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Qualitative Changes
Both monophthongs and diphthongs underwent some radical changes during the Middle English period.
(a) Monophthongs
OE [a, o, ō, u, ū e, ē, i, ī,] remained more or less unchanged in Middle English, while OE [ā, æ, ǣ, y, ӯ] changed radically.
1.OE [ā] > ME [ō] (everywhere but in the northern dialects).
OE bāt, nā > ME boot, no (> ModE boat, no).
But OE gōd > good
2. 
OE[ǣ] > ME [ē] (rather open).
OE sǣ, mǣl > ME se, meel (> ModE sea, meal)
Note: In Middle English manuscripts a single letter ‘e’ was used in open syllables and a double ‘ee’ in closed ones.
3. OE [æ] > ME [a]
OE æt, þæt, dæg > ME at, that, day [dai].
| ↗ | became i, īin the North-East | |||||
| 4.OE y, ӯ → | remained unchanged in the South-West (written u, ui) | |||||
| ↘ | became e, ē in the South-East (Kent) | |||||
| ↗ | hill, fir (hill, fire) | |||||
| E.g. OE hyll,fӯr → | hull, fuir | |||||
| ↘ | hell, fēr | |||||
Note: In the majority of cases Modern English has forms with [ī], But sometimes
Date: 2014-12-22; view: 1518
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| Changes in the Orthographic System | | | The influence of other dialects is felt. |