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Comparing Characteristics of Old and Middle English Characteristic Old English Middle English Nouns Nouns could be of three genders: masculine, feminine or neuter. These were assigned arbitrarily. Numbers could be either singular or plural. There were four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive. There were seven groups of declensions for nouns. Middle English lost the case suffixes at the ends of nouns. The generalized plural marker became -s, but it still competed with -n. Verbs The infinitive of verbs ended in -an. In the present tense, all verbs had markers for number and person. The weak past tense added –de. The strong past tense usually involved a vowel change. Old English also had many more strong verbs than modern English. The third person singular and plural was marked with -(e)th; but the singular also competed with -(e)s Adjectives Adjectives could be weak or strong. If preceded by a determiner, the weak ending was added to the adjective. If no determiner preceded the adjective, then the strong endings were used. Adjectives agreed in gender, case and number with the nouns they described. Adjectives lost agreement with the noun, but the weak ending -e still remained. Adverbs Adverbs were formed by adding -e to the adjective, or -lic. The adverb ending -lič became -ly; syntax The syntax of Old English was much more flexible than modern English because of the declensions of the nouns. Syntax was stricter and more prepositions were used. New compound tenses were used, The use of the verbs will and shall for the future tense were first used too Pronunciation Pronunciation was characterized by a predictable stress pattern on the first syllable. The length of the vowels was phonemic as there were 7 long and 7 short vowels. Pronunciation changes: o Loss of initial h in a cluster (hleapan - to leap; hnutu - hut) o [w] lost between consonant and back vowel (w is silent in two, sword, answer) o [v] lost in middle of words (heofod - head; hæfde - had) Writing system Characters Used in Old English Writing o æ (a ligature of "a" and "e) o œ (a ligature of "o" and "e.") o þ (now written "th) o ß (for the "ss" or "sz" sound) The writing system changed dramatically in Middle English: o þ and ð were replaced by th o c before i or e became ch o sc became sh o an internal h was added after g o hw became wh o cw became qu Pronouns Old English had distinctive forms for all genders, persons, and cases Old English had a set of forms for two people or two things—the dual number o ic (I) o wit (we two) o wē (we plural) The dual number disappeared in the pronouns The dative and accusative became the object forms of the pronouns. “She” started being used for the feminine singular subject pronoun “You” (plural form) was used in the singular as a status marker for the formal.

Comparing characteristics of old and middle english

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Page 1: Comparing characteristics of old and middle english

Comparing Characteristics of Old and Middle English

Characteristic Old English Middle English

Nouns

• Nouns could be of three genders: masculine, feminine or neuter. These

were assigned arbitrarily.

• Numbers could be either singular or plural.

• There were four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive.

• There were seven groups of declensions for nouns.

• Middle English lost the case suffixes at the ends of nouns.

• The generalized plural marker became -s, but it still competed with -n.

Verbs

• The infinitive of verbs ended in -an.

• In the present tense, all verbs had markers for number and person.

• The weak past tense added –de.

• The strong past tense usually involved a vowel change.

• Old English also had many more strong verbs than modern English.

• The third person singular and plural was marked with -(e)th; but the

singular also competed with -(e)s

Adjectives

• Adjectives could be weak or strong.

• If preceded by a determiner, the weak ending was added to the adjective.

• If no determiner preceded the adjective, then the strong endings were used.

• Adjectives agreed in gender, case and number with the nouns they

described.

• Adjectives lost agreement with the noun, but the weak ending -e still

remained.

Adverbs • Adverbs were formed by adding -e to the adjective, or -lic. • The adverb ending -lič became -ly;

syntax • The syntax of Old English was much more flexible than modern English

because of the declensions of the nouns.

• Syntax was stricter and more prepositions were used.

• New compound tenses were used,

• The use of the verbs will and shall for the future tense were first used too

Pronunciation

• Pronunciation was characterized by a predictable stress pattern on the first

syllable.

• The length of the vowels was phonemic as there were 7 long and 7 short

vowels.

• Pronunciation changes:

o Loss of initial h in a cluster (hleapan - to leap; hnutu - hut)

o [w] lost between consonant and back vowel (w is silent in two, sword,

answer)

o [v] lost in middle of words (heofod - head; hæfde - had)

Writing system

• Characters Used in Old English Writing

o æ (a ligature of "a" and "e)

o œ (a ligature of "o" and "e.")

o þ (now written "th)

o ß (for the "ss" or "sz" sound)

• The writing system changed dramatically in Middle English:

o þ and ð were replaced by th

o c before i or e became ch

o sc became sh

o an internal h was added after g

o hw became wh

o cw became qu

Pronouns

• Old English had distinctive forms for all genders, persons, and cases

• Old English had a set of forms for two people or two things—the dual

number

o ic (I)

o wit (we two)

o wē (we plural)

• The dual number disappeared in the pronouns

• The dative and accusative became the object forms of the pronouns.

• “She” started being used for the feminine singular subject pronoun

• “You” (plural form) was used in the singular as a status marker for the

formal.