The pret. is often contracted to lovede.

The shortened part. pret. is rare, except in French verbs with the stress on the first syllable: ypunisshed=(-ift). Not in caried, stüdied &c.

māken has pret. mākede, māde, part. pret. ymād. quiten 'requite' has part. pret. quit.

Pret. kouthe, koude. Infin. conne(n).

So also:

dar, darst; dorste.

may, myght (mayst), pl. mowe(n). Pres. subj. mowe. Pret.

myghte.

mōt 'must,' mōst, mōten; mōste.

gwe, gwest, gweth; oghte.

shal, shalt, shullen, shul(en); sholde.

wot know,' west, wite(n). Imper. wite. Pret. wiste. Inf. witen. Partt. witynge, wist.

A similar verb is

wil, wol, wilt, wolt, wil(en), wol(en). Subj. wile, wolle. Pret. wolde. Part. Pret. wold. So also nyl' will not,' pret. nolde.

IRREGULAR VERBS.

am, art, is; plur. bē(n), rarely ar(n). Subj. bē. Pret. was, were, was, were(n). Subj. pret. węre. Imper. bē; beth. Infin. be(n). Part. bē-ynge; bē(n). So also nam am not,' nis, nas, ngre.

6

hāve, have, hast, hath, plur. hāve(n), hãn, han. 2nd pers. plur. also hāveth. Pret. hadde, hāde. Part. pret. had.

dō, dōst, dōth, dōn. Subj. do. Pret. dide. Imper. dō; dōth. Infin. dō(n). Gerund to dōne. Partt. döynge; dō(n).

88, ost, goth, go(n). Pret. wente, yēde. Inf. go(n). Partt. soynge; go(n).

KEY TO THE PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION.

For the vowels see p. 2.

The only consonant-symbols that require explanation are:

The stress is marked as follows:

The first syllable of a group is strong (s.) when no mark is prefixed; if (:) is prefixed, it is half-strong (hs.), if ( - ) is prefixed, it is weak (w.); if (·) is prefixed, it is extra strong (es.). Unmarked syllables which do not begin a group are weak; if preceded by a (·), they are half-strong.

The following, therefore, is the accentuation of the first line of the Complaint to Pity:

I.

2.

3.

TEXTS.

I.

COMPLAINT TO PITY.

Pite that i have soght so yore agoo,
with herte soore and ful of besy peyne,

that in this world was never wight so wo9,
withoute dęth- and yf i shal nat feyne,
my purpos was to Pitē to compleyne
upon the crueltee and tirannye

of Löve, that for my trouthe doth mẽ dye.

And whan that I by lengthe of certeyn yeres
hadde evere in ọọn a tyme soght tō spęke,

to Pitee ran i, al bespreynt with teres,
to preyen hir on crueltē me awręke;
but er i myght with any word outbręke,
or tellen any of my peynes smerte,

i fond hir ded and buried in an herte,

Adoun i fel, whan that i saugh the herse,
[as] ded as ston, whil that the swough me laste;
but up i roos with colour ful dyverse,

and pitously on hir myn yen i caste,

and ner the cors i gan to pręsen faste,

and for the soule i shōp me for tō preye:
i nas but lorn- ther was no more tō seye.

21. i was.

I.

2.

3.

-pi tee -datiiav souxt :sɔ jɔra gɔ,
-wið herte sɔr -and fulov bezi peine,
dat indis wurld -waz nɛver'więtsɔ wɔ,
-wuute dep-and-ifii falnat feine,
-mii purpos⚫waz -too piteetookum pleine
-u ponde kreeuel teeand'tira niie

-ov luv -ðatformii trooude doopmee diie.

-and-whandatii -bii lendov sertein jɛrez
-had ɛvrin ɔn -a tiime souxttoo spɛke,
-too pitee ranii, albe spreintwið tɛrez,
-too preienhir -on'kreeuel teema wrɛke;
-but ɛriimiçtwo ani woorduut brɛke,
-or tellen ani -ovmii peines smerte,
-ii fɔndhir dɛd -and byrjedinan herte.

-a duunii fel, -whan datii sauxde herse,
-az dɛdaz stɔn, :whiil datde swuuxmee laste;
-but upii rɔs, -wið kuluur·fuldi verse,
-and pituusli -on hirmiin iinii kaste,
-and-nerde kors -ii'gantoo prɛsen faste,
-and-force soul -ii-foopmeefortoo preie:

ii'nazbut lɔrn— -dɛr'waz'nɔ mɔrtoo seie.

5

ΙΟ

15.

20