Middle English

KEYTERMS

1. A set of key terms for the study of Middle English.

TRANSCRIPTION

2. An exercise in pdf format based on a Middle English translation of the Tower of Babel passage.

VOWEL CHART

3. An interactive drag-and-drop exercise that asks you to place the vowels of Middle English on a diagram of the mouth.

BASIC PRONUNCIATION AND GRAMMAR

4. Learn the basic pronunciations of the consonants and vowels, including the final -e.

CONSONANTS

5. This lesson includes information on several matters related to Middle English consonants. It includes two questions for you to answer.

MORE PRONUNCIATION

6. An audio player that allows you to read the fourteenth-century prose Brut while listening to it being read in period pronunciation.

LENGTHENING AND SHORTENING

7. [NOTE: THIS EXERCISE IS NOT FOR GENED 1183] Print out this PDF of exercises on lengthening and shortening of certain vowels in Middle English. Complete the exercises, and bring them to your next section.

SYNTAX

8. An exercise in pdf format on Middle English syntax using the Middle English Tower of Babel passage.

VERB ENDINGS

9. This exercise asks you to conjugate two verbs from the Wycliffite Tower of Babel passage, and to answer some questions about those verbs. Print out this PDF exercise on Middle English verbs, complete it, and bring it to section.  You can ignore the subjunctive.

FRENCH BORROWINGS INTO ENGLISH 10. What was the rate of borrowing from French into English?  First view the video, which gives some explanation and background information and instructions on using the OED Advanced Search options. Then answer some questions and do some more exploring.
DIALECT MAP 11. An exercise that explores the geography of Middle English dialects. Complete the included dialect identification activity using the Linguistic Atlas of Late Mediaeval English.

 

Note: for any exercise that asks you to write out something, bring your written work to section.