE Adj)below (OE Adv)

Borrowedaround sansduring maugre

Same as OE

Middle English Syntax(Word order)

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He takez hys leve

Thus taughte me my dame

Nu flenne biseche ich fle

I hym folwed

ME Word Order: Sentences

SVO

VSO

SOV

VOS

He takes his leave

Now then beseech I thee

I him followed

Thus taught me my dam (mother)

More than one modifier

in contrayez straunge

an erflely servant

ME Word Order: Nouns

meny cites and touns fairenoble and rychemany cities and towns fair, noble,and rich

thise floryns newe andbrightethese florins new and bright

thy gilte tresses clerethy golden tresses clear

Adj N

N Adj

thise riotoures thre

gret heuy rente

an earthly servant

in countries strange

these rioters three

great heavy rent

P NP

NP P

ME Word Order: Adpositions

fle blisse of paradiisthe bliss of paradise

A gret route of huntesA great rout (group) of hunters

flatt enngell comm annd stod hemm bithat angel came and stood him by

he seyd him tohe said him to

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ME Word Order: Verb Phrases

ne, na + verbHe shal nat been ashamed to lerne hemHe shall not be ashamed to learn them

I nolde fange a ferthyngeI not+would take a farthing

verb + ne, namy wyfe rose nottmy wife rose not

cry not socry not so

Negation

ME Word Order: Verb Phrases

Multiple Negation

He ne held it noghtHe no held it not

Ne wæren nævre nan martyrs swa pinedNo were never no martyrs so tortured

He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde / In al his lyf…He never yet no villainy not said / in all his life…

Negation

ME Word Order: Verb Phrases

Impersonal verbs

Hit fle likede wel flat flu us adun læidestIt thee liked well that thou us down laid‘It pleased you well that you laid us down’

Me dremyd…flat I was ledd to durhamI dreamed…that I was led to Durham

Me thirsted sare, drinc yee me broghtI thirsted very, drink you me brought‘I was very thirsty, you brought me drink’

Dummy “it”

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ME Word Order: Verb Phrases

Dummy ‘do’

He did carye grete quantitee of Armur to the GuyldehalleHe did carry a great quantity of armor to the guildhall

Fader, why do ye wepe?Father, why do you weep?

my maister dyd not graunt it.My master did not grant it.

Auxiliary Verbs

ME Word Order: Verb Phrases

Will, shall, may, have, be…

And swiche wolle have the kyngdom of helleAnd such will have the kingdom of hell

We han ben waitynge all this fourtenyghtWe have been waiting all this fortnight

flat y mowe riche beThat I may rich be

Auxiliary Verbs

ME Word Order: Interrogatives

Same as OEGaf ye the chyld any thyng?Gave you the child anything?

Same as OEWho herd euer of swich a thyng?Who heard ever of such a thing?

What is bettre than a goodwomman?

Yes-NoVerb Subject Object

WH-QuestionsWH Verb Subject Object

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