1. Middle English EN 307 History of the English Language Courtney Enright

2. Do you recognize these words? • Ayeyn • Bole; Bool(e) • Ky; Kye • Inwit • Tiptoon

3. Ayeyn > Again • Also “ayēn” (adv.) • OE: ongēn, agēn; ME: ayēn > again (c1400) • Influenced by Old Norse • Agen  Mix between “ayēn” and “again”  showed the common literary pronunciation even when “again” was written; therefore, poets used “agen” until around 1834 – the term is now obselete • Definition: Repetition of an action or fact: another time; once more; any more; anew • 1390: Chaucer  “agayn” • 1393: Gower  “ayein” • Originally found “ayeyn” in “The Owl and the Nightingale”

4. Bole; Bool(e) > Bull • There may have been a “bulla” in Old English  as the original sources of Middle English “bole” – uncertain • “Bull” probably originated from some verb-stem of a German dialect: “büllen” • Definition: I. Of Animals; i. The male of any bovine animal; most commonly applied to the male of the domestic species; also of the buffalo • 1200: “was bule and lamb and buckess” • Alternate Definition during Middle English: bulls of brass, brazen bulls, as those that guarded the golden fleece • 1325: “two bolys makid of all brass”

5. Ky, Kye > Cow • “Ky” and “kye” were retained in Northern England during the Middle English period • Southern England extended the form to “kyn”, later “kyne”, “kine” • “Cow” does not appear before the 17th century • Definition: the female of any bovine animal (as the ox, bison, or buffalo); most commonly applied to the female of the domestic species • 1225: “kues” and “ku” • 1290: “cov” • 1486: “cowe”

6. Inwit > Insight • Originally – dating back to Old English – the notion appears to have been internal sight with the eyes of the mind or understanding • Middle English – “inwit” was often used as an equivalent to insight • Definition: internal sight, mental vision or perception, discernment, in early use sometimes, understanding, intelligence, wisdom • 1200: “innsihht” • 1300: “insight”

7. Tiptoon > Tiptoe; Tip-toe (n.) • Middle English: “toon” meant “toes” • 1386: Chaucer: “He moste wynke … And stonden on his tiptoon…” • 1400: “On his typton disposyd for to syng” • 1513: “Standand on his typtays” • 1591: Spenser: “…tiptoes nicely he vp went.” • Definition: Pl. The tips of toes; almost always in phrase on or upon (one’s) tiptoes; denoting a posture (in standing or walking) with the heels raised so that the body is supported upon the tips or balls of the toes

8. Many Middle English terms and phrases did not survive into Modern English …

9. Dal (n.); Pl. Dalles • Definition: hand, paw • Thought to be a nursery word – possibly some reference to the Modern English term: doll (dall  dawl  doll) – uncertain • Used primarily between 1450 – 1500 • 1460: “Hayll! Put furth thy dal! I bryng the bot a ball, haue and play the with all.” • 1460 – 1500: “Thai ar here in my dals.”

10. Bigōn (v.) (also Bigān) • Old English: begān, -ēode • Definition: a.) to cover (as with blood); b.) to trim or ornament (as with gold, jewels; c.) to approach or surround; beset, engulf; to fill (a chest); d.) load (water with poison) • A.) 1225: “ai wes bi gan mite blode” • 1450: “begoon with blood” • C.) 1275: “bi-eode” • 1387: “bygoo” • Originally found in “The Owl and the Nightingale”

11. Veole • Old English: fela, feolo (-u), (-a), feala • Definition: (As Adj.) Many, much; with an inflected plural of the noun; as fele as; to fele > too many; OR with an uninflected plural; with a noun: much, great: feler folk > greater crowd; the felest > the most, the majority • 1121: “feola” • 1325: “fale” • 1400: “fele” • 1500: “feyll” • Originally found in “The Owl and the Nightingale”

12. Wŏnen (v.) • Also “won(e)”, “wonon(e)”, “woni(e)(n)” • Definition: to live (somewhere); reside, dwell • Also: Woninge > residing • 1131: “wunien” • 1275: “wuden” (Read: wuned) • 1300: “wonen” • 1500: “wone” • Also defined: to remain (somewhere for a long period of time) • 1131: “wunode” • 1175: “wunedon” • 1300: “wunen” • 1450: “wone” • Interesting: German – Wohnen means “to live” – connection?

13. The End