Morphology Middle English

1 morphology

1.1 nouns
1.2 pronouns
1.3 verbs

morphology
nouns

middle english retains 2 distinct noun-ending patterns more complex system of inflection in old english. middle english nouns engel ( angel ) , name ( name ) demonstrate 2 patterns:

some nouns of engel type have -e in nominative/accusative singular, weak declension, otherwise strong endings. these same nouns had -e in nominative/accusative singular of old english (they, in turn, inherited proto-germanic ja-stem , i-stem nouns.)

the distinct dative case lost in middle english. genitive survived, however, end of middle english period, strong - s ending (variously spelt) in use.

the strong -(e)s plural form has survived modern english. weak -(e)n form rare , used in oxen and, part of double plural, in children , brethren. dialects still have forms such eyen (for eyes), shoon (for shoes), hosen (for hose(s)), kine (for cows), , been (for bees).

pronouns

middle english personal pronouns developed of old english, exception of third-person plural, borrowing old norse (the original old english form clashed third person singular , dropped). also, nominative form of feminine third-person singular replaced form of demonstrative developed sche (modern she), alternative heyr remained in areas long time.

as nouns, there inflectional simplification (the distinct old english dual forms lost), pronouns, unlike nouns, retained distinct nominative , accusative forms. third-person pronouns retained distinction between accusative , dative forms, gradually lost: masculine hine replaced him south of thames 14th century, , neuter dative him ousted in dialects 15th.

the following table shows of various middle english pronouns, modern (in quotation marks) , (sometimes) old english equivalents. many other variations noted in middle english sources because of differences in spellings , pronunciations @ different times , in different dialects.

verbs

as general rule, indicative first person singular of verbs in present tense ends in -e ( ich here hear), second person in -(e)st ( þou spekest thou speakest), , third person in -eþ ( comeþ cometh/he comes). (þ (the letter thorn ) pronounced unvoiced th in think , but, under circumstances, may voiced th in ). following table illustrates conjugation pattern of 1 dialect.

plural forms vary dialect, southern dialects preserving old english -eþ, midland dialects showing -en-- 1200 , northern forms using -es in third person singular plural.

the past tense of weak verbs formed adding -ed(e), -d(e) or -t(e) ending. past-tense forms, without personal endings, serve past participles past-participle prefixes derived old english: i-, y- , bi-.

strong verbs, contrast, form past tense changing stem vowel (binden becomes bound, process called apophony), in modern english.