Middle English Alphabet

The Middle English Alphabet resembled the Old English Alphabet but some changes were introduced:

· th replaced ð/þ/Đ/đ;

· æ, œ disappeared;

· digraphs(2 letters = one sound) appeared (came from French): th for [q] and [ð];

tch/chfor [t∫]; sch/ssh/shfor [∫]; dgfor [dζ]; whreplace hw but was pronounced still as [hw]!;

ghfor [h]; qufor [kw]; ow/oufor [u:] and [ou]; iefor [e:].

Rules of Reading:

They resemble the modern rules, with several exceptions though:

1.Double vowels stood for long sounds, e.g. oo = [o:]; ee = [e:].

2.g = [dζ]

c = [s] before front vowels ( [i, e] ).

=[k] in all other cases

g = [g]

c = [k] before back vowels ( [a, o, u] ).

3.y = [j] – at the beginning of the word;

=[i] – in the cases when i stood close together with r, n, m and could be confused with one of these letters or could be lost among them, it was replaced with y, sometimes also for decorative purpose.(e.g. nyne [‘ni:nə], very [‘veri]).

4.th = [ð]

s = [z] between vowels.

5.o = [o] – in most cases;

=[u] – in the words that have [Λ] sound in Modern English (e.g. some, love), close to n,m,v

6.j = [dζ]

Beowulf.

Heroic epic (7/8th).The oldest poem in Germanic literature. It’s the story of the youth and age of a hero. Built up of several songs arranged in 3 chapters.Based on old legends about the tribal life of the ancient teutons language – Late West Saxon. It is written in the alliterative verse. It was meant to be heard rather than read

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