Middle English

Introduction

Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press.

The Norman rulers spoke a dialect of Old French known as Old Norman, which developed in England into Anglo-Norman. A significant number of words of Norman origin began to appear in the English language alongside native English words of similar meaning.

The dialects of Middle English c. 1300

By this time the Northumbrian dialect spoken in south east Scotland was developing into the Scots language. The language of England as spoken after this time, up to 1650, is known as Early Modern English.

The verb

The Middle English verb has the following independent forms:

• one voice (active)
• 3 moods; indicative, subjunctive, and imperative
• 2 tenses; present and preterite
• 2 numbers and 3 persons
• verbal noun (infinitive), present participle, and verbal adjective (past participle)

Verbs are divided in two major groups according to how preterite and past participle is formed:

• weak verbs; preterite formed with a dental suffix (-de/-te)
• strong verbs; preterite formed with an ablaut.

Weak verbs

Weak verbs form the majority of Middle English verbs. In Old English there existed three classes of weak verbs, but in Middle English these fell together.

Sample verb: lernen

Weak verb, class I

More Verbs

• þanken to thank,
• asken to ask,
• clensen to ?,
• enden to end,
• lernen to learn,
• wę̄ren to defend,
• hāten to hate.

Related topics

• Irregular verbs in Germanic languages
• English
• Old English

Verblist

a winne, a-chetyn, a-green, a-lye, a-noy, a-nuyȝen, a-reade, a-say, a-sayle, a-serche, a-strangli, a-suwage, a-swage, a-swagen, abaishen, abaissen, abaisshen, abashen, abate, abaten, abit, aboumbren, abregen, abregge, abreggen, abrigen, abrigge, abriggen, abrogen, absteynen, abuggen, abusen, abyden, abyen, accepten, accorden, accounten, accreesen, achauf, achaufe, achaufen, acheken, acheten, achoken, acqueren, acresen, acrewen, acruwen, acten, adden, adighten, administren, adrede, adreden, adresce, adresse, adressen, advertisen, adweschen, afered, aferme, afermen, afferme, affermen, affraien, affrayn, affrayne, affreyne, affyrmyn, aforthen, afraien, afrainen, afraynen, afreyne, afreynen, afrounten, agasten, agen, aggre, aghen, agon, agre, agree, agreen, agryse, aiden, aishen, ake, aken, aknowen, aleden, alie, alien, aliene, alienen, alinen, allien, allye, allyen, alyen, alyene, alyon, ambill, amblen, amenusen, ameven, amolisshen, amounten, amplifien, amplifiye, amplifiyen, an, andin, andswaren, andswerien, andsweriȝen, anen, anger, angeren, angir, angre, angren, anguisen, anguisi, angur, anguyschen, angwischen, angwyshe, anhansy, anhaunse, anhaunsen, anientishen, anndswerenn, anngrenn, annoyen, annye, anoye, anoyen, ansuerie, answaren, answere, answeren, answerye, anuye, anvenymen, any, apaid, apaien, apair, apayede, apeiren, appenden, aproven, aqueynten, aredde, aredden, aren, arenn, arewen, arghen, arisen, arne, arudde, aryhen, aryse, arȝen, asailen, asay, asaye, asayn, asche, aschen, aserchen, asethe, aske, asken, aski, askien, assaie, assaien, assaile, assailen, assaille, assaillen, assay, assaye, assayen, assayle, assaylle, asse, asseith, asseth, assethen, asshe, assiethe, asskenn, assoilen, assoyle, assuage, asswage, asswagen, asterten, astonen, astranglen, astrangli, asuage, aswage, aswagen, aswagi, asythe, atamen, atasten, atbeorsten, atberen, atbersten, atbreken, atbresten, atsterten, attamen, attasten, attemen, aumblen, availen, avale, avalen, avauncen, avayle, avexen, avisen, awale, awarpe, awarpen, awen, awerpen, awinne, awinnen, awmbyl, awynne, axe, axen, axie, axien, axse, axsy, aȝeinen, aȝen, ba, baathe, baite, baiten, bake, baken, bakenn, bakyn, bakynge, balken, ban, baptis, baptise, baptisen, baptisi, baptize, baptizen, bargayne, bargaynen, bargenen, bargeynen, barke, barken, barkyn, barnesche, barneschen, barnisch, barnysshen, batail, bataylen, batayll, batayllen, bate, bateillen, batell, baten, bateren, bathe, bathen, bathien, batre, battyn, batyn, baulen, baume, bawme, bawmen, bayte, bayten, baðien, baþen, baþie, baþiȝe, be, be-qwethyn, be-refe, be-reve, bealden, bean, beaten, beaðien, beccyn, becemyn, beckenen, becnenn, becnien, bedelven, beden, beelden, been, beerke, beete, beflowe, begalewen, begg, begge, beggen, beggyn, beginnen, begreten, begynne, behoven, beiten, bekenen, bekenyn, bekken, beknen, beknien, beknyn, bekyn, belanden, belde, belden, beleeue, belimpen, belwen, belynne, bemen, bemin, ben, beon, beorken, beote, beqwethen, bere, beregen, beren, bereve, bergen, berghen, berien, berke, berken, berkyn, bern, bernen, berrȝhenn, bersten, berwen, beryen, berȝen, beschrewen, beseme, besenden, beswiken, bet, bete, beten, betenn, beteren, bethen, bethrowen, betren, bett, betten, better, betteren, bettren, betyn, bewrien, beyton, beytt, beðen, beþien, beȝȝtenn, bi-queðen, bi-winne, bicaren, bidden, bidelven, bifallen, biflowen, bifloȝen, biggen, biginnen, bigynne, bihaten, bikken, bilden, bildyn, bileven, bilinne, binden, biquethe, biquethen, biqueþen, bireven, birien, birsten, biræivie, birævien, bisegen, biseme, bisemen, biten, biteon, bitrenden, bityden, biveren, bivien, biwinnen, biwreyen, bladdre, bladdren, bladyn, blake, blaken, blakien, blame, blamen, blamie, blamyn, blase, blasefleme, blasen, blasfeme, blasfemen, blaspheme, blasphemen, blaste, blasten, blasyn, blawe, blawen, blechen, bleddre, blede, bleden, bleede, blessen, blesten, blete, bleten, bleyte, bliken, blin, blinne, blinnen, blinnenn, bloawen, bloken, blokie, blome, blomen, blomenn, blosme, blosmen, blosmyn, blossemen, blossmen, blouen, blow, blowe, blowen, blowyn, blyn, blynne, blynnyn, blætenn, boen, boillen, bolnen, bonden, boorde, boordon, boordone, boore, booten, bord, borde, bore, borken, boryn, bosten, bote, boten, botene, botenen, boti, botnen, botone, botonen, botonyn, boun, boune, bounen, bourde, bourden, bousen, bowen, bowne, bowrde, brace, bracen, bracyn, brai, braiden, branch, brande, branden, brane, bras, brase, braste, brasyn, braunchen, braundis, braundische, braundischen, braundise, braundishen, braundisshen, braundysch, braunyssh, brawnchen, brawneschyn, bray, brayde, brayden, braye, brayen, brayne, braynen, braynyn, bred, brede, breden, bredyn, breede, breiden, breken, brenge, brenne, breste, bresten, brestyn, breuen, brew, brewe, brewen, breyde, bridelle, bridlen, bridli, bring, bringe, bringen, bringge, bringue, brinken, brinngenn, brist, briste, broche, brochen, brochyn, brode, bronden, bronnyn, broondyn, brouken, bruste, brustlien, brydelen, brydelyn, bryng, brynge, bryngen, bryngge, bryngyn, bræiden, buffete, buffeten, bulden, burien, burren, bursten, burte, burton, burtyn, burye, buste, butonen, buttyn, buwne, buylde, buylden, by, by flowe, by-gan, bydelve, byen, byete, byggen, byholde, bylden, bylynne, bynden, byquethe, byreeve, byryen, byseme, bysemen, byte, bywynne, bæcnien, cacchen, cakken, calange, calangy, calenge, calengen, callen, camp, can, capen, cappe, cappen, caren, carve, carven, cassen, castellen, causen, cave, caven, cedyn, ceeryn, cellyn, cemyn, ceorfan, ceorfæn, cerchen, cerven, ceryn, cesen, cethyn, chafe, chafen, chalange, chalenge, chalengen, chalengyn, challengen, charme, charmen, chaufe, chaufen, chauffe, chauncen, chaungen, chaunse, chaunte, chaunten, chawfe, chawffe, chawnton, chees, cheese, cheesen, cheke, chekyn, cheose, cheosen, cheowen, chese, chesen, chesyn, chetyn, chewe, chewen, chewwenn, cheyne, cheynen, cheynyn, cheys, chiese, chiesen, chiewe, chiewen, childen, childenn, childi, chine, chirmen, chiwen, choken, chouchen, chowen, chuen, chuse, chyese, chyewe, chyld, chylden, chyne, chynen, chyrne, chyrnen, cingen, cinggen, clap, clappe, clappen, clath, clathe, clawe, clawen, clawy, clawyn, claðen, cleen, cleev, cleeve, cleeven, clefian, clemben, cleme, clemen, cleopien, cleoven, cleovien, clepe, clepen, clepenn, clepian, clepie, clepiȝen, cleppyn, clepyn, clethe, clethen, cleve, cleven, clevyen, clevyn, cleyth, climbe, climben, cling, clingen, cliven, cliviȝe, clocken, clodden, cloddyn, cloken, clokken, clokkyn, clooþe, clothe, clothen, clothyn, clout, cloute, clouten, clowe, clowte, clowten, cloþe, cloþen, cloþi, cloþie, cloþy, cludden, clupen, clupie, clupy, clusen, clymbe, clymben, clyng, clynge, clyngyn, clyngyng, clypian, clyppyn, clyve, clyven, clyvyn, cnede, cnoken, coigne, coignen, colden, comande, comanden, comaunde, comaunden, comblen, comelen, comen, comenden, comendyn, comferme, comforten, commanden, commaunde, commaunden, commende, commenden, compare, comparen, comparisone, comparisoune, comparisounen, compasse, compassen, compere, completen, comune, conceive, conceyve, conceyven, condemnen, condempen, condempne, condempnen, conferme, confermen, confermi, confirme, confirmye, conformen, congelen, congeren, congir, conjoren, conjure, conjuren, conpassen, consaive, consayfe, consayve, conseyven, conseywe, consideren, controllen, conyen, coronen, coroune, corounen, corown, corownen, corroden, couche, couchen, coughen, couple, couplen, coupull, couren, coveren, cowche, cowchyn, cowre, coynen, crasen, crave, craven, cravyn, crawe, crawen, crawyn, createn, creaunce, creauncen, crece, creepe, creese, creme, creope, crepe, crepen, cresce, crese, cresen, crespen, cressen, cresyn, crien, crispen, cristen, cristene, cristenen, cristeny, cristnen, cristni, cristnien, cristnye, crodde, crodden, croden, croke, croken, cromen, crook, crooke, crooken, crouchen, croude, crouden, croumen, crounen, crowde, crowdyn, crowe, crowen, crowme, crowne, crownen, crucefye, cruchen, crucifien, crucyfyen, crudden, crude, cruden, crume, crumen, crummyn, crunen, cruni, cruyde, crye, cryepe, crystnen, cryston, culchen, cumpasen, cumpasse, cumpassen, cunen, cunnen, cupyll, curnelen, curyn, cusse, cussen, cuthen, cwakie, cwakien, cwellen, cwellenn, cwenche, cwennkenn, cwessen, cwethen, cweðen, cweþen, cwæthen, cyftyn, cynggyn, cyngyn, cynnyn, dabben, dalen, dalven, damagen, dame, damne, damnen, damni, dampen, dampne, dampnen, danten, dart, darten, daschen, daschyn, dase, dasse, dassen, dassh, dasshen.

External Links

• Middle English verb

References

• Wright, Joseph. An elementary English grammar. Humphrey Milford Oxford University press. London, 1928. [PDF]
• Wright, Joseph & Wright, Elizabeth Mary. An Elementary Middle English Grammar. Oxford University Press. Oxford, 1979.