Subject: The Indo-European Family of Languages. Germanic languages.
Instructions: Basing on the Grimm’s law, explain the correspondences of underlined sounds in the following words of the common root from Germanic and non-Germanic Indo-European languages.
Tasks:
Explanations:
1. Sanscrit m´dhyas (middle) à Gothic midjis
2. Russian áîëîňî à Englishpool
Part II.
Subject: The Old English Period
Instructions: Provide grammatical analysis of the suggested elements from the sentence below:
o Nouns — define the declension type (strong or weak), number, case.
o Adjectives — define the declension type (strong or weak), number, case, gender, degree of comparison.
o Verbs — strong or weak type, define tense, aspect, mood, person, number.
o Pronouns — class, if possible, person, number, case.
Instructions: Read the passage in Middle English, analyze the part in bold and do the tasks below.
From The Canterbury Tales:
The Clerk's Prologue
lines 1-14: The Host asks the Clerk to tell a tale
About The Clerk's Prologue and Tale:
The Host asks the Clerk of Oxford to narrate a tale in plain style. The Clerk announces a tale that he has learned from another clerk.
The Clerk's tale is about a marquis called Walter. Lord Walter is a bachelor who is asked by his subjects to marry in order to provide a heir. Lord Walter assents and marries a poor girl called Griselda. After some time, Walter starts testing Griselda's patience. Ultimately, the clerk's tale is about unconditional female submissiveness.
Heere folweth the Prologe of the Clerkes Tale of Oxenford.
Middle English text
Modern English translation
"Sire Clerk of Oxenford," oure Hooste sayde,
"Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde,
Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord.
This day ne herde I of youre tonge a word.
5 I trowe ye studie about som sophyme;
But Salomon seith, `every thyng hath tyme.'
For Goddes sake, as beth of bettre cheere;
It is no tyme for to studien heere,
Telle us som myrie tale, by youre fey!
10 For what man that is entred in a pley,
He nedes moot unto the pley assente;
But precheth nat as freres doon in Lente,
To make us for oure olde synnes wepe,
Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe.
Sir clerk of Oxford," our good host then said,
"You ride as quiet and still as is a maid
But newly wedded, sitting at the board;
This day I've heard not from your tongue a word.
5 Perhaps you mull a sophism that's prime,
But Solomon says, 'each thing to its own time.'
For God's sake, smile and be of better cheer,
It is no time to think and study here.
Tell us some merry story, if you may;
10 For whatsoever man will join in play,
He needs must to the play give his consent.
But do not preach, as friars do in Lent,
To make us, for our old sins, wail and weep,
And see your tale shall put us not to sleep.
trowe verb think, suppose
moot verb must
fey noun faith
13. Find present finite verb(s) and define their form (person, number)
14. Find past tense verb, define whether they are weak or strong. Are these verbs regular or irregular in Present-day English?
15. Find participle(s), define the verb type (weak or strong), and explain what changes they underwent in Middle English.
16. Find pronouns, give their Old English equivalents and explain which changes they underwent in Middle English.
17. Find example of the noun in the Genitive case.
18. Find the adjective(s) and define their form.
Explain the development of the following words from OE to MidE:
Old English
Middle English
Explanation:
19. mægden
mayde (Line 2)
20. of tungan (noun, f., n-declension, Dat.)
of tonge (Line 4)
21. dæg
day (Line 4)
Task IV.
Subject: The Early Modern English period
Instructions: Read the following extract from The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare and do the tasks below.
Hor.
Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee,
626: And wish thee to a shrew'd ill-fauour'd wife?
627: Thou'dst thanke me but a little for my counsell:
628: And yet Ile promise thee she shall be rich,
629: And verie rich: but th'art too much my friend,
630: And Ile not wish thee to her.
22. Find the forms of the verb “be”, define their form (person, number).
23. Find personal pronouns; define their form (person, number).
24. Find the word where the letter u is used for the sound v.
25. Provide word-for-word translation of characters’ statements in Modern English.