#Manuscript:# Trinity College, Cambridge, B. 14. 52. See p. 312.
#Facsimile:# Frontispiece to OEH ii.; gives f 44 r.
#Edition:# Morris, R., OEH ii., and Specimens, pp. 26-33.
#Literature:# Krüger, A., Sprache und Dialekt der me. Homilien in der
Handschrift B. 14. 52. Trinity College, Cambridge, Erlangen, 1885.
#Phonology:# Oral #a# is _a_, ateliche 128, axen 183; #a# before nasals,
_a_, manne 168, þanken 48, but _o_ in þonc 72, þonked 84, 139; #a#
before lengthening groups, _o_, honde 23, understondeð 146, but _a_ in
lange 101, 184, understandeð 180: þanne 45, 136 alternates with þenne
52, 117. #æ# is _a_ (12 times), bad 88, 120, wat 175, and _e_ (9 times),
bed 11, set 71, wecche 97. #e# is _e_, eft 37, bendes 100, but
understont 176, understant 181 (#-stent#). #i# is _i_, bidden 188,
bringen 11, often written #ȳ# in synne OEH ii. 57/5, synfulle id. 57/17,
synegeden id. 65/16, and similar words: but #i# is _e_ in beð 122 (from
pl.), sleðrende 169. #o# is _o_, biforen 28, one 11, 14, borde 87, wolde
22, but an 185, a 4 (5 times). #u# is _u_, burh 21, bunden 127, but _o_
in comen 66, 69, folcninge 111, beside fulcninge 114. #y# is _i_ (29
times), iuele 116, kinne 103 (3), but _e_ in specð 85, euel OEH ii.
183/10, kenne id. 201/11, _u_ in cunde 162, fulste 76; cuinde 160 shows
hesitation between _u_ and _i_. #ā# is normally _o_, aros 137, bitocneð
102, but a 11, an 19, hatte 9, naðeles 13, 74. #ǣ{1}# is mostly _e_,
bileueð 158, clensinge 186, leren 65, but _a_ in ani 136, ar OEH ii.
11/24, lareð id. 15/2, _o_ in goð 4, 56 (from plural); a diphthong has
developed before #sc# in fleis 144 (6). #ǣ{2}# is also mostly _e_, beren
23, selðe 123, but _a_ in aristes 140, adrade OEH ii. 193/18, dade id.
187/22. #ē# is _e_, bete 73, este 166, but _o_ in doð 15, 159, 164 (from
plural), _ie_ in gie OEH ii. 21/9. #ī# is _i_, lichame 126, lif 67. #ō#
is _o_, blod 47, blostme 24, but te 11. #ū# is _u_, abuten 101, husel
47. #ȳ# is _i_, kidde 135, _e_, bet 147, _u_, cudden 18.
#ea# before #r# + cons. is _a_, armheorted 119, harde 98, warð 175, but
_e_ in bern 30, smerte _adj._ 98, _ea_ in smeart _pt. s._ OEH ii. 21/27,
_ia_ in giarked 84. #ea# before #l# + cons. is _a_, al 71, half 68, but
sometimes _o_, olde OEH ii. 47/3, _ea_, ealde id. 19/15, ealse id.
35/23, and _ia_, ȝiald id. 169/4: the _i_-umlaut is _e_, eldre id.
43/35. #eo# before #r# + cons. is _eo_, eorðliche 72 (3), heorte 62, but
_e_ in beregeð 114, herte 17, lerneð 17, sterre OEH ii. 161/4, _o_ in
storre id. 161/19, storres id. 161/6; the #wur# group has _u_, wurðe 84,
140, wurðlice 92, the _i_-umlaut is wanting, wurð 162, wurðe 91. #eo#
before #l# + cons. is _e_, self 155, seluen 90 (4), but sulfen OEH ii.
45/6. #eo#, _u_-umlaut of #e#, gives heuene 74, 79, wereld 168: #eo#,
_å_-umlaut of #e#, is wanting in fele 105. #eo#, _u_- and _å_-umlaut of
#i#, is _e_ in bileue 149, clepen 10, cleped 44, 108, here 20, 107, 123,
seueðe 102, but biliue 172. #ea# after palatals is _a_, shal 27 (3), gaf
14, shap 158, but gef 172, giaf OEH ii. 113/27; _a_ in shameliche 127
before nasal. #ie# after #g# is _i_ in giueð 160, forgiuenesse 46, but
gief OEH ii. 9/10. #ȝef# is gif 57, 182. #eo# after #sc# is _u_, shulen
74: #eom# is am 17, #heom#, hem 171. #ēa# is regularly _e_, bred 87,
156, deð 6, ec 105, ester 101 (4), leue 143, þeh 12, but _a_ in admod
17, admodnesse 15, shad 148, _ea_ in deaðe 137; its _i_-umlaut is _e_,
lesen 147, lesende 148, remden 28, semeð 73. #ēo# is also _e_, beð 51,
ben 63 (10), crepe 100, preste 9 (5), but _ie_ in bie 30, 115, bien 61
(4), and _i_ in bi 57; its _i_-umlaut is _e_, þester OEH ii. 39/29, but
þiesternesse id. 9/27, and þeoster id. 171/25. #īe# after #g# is _e_ in
geme 57, 182; #hīe# is hie 74, 105.
#a# + #g# is _ag_, lage OEH ii. 3/6, dages id. 3/14. #æ# + #g# is _ai_,
dai 4 (5), fair 12 (3), mai 38 (4), but sunedeies 99, seið 24, 31, seide
155. #e# + #g# is _ei_, leiden 20, wei 32 (5); agen 37, 182 descends
from #ongēn#, so togenes 19, but toȝanes OEH ii. 177/32 is #tōgēanes#.
#e# + #h# gives _eh_, sehte 51 (3), sehtnesse 53, but Scand. sahtnesse
50. #i# + #g#, reine 171 (O.North. #regnian#). #u# + #g# is _ug_, muge
152, 188, but mo 77 (Kentish). #y# + #h#, drihten 33, driste 189. #ā# +
#g# is seen in agen 165, ogen 121; #ǣ{1}# + #g# in eiðer 126; #ē# + #g#
in tweie 39, tweien 10, 17, tweire 103; underfoð 106 (#-fēhþ#) has _o_
from the plural. #ō# + #g# gives boges 33, 65; #ō# + #h#, boh 24,
brohten 34; #ū# + #g#, bugen 88 (3). The _i_-umlaut of #ēa# + #ht# is
_i_ in mihte 135, 159, _ie_ in niehtes OEH ii. 11/5. #eo# + #h# is
represented in riht 68, rihte 143, six 96, sixte 101, its _i_-umlaut in
sest OEH ii. 137/5, seð id. 121/26. #ēa# + #g#, #h# in hege 21, heg 35,
nehgebures 122; hegeste 176 has no umlaut. #ēo# + #ht# is seen in
leochtes OEH ii. 11/5, liht id. 13/16. #ā# + #w# is _ou_, _ow_, soule
116 (4), snow 169, wowe 138, 181; noðer 12 is #nōþer#, noht 65, #nōht#.
#ēa# + #w# is _ew_, sheweð 94. #ēo# + #w# is _eow_, _eou_ in reoweð 119,
reouð 122, _ew_ in trewes 34, 60, hew 159 but hiu 158 (#hīew#), giu 147,
148, 153, comp. ȝiu 16/117: feorðe 99 is #fēorþa#, reoðe 121 (*#hrēowð#)
is probably miswritten for reowðe.
#Swā# is swo 9, in combination alse 15, wat . . . se 175. _e_ is
inserted in beregeð 114, forsinegede 71, 124, husel 47, ouelete 154,
shameliche 127, added finally in one 11, 14, þermide 139 by analogy of
inne 45, uppe 71. For #a#, _e_ appears in felefolde 164, for #e#, _i_ in
giarked 84; the prefix #ge-# is _i_ in iwis 150. #o# is _e_ in makede 5,
#u#, _e_ in þureh 54 (3); the suffix #-ung# is _ing_, clensinge 186,
tocninge 55, wissinge 95, but wissenge 187 and the compromise þroweinge
52. #ǣ# is _e_ in naðeles 74; #ea#, _o_ in felefolde 164; #ēa#, _e_ in
endelese 74, loðlesnesse 109.
In nemed 118, _n_ is omitted, by influence of the past #nemde#: #n# is
lost finally in selde 98, a 4 &c.: #nn# is simplified in mankin 136,
sinbote 109, sunedai 183: #ng# is _gg_ in biginnigge 5. #bb# is _u_ in
hauen 71, liuen 153. #f# becomes _u_ between vowels or vowel and liquid,
driuen 127, freureð 124, ouelete 154; in other positions it is generally
unchanged, fele 105, stefne 28, but uantstone OEH ii. 61/17, uele id.
63/11. #t# is doubled in settle 35, #ts# is _c_ in milce 188, _sc_ in
blesced 30: #d# is doubled in bidded 86; for #d#, _ð_ appears in
sleðrende 169; #ð# in dauiðes 30 is OE. #þ# is assimilated in atte 156,
likeste 122; te for þe 6, 166 is probably from the scribe’s exemplar as
tis 174 for þis; betfage is French, bethphage from the Vulgate: _d_ is
written for #þ# in bidded 86, maked 62, quedinde 145. #ss# is simplified
in cos 53; initial #sc# is _sh_, shal 27, shrud 113, shrifte 183, but
exceptionally srifte OEH ii. 73/5, scrifte id. 11/11: medially it is
seen in axen 183, acxen 96, bisshopes 61, englisse 44, it is _s_ final
in fles 47, fleis 150 (6). The stop #c# is written _k_ before _e_, _i_,
drinke 150, kinne 103, but spece 118: it is omitted in ofþinð 123. #č#
is _ch_, eche 125, swinch 98; chosene 78 (#coren#) is conformed to
#cēosan#; for cruche 185 see NED. _s.v._ Crouch: #čč# is _cch_ in wecche
97, wrecche 123: #cw# is _qu_, quemende 68. Palatal #g# is written _g_,
giueð 160, gaf 14, hege 21, but occasionally _ȝ_, ȝaf OEH ii. 141/28,
heȝest id. 197/14: final #-ig# is _i_, but bode 189: swimesse 156
represents #swīg(e)messe#: #čǧ# is _g_ in wig 14, _gg_ in briggeden 32,
59. _h_ is added initially in heste, hestene 164, heorðliche 35, his 47;
#h# is lost in ider 130, louerd 13, lude 28, remden 28, reoweð 119,
reouð 122, reoðe 121; for #h#, _g_ occurs in hegsettle 35: #hw# is _w_,
wat 38 (3), wile 114, wit 113, conversely #hū# is hwu 130, wu 167: #ht#
is written _st_ in driste 189, _cht_ in leochtes OEH ii. 11/5.
#Accidence:# Strong declension of _masc._ and _neut._ nouns. _Gen._ -es,
sunedeies 99, kinnes 104, 105: _d._ -e, deaðe 137, borde 87, but the
inflection is often wanting, as in the compounds of dai, 101, 183, 184
and in most of the neuters, blod 144 (4), fleis 144 (4), &c.; muð 156
may be _acc._ (Anglian) after mid. In the _acc._ weie 59, 60, 62 has _e_
like jo-stems, and tacne 53 from _pl._ #tācnu#: mule 12 is French. The
_pl. n. a._ of masculines ends in -es, cloþes 20, prestes 61, bendes
100; preste 9 is a scribe’s mistake for prestes: neuters are burhfolc
21, þing 148. _Pl. g._ kinne 103, but englene 172, estrene 140
(#ēastrena#), kingene 13, muðene 44 are weak forms, louerdes 12; _d._
boges 33, 65, trewes 34, 60. The _fem._ nouns, except wereld 168, have
_e_ in the _s. nom._, chirchsocne 4, sinbote 109, abstracts in #-nes#,
109, 118, 119 as also in the _s. acc._ cuinde 160, forbisne 14, mihte
135, 159; hond 69, wereld 168 are exceptions: _g._ -e, sinne 100, but
aristes 140 (occasionally _m._ in OE.): _d._ -e, cunde 162, dede 15.
Plurals are _n._ hese 73, wede 103, wedes 104; _g._ estene 166, hestene
164, wedes 127; _d._ weden 131, honde 23, wedes 22, 125; _a._ mede 74,
sinne 119, sinnes 46 (4), honden 128, pinen 96. Nouns of the weak
declension have -e in all cases of the singular; lichames _s. g._ 162
excepted. Plurals are _n._ names 39, sanderbodes 18: _d._ axen 183,
blostmen 26: _a._ acxen 96, blostme 24. The minor declensions are
represented by fot _s. a._ 9, fet _pl. a._ 128; man _s. n._ 36,
cristeman 176, mannes _s. g._ 62 (4), man _s. d._ 117, manne 176 (a weak
form), men _pl. n._ 10, _pl. d._ 116, _pl. a._ 143; burh _s. d._ 21,
bureh 11, 18 (#byrig#); boc _s. n._ 24; helende _s. n._ 5 (5) with
participial termination; comp. 273/3, helendes _s. g._ 57; child _s. a._
112; children _pl. n._ 31.
Strong inflections of the adjective are _s. n. f._ bicumeliche 116,
holie 45, 51; _s. d. m._ bicumeliche 93, eche 125, _f._ bicumeliche 93,
94, 183, eorðliche 72, faire 64, lude 28, wise 66; _s. a. m._ endelese
181, rihte 143, sehte 55, _f._ eche 181; but holi _s. d. m._ 184, soð
183, fair _s. a. m._ 12 are not inflected. The weak form has mostly -e
in the singular, holie 24 (9), but holi 47 (9), lift 69, riht 68 are not
inflected. Adjectives in the plural have -e; as also comparatives and
superlatives, loðere 116, hegeste 176, but biterest 178. Adjectives used
as nouns are bitere _pl. g._ 178, half _s. a._ 68. #āgen# is ogen _s. d.
f._ 121; #ān# is an 19, a 11; #nān#, no 106 (3). Noteworthy among the
numerals are tweire _pl. g._ 103 (#twēgra#), fifte 100, sixte 101,
seueðe 102.
The personal pronouns are ich, me, we, ure _pl. g._ 182, us, te = þu in
likeste 122, ge, giu 147, 148, 153. The pronoun of the third person is
_s. n._ he _m._ 12, _d._ him _m._ 19, _a._ 27, hit _neut._ 19 (with asse
_m._), it 21 (with strete _f._); _pl. n._ hie 33, 74, _g._ here 107,
_d._ hem 72, _a._ 11. Reflexive is himseluen _d._ 107, _a._ 90:
definitive, himself _s. n._ 155: possessives are mi, ure, þin, his, hise
_pl. d._ 10, 78, here. The general form of the article is þe, te 6, 156,
166; inflected forms are ðet _s. n. neut._ 26, 117, þo _pl. n._ 17 (3);
þet 14, 84 is demonstrative: the article is used pronominally in þo þe,
those who 27 (10). The compound demonstrative is _s._ þis, tis 174,
_pl._ þese, once þis[e] 125. The relatives are þe, ꝥ = þet, þat 115: wat
38 (3) is interrogative: swiche 106, 129 is _pl._ Indefinites are me 27;
sum 24, sume _pl._ 33 (3); eiðer 126; oðer 117, oðre _s. d. m._ 15,
_s. a. m._ 136, _pl. d._ 22, _pl. a._ 135; ech 38, elhc 36, eches _s. g.
m._ 175, 178; ani 136; manie 104; fele 105; al _s. a. m._ 71, _s. a. f._
167, alle 114, _pl. n._ 105 (3), alre _pl. g._ 12 (6), alle _pl. a._
135 (3).
The infinitive ends in -en, bidden 188, þolen 6 and fifteen others;
exceptions are crepe 100, reine 171, and the contract verb fon 74.
Dative infinitives with inflection are to clensende 177, to lesende 148,
to quemende 68, for to quemende 70; without inflection, for . . . to
hauen 70, to blissen, to gladien 83, to bete 73 and ten others. Presents
are _s._ 1. speke 104, spece 118; 2. likeste (= likest þu) 122; 3.
beregeð 114, liðe 100 (miswritten for liðeð), bidded 86, for biddeð;
contract verb, underfoð, 106, 117; syncopated forms, about one-third of
the total number, bet 120, bet 147, bit 120, 143, sent 53, understont
176, &c.; _pl._ 1. hauen 186, undernimen 142; 2. understonden 154; 3.
bidden 46, herien 46, noten 45, þanken 48, wunien 9 and ten others in
-en, lereð 67, semeð 73, wisseð 63, maked 62, for makeð: _subjunctive
s._ 3. drinke 91, wurðe 84, 140; _pl._ 1. bugen 88; nime we 56, 182,
understonde 88; 3. liuen 153: _imperative s._ 2. haue 121, underfo 113;
_pl._ 2. brukeð 147, cumeð 87, lerneð 17, understondeð 87, 146. Past of
Strong Verbs: I a. _s._ 3. gaf 14, gef 172, bad 88, 120, bed 11, set 71,
spec 160; _pl._ 3. eten 172: I b. _s._ 2. come 130; 3. com 8, 26; _pl._
3. beren 23, breken 33, 60, comen 28: I c. _s._ 3. warð 175; _pl._ 3.
funden 19: II. _s._ 3. aros 137, rod 20: IV. _pl._ 3. understoden 27: V.
_s._ 3. let 171; _pl._ 3. bihengen 21; _s._ 3. hatte 9. Participles
present: I a. queðinde 16 (3), quedinde 145; past: I b. brokene _adj._
65, cumen 182, cumene _pl._ 185: I c. bigunnen 179, 187, bigunne 177,
bunden 127, worpen 128: II. driuen 127: III. chosene _pl._ 78: V.
forleten 179, 187, shad 148. Past of Weak Verbs: _s._ 3. fette 138,
kidde 135, lufede 175, rerde 137, seide 155, sende 10 (3); _pl._ 3.
wenden 23, ferden 18, 28, leiden 20, makeden 61, but exceptionally
ferde, makede 58. Participles present: seiende 89, 120, seggende 86,
sleðrende 169; past: blesced 30, nemed 118, bet 179, 187, clepede _pl._
108, forsinegede _pl._ 71. Minor Groups: wot _pr. s._ 38; agen _pr. pl._
165; shal _pr. s._ 27, shulen _pr. pl._ 74; mai _pr. s._ 38 (4), muge we
1 _pr. pl._ 188, mo 77 (Kentish), muge [ge] 2 _pr. pl._ 152; ben _inf._
77, 127, am 1 _pr. s._ 17, is _pr. s._ 44, his 47, beð 122, 154, ben 1
_pr. pl._ 142, 185, _pr. pl._ 63 (10), bien 61 (3), beð 51, bie _pr. s.
subj._ 30, 115, bi 57, si (lof) 30, bien 1 _pr. pl. subj._ 182, was _pt.
s._ 18, weren _pt. pl._ 31, 67; wile _pr. s._ 78, wolde _pt. s._ 6, 22;
do 1 _pr. s._ 105, doð _pr. s._ 15, 159, 164, don 1 _pr. pl._ 141,
fuldon _pr. pl._ 74, do _pr. s. subj._ 114, do we 1 _pr. pl. subj._ 88,
dide _pt. s._ 136, diden _pt. pl._ 31; gon _inf._ 101, goð _pr. s._ 4,
56.
#Dialect:# A scribe of the South-East Midland has copied a manuscript
written in the South-Eastern area bordering on Kent. The changes he has
made affect both sounds and inflections in varying degree; in this
extract the Midland element is more pronounced than usual; towards the
end of his task the Southern gains the upper hand. But his exemplar was
in its turn descended from an original of the Middle or Western South,
written not long after the Conquest, or at any rate by a man to whom OE.
constructions, such as the uses of the dative in him 106, iuele 116,
folke 174, manne 176, were not strange.
#Vocabulary:# Scandinavian are rideð 62, sahtnesse 50, shereðursdai 184,
wanrede 124, and probably gestninge 84. French are absolucion 100,
custume 3, diciples 10, mule 12, oliue 24, palefrei 12, procession 4,
prophete 169, proue 90, richeise 72, sepulcre 102. Latin are apostles
20, bisshopes 61, calice 52, cruche 100, crisme 112, fant(ston) 101,
munt 10, temple 23.
#Introduction:# These pieces appear to be original compositions of the
Middle English period, but the work of a writer who drew his ideas from
the older literature, Beda and Ælfric, and used many archaic words such
as burhfolc, chirchsocne, hegsettle, ouelete, sanderbodes, swimesse,
wig. There is similarity in parts to the sixth Blickling Homily.