1.
hrōf rōf roof
1. initial h disappeared in ME.
2. Then under GVS /o:/ - /u:/. The sound /u:/ is represented by double o
2. stän /sta:n/ stoon /sto:n/ (except for North) stone
1. Rounding – a long /a:/ changed into long /o:/. Long o: is represented by double o.
2. Under GVS o: -> ou. E at the end was added to show the length.
3. bindan binden /bi:nden/ bind
1. In ME occurred a quantative change. A vowel became long before a sonorant and a plosive (nd).
Being unstressed syllable, /-an/ became /-en/with the schwa sound.
2. Under GVS /i:/ > /ai/. the modification in pronunciation of words wasn’t reflected in a written
form so this sound is represented by letter i
4. lædan leden lead
1. a more open ae changed into /e/ (it grew somewhat narrower).
2. Under GVS it changes into /i:/ and represented by ea.
5. Eald - ald - old
1. Ea - a (loss of OE diphthongs), Lengthening of a before ld, Long a into long o
2. GVS long o into eu
6. wrītan writen write
7. Being unstressed syllable, /-an/ became /-en/with the schwa sound.
8. Under GVS /i:/ > /ai/. The final neutral syllable is dropped.
7. wrāt wroot wrote (with the suffixes –an, -on, -en different only in the vowel component
became homonymous in middle English: written – wrōt – written)
1. Rounding – a long /a:/ changed into long /o:/. Long o: is represented by double o.
2. Under GVS /o:/ > /ou/ and e was added to show the length. + loss of diphthongs.
8. hūs hous house
1. ME is characterized by wide use of digraphs. Digraph [ou] is borrowed from French to indicate
long ū [u:]
2. Under GVS /u:/ > /au/
9. mýs mis mice (u: > aʊ)
1. The sound /y/ changed into /i:/ in East Midlands
2. Under GVS /i:/ > /ai/. Final e was added to show the length.
10. Gan (long) -gon(e) (long) - gone
1. Long a into long o, length shown by e
2. In Am E we have long o, in BrE short, difference in dialects
11. cū cu cow (ū > aʊ)
1. In ME it stays like this.
2. In MoE under great vowel shift ū > aʊ
12. Lician - liken - like
1. C - K french tradition (вроде в этом причина), Reduction of ending - loss of ending
2. E - shows the length of i
GVS long i into ai
13. ētan eten eat (Ē > iː)
1. In ME the ending an was reduced and the vowel a was replaced by neutral e.
2. In MoE under great vowel shift Ē > iː and since the modification in pronunciation of words
wasn’t reflected in a written form, the diagraph ea was introduced to show the sound /i:/.
The final unstressed e was dropped.
14. swēte swete sweet (ẹ̄ > iː)
1. Unstressed vowel at the end reduced to schwa
2. In MoE The final unstressed e was dropped. Under GVS ẹ̄ > iː
15. bān boon bone (Qualitative changes in the vowel system, long [ā] goes into open
labialized [ǭ]. The transition resulted in two oo: [ǭ] open, developed from [ā], and [ō] closed,
continuing Old English [ō])
1. Long a: becomes long o: . Long o: is represented by double o.
2. Under GVS o: -> ou. E at the end was added to show the length.
16. mācian maken make (c>k)
1. The unstressed syllable was reduced to neutral e sound. The length isn’t indicated in writing
because in ME the length of the vowel often inferred from the nature of the syllable (in this
case, the vowel is long because of the plosive plus sonorant.
2. Under GVS a: > ei
17. fōt foot foot
1. long o remained the same in ME and was represented by double o.
2. Under GVS o: > u:
18. Fet (long) - feet – feet
1. Ee - shows the length of e
2. GVS - long e into long i
19. niht night night ()
1. Pronunciation remains, but /x/ is now indicated by a diagraph /gh/
2. /x/ is vocalized and becomes /ai/
20. cealf calf calf (ea>a)
1. Loss of diphthongs the short [ea] and became [a] in ME.
2. Since L was followed by f it turned into long a and was lost in pronunciation.
21. Cild child / child
1. Palatalization – /k’/ changes into /t∫/. The spelling – French scribal tradition. Short
vowels are lengthened before two homorganic consonants so /i:/ / t∫I:ld/
2. Under GVS /i:/ > /ai/
22. Cildru -childran – children
1. Palaralisation kj - ʧ. Ch - new french way to indicate ʧ
Lengthening of short vowels before ld, nd, mb but! Ld, nd, mb + consonant - no lengthening
2. -an - analogy with pl. Of N-stem - reduction of endings -en
23. Ūre oure our
1. The pronunciation remains, the spelling is represented by French scribal tradition. The final e is
reduced but still written
2. Vocalisation of r appeared > threephthong /aʊə/
24. Cuman comen come
1. The unstressed syllable was reduced to neutral e sound. O stands for u (the pronunciation
doesn’t change) because the letter o was employed to indicate a short /u/.
2. Short u lost its labial character and became / ʌ /
25. Nama name /na:m (e) name
1. Lengthening of a in the open stressed syllable. The final unstressed sound
was reduced to schwa.
2. Under GVS /a:/ > /ei/
26. Snāw snow snow
1. Long a changes to long o.
2. Vocalisation of w brought about a diphthong with u-glide.
27. Lufu love love
1. A neutral u was reduced to neutral e schwa sound. The writing changed - O stands for u (the
pronunciation didn’t change)
2. Short u changed into a (was unrounded) in pronunciation.
28. Tima - time (long i) – time
1. Lengthening of the vowels a,e,o in the open stressed syllable, but sometimes (seldom) this
happened with i and u; E - reduction of ending + shows the length of i
2. Great Vowel Shift (GVS) - i – ai
29. Sēcan seken seek
1. The unstressed syllable was reduced to neutral e sound. The length isn’t indicated in writing
because in ME the length of the vowel often inferred from the nature of the syllable (in this
case, the vowel is long because of the plosive plus sonorant.
2. Under GVS /e:/ > /i:/
30. Bōc book book
1. long o remained the same in ME and was represented by double o. c > k because of French
2. Under GVS /o:/ > /u:/ and later in early MoE it changes into short u (because of k sound)
31. Mōna mone moon
1. Unstressed a is reduced to neutral e. Long u remained but isn’t indicated in writing.
2. Under GVS /o:/ > /u:/ , diagraph is introduced
32. Mete mete / me:t (e)--> meat
1. Unstressed e is reduced to neutral e. The sound /e/ is lengthened in an open stressed syllable
2. Under GVS /e:/ > /i:/ and is represented by a diagraph according to the nature of the vowel in
ME (a more open one)
33. Mētan meten meet
1. An > en (schwa). The length isn’t indicated in writing because in ME the length of the vowel
often inferred from the nature of the syllable (in this case, the vowel is long because of the
plosive plus sonorant).
2. Under GVS /e:/ > /i:/ and is represented by a diagraph according to the nature of the vowel in
ME (a more close one)
34. Sunne sonne sun
1. E > schwa sound. Spelling changed only (because of convenience), but the sound /u/ remained.
2. Short u changed into a (was unrounded) in pronunciation. The final e was
dropped
35. Hlystan listen listen
3. Loss of consonant h at the beginning of a word. The sound /y/ changed into /i/
4. The letter t was dropped in medial consonant cluster between /s/ and /e/
Ou ie ch French
