Sara Lorenzo Fraile

Antonio Corts Prez

John Trevisa: Dialogue between a Lord and a Clerk

Translation of lines 1 to 10

Dominus
Lord,

Sethe et Babyl was ybuld men speke dyvers tonges,

Since Babel was built people speak various languages,

so at dyvers men bu straunge to oer and knowe not of here

so that different men are

strange

to others and do not know their

speche. Speche ys not yknowe bote if hyt be lurned. Commyn

speech. Speech is not

known

unless

it is

learnt.

Common

lurnyng of speche ys by huyryng; and so alwey deef ys alwey dombe,

learning of language is by hearing, so someone deaf from birth is always dumb,
vor he may not hure speche vor to lurne. So men of ser contrayes
because he may not hear speech to learn it.

So people from various countries

and londes at habbe dyvers speches, ef noer of ham ha lurned

and

lands that have different languages, if none of them has learnt

oeres speche, neyer of ham wot what oer mene, ey hy meete

the others' language, then none of them will know what the others mean,
when they meet
and have greet neode of informacion and of loore, of talkyng and of

and have great need of information and of learning, of talking and of

speche. Be eo neode never so gret, neyer of ham understonde
speech. Even if the

need was ever so great, none of them would understand

oeres speche no moore an ganglyng of gees.

the others' speech more than the cackling of geese.

PHONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
et
OE t > ME at> 1653 t> PdE [t] <that>
[t]
1
2
1. Voicing because it is a grammatical word
2. Fronting
was
OE ws > ME waz > eModE woz > PdE [w:z] <was>
[ws]
1
2
1. Voicing because it is a grammatical word.
2. Rounding influence of wau.
men
OE mann > lOE man > 1653 mn > PdE [mn] <man>
[mann]
1
2
1. Simplification of geminates.
2. Fronting.
speke
OE specan > ME spk- > eModE spk > spi:k > PdE [sp@:k]<speak>
[specan]
1
2
1. Open Syllable Lenghthening and loss of endings.
2. Great Vowel Shift.

dyvers
th
OF divers ME dvers > di:vrz > eModE daivrz >20 daivz > PdE ['da@vz] <divers>
[di:vrz] 1
2
3
1. Weakening of the unstressed vowel.
2. GVS.
3. Loss of final -r.
tonges
OE tunge > ME tung() > 17th tu > 1640 tJ > PdE [tJ] <tongue>
[tunge]
1
2
3
1. Weakening and loss of ending.
2. becomes a phoneme and g is lost.
3. Centralization and loss of lip rounding.
straunge
OF <estrange> ME strnge > eModE strn > 17th strn > 18th strn > 19th strein > PdE
[stra:n]
1
2
[stre@n]
<strange>
1. GVS.
2. Diphthonguization.
to
OE t > ME t > eModE t > after 1640 tu > PdE [tT] <to>
[to:]
1
2
1. GVS.
2. Late shortening.
> eModE t > PdE [tu:] <too>
oer
OE er > ME r > eModE r > before 1640 ur > 1640 Jr > 20th J > PdE [J]
[o:er]
1
2
3
4
5
<other>
1. Weakening of the second vowel due to lack of stress.
2. GVS.
3. Early shortening.
4. Centralization and loss of lip rounding.

5. Loss of final -r.

and
OE and > ME and > 1653 nd > PdE [nd] <and>
[and]
1
2
1. No lenghthening of a + homorganic group and also because it is a grammatical word.
2. Fronting.
knowe
OE cnawan >ME knu- > 17th nou> 19th nu > PdE [nT] <know>
[kna:wan]
1
2
3
1. Southern developement of a:> . Weakening of ending. Vocalization of w.
2. Loss of initial k- followed by consonant.
3. Centralization of the first element of the diphthong.
not
OE naht > ME nt > nwt > nut > 17th nt > nt > PdE [n:t] <nought>
[na:t]
1
2
3
4
5
1. Southern development of a:> .
2. H-gliding.
3. Vocalization.
4. ou + t > :
5. Loss of when followed by consonant.
speche
OE sp > ME spch > eModE spch > spi:ch > PdE [sp@:t] <speech>
[sp:t]
1
1. GVS.
ys
OE is > ME iz > PdE [@z] <is>
[is]
1
1. Voicing because it is a grammatical word.

bote
OE btan > ME bt- > before e.Mod. E. but > 1640 bJt > PdE [bJt] <but>
[bu:tan]
1
2
3
1. Loss of ending.
2. Early shortening.
3. Centralization and loss of lip rounding
if
OE if > ME iif > i:f > if > PdE [@f ] <if>
[jif ]
1
2
3
1. Vocalization.
2. Assimilation.
3. Shortening because it is a grammatical word.
hyt
OE hit > ME it > PdE [@t] <it>
[hit]
1
1. Loss of the initial aspirate because it is a grammatical word.
be
OE bon > ME b- > eModE bi: > PdE [b@:] <be>
[be:on]
1
2
1. Loss of ending.
2. GVS.
lurned
OE leornian > ME lrn- > eModE lrn > 18th lrn > la:rn > 19th la:n > PdE [la:n] <learn>
[leornian]
1
2
3
4
5
1. Loss of ending.
2. Successful -r prevents GVS.
3. Merger er, ir, ur (and sometimes or).
4. Tendency of short vowels to be lenghthend when followed by f, v, s, ss, th, r, r+consonant.
5. Loss of -r followed by consonant.

commyn
OF comun ME comun > komn > PdE ['k:mn] <common>
[komun] 1
1. Weakening of the vowel of the second syllable due to lack of stress.
so
OE sw > ME sw > s > eModE s > 18th sou > 19th su > PdE [sT] <so>
[swa:]
1
2
3
4
5
1. Southern development of a:> .
2. Loss of w next to back vowels in unstressed syllable.
3. GVS.
4. Diphthonguization.
5. Centralization of the first element of the diphthong.
Alweys
OE eall > lOE awll > awl >ME aul > 18th l > PdE [:l] <all>
[all]
1
2
3
4
1. L- gliding.
2. Simplification of geminates.
3.- Vocalization.
4. Monophthonguization.
OE we > ME wei > 17th w > 18th w > 19th wei > PdE [we@] <way>
[ wej] 1 2
1. Vocalization of j.
2. Merger of ei, ai, a: .
dombe
OE dumb > 16th dum > 1640 dJm > PdE [dJm] <dumb>
[dumb]
1
2
1. b is lost in the cluster mb.
2. Centralization and loss of lip rounding.

vor
OE for > 18th fr > 20th f > PdE [f:]
[for]
1
2
1. Tendency of short vowel to be lengthened when followed by f,v,r,s,ss, th,r,r+consonant.
2. Loss of final -r.
he
OE h > ME h > eModE hi: > PdE [h@:] <he>
[he:]
1
1. GVS.
londes
OE land > ME land > 1653 lnd > PdE [lnd] <land>
[land]
1
1. Fronting.
habbe
OE habban > lOE haban- > ME hav > 1653 hv > PdE [hv] <have>
[haccan]
1
2
3
1. Simplification of geminates
2. c > v and loss of ending.
3. Fronting.
what
OE hwt > ME hwat > eModE hwot > 17th wot > PdE [w:t] <what>
[hwt]
1
2
1. Rouding influence of w.
2. Loss of initial h- followed by w.
mene
OE mnan > ME mn > eModE mn > mi:n > PdE [m@:n] <mean>
[m:n]
1
1. GVS.
meete
OE mtan > ME mt- > eModE mi:t > PdE [m@:t] <meet>
[me:tan]
1
2
1. Loss of ending.
2. GVS.

gret/greet
OE <grt> should be pronounced [gri:t] nowadays. However, we do not know why, it is currently
pronounced [gre@t]. The same happens with <break> and <steak>.
neode
OE nod > ME nd > eModE ni:d > PdE [n@:d] <need>
[ne:od]
1
1. GVS.
information
OF informacion
ME informa:tion > 1 infrma:tion > 2 eModE infrmtion > 17th infrmtion > 18th infrmtion >
19th infrmein > PdE [@nfr'me@n] <information>
1. Weakening of the unstressed vowel. Merger of ei, ai, a:.
2. GVS.
loore
OE lar > ME lr > eModE lr > 20th l > PdE [l:] <lore>
[la:r]
1
2
3
1. South development of a:> .
2. Successful -r prevents from GVS.
3. Loss of final -r.
never
OE nfre > ME nvr > nvr > nevr > 20th nev > PdE ['nev] <never>
[n:vre]
1
2
3
4
1. Loss of the vowel in the second syllable due to the lack of stress.
2. Epenthetic .
3. Early shortening, pre-e.Mod. E. Shortening because it is a grammatical word.
4. Loss of final -r.
understondet
OE under > ME undr > 1640 Jndr >20th Jnd > PdE ['Jnd]
[under]
1
2
3
<under>
1. Weakening of the vowel od the second syllable due to the lack of stress. No lenghthening of u +
homorganic group because it is a grammatical word.

2. Centralization and loss of lip rounding.

3. Loss of final -r.
OE standan > ME stand > 1653 stnd > PdE [stnd]<stand>
[standan]
1
2
1. Loss of ending.
2. Fronting.
more
OE mra > ME mr > eModE mr > 20th m > PdE [m:]
[ma:ra]
1
2
3
1. South development of a:> . Loss of ending.
2. Successful -r prevents from GVS.
3. Loss of final -r.
GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS
1. OE <> was substituted in ME by <a> by Anglo-Norman convention (ANC). <> appeared for the
last time in 1258 in the Oxford Provisions.
i.e. : was, and.
2. In OE we had the letters < > and <> to represent the interdental fricatives, voiced and voiceless. By
ANC these fricatives came to be represented by means of the letters <th> in ME.
i.e. : et, speke, knowe, neyer, oer, mene, habbe, ha, neode.
3. By ANC, ME long open [:] is represented by means of the digraph <ea> or by means of <e+
consonant+e>.
i.e. :
Old English
PdE
<specan>
<speak>
<leornian>
<learn>
4. By ANC, ME long close e [e:] is represented by means of the digraph <ee>.
Old English
PdE
<mtan>
<meet>

5. By ANC, ME long open [:] came to be represented by means of the digraph <oa> or by means of
<o+consonant+e>.
Old English
<mra >

PdE
<more>

6. In ME by ANC, [i] began to be represented by means of the letter <i> when it was in mid-word
position and by <y> in word final position. Only if the word is of classical origin could ME [i] be
represented by means of <i> in word final position.
Old English
PdE
< if>
<if>
<hit>
<it>
7. In ME, by ANC, diacritic <-e> was used to indicate that the vowel of the previous syllable was long:
<lore>, <more>.
8. Law of Minims: In ME, because of the Law of Minims, when [u] was followed by the downstroke
letters <m>, <n>, <u>, <v>, or preceded by <w>, it came to be represented by means of the letter <o>.
There was no change in pronunciation.
Old English
<tunge>

PdE
<tongue>

9. By ANC OE long [u:] came to be represented by means of <ou> in mid -word position and by
means of <ow> in word final position. THIS IS NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE!!!
Old English
<butan>

PdE
<but>

10. Words that in OE where written with <hw> in word initial position are written in PdE with <wh->
by ANC: <what>.
Old English

PdE

<hwt>

<what>

11. In ME, by ANC, the voiceless palatal affricate /t/ was represented by means of the letters <ch>:
<speech> (OE <spc>).
12. By ANC, the voiced labiodental fricative [v] came to be represented by means of the letter <v> (in
OE it was represented by <f>): <never> (OE <nfre>).
13. OE [k] was represented by means of the letter <c> in word initial position when followed by a back
vowel. i.e: <cnwan> In PdE it is represented by means of the letter <k> in word initial position when
followed by a front vowel by ANC. i. e: <know> And by means of the letters <ck> in final position or
in mid-word position (as part of the word root), and by means of <k> in word final position preceded
by a consonant, also by ANC i. e. <speche>, which is PE <speech>.

SEMANTIC ANALYSIS
- DUMB. In OE it meant unable to speak, but then it took the meaning stupid, which was
ocasional in ME. This is due to the influence of German, where it meant both speechless and
foolish, ignorant. P. E. ALSO HAS THIS MEANING.
- LEARN. The transitive sense of learn (= teach) is considered vulgar and archaic since the 19
century.
TO, WITH, FOLKLORE

th