I have only been exposed to Middle English visually, but I don't believe I've ever been required to read, study, or learn anything in Middle English before. I can easily hear what I'm reading in my brain from the Middle English blog, though, so it was not too difficult to read, and it did become easier the more I read. But it's mentally tiring. I feel like my brain is doing gymnastics. I didn't understand "were" at first for "war." Through some familiarity with German, I know "ich" is "I."
The first post I read from Geoffrey Chaucer's Blog was "Ich and the Perle Poete, on Mont Dorse-Quasse" posted on March 25, 2006. Upon
almost finishing my read-through, I realized I was reading a farce of
Brokeback Mountain, and how stupid I felt for not figuring this out sooner! I think the effect is comical. Why? Because it is so unexpected! The juxtaposition of a five hundred year-old language--which truly does sound archaic--with the narrative of two modern gay American cowboys. I scrolled back to the top of the post and re-read the picture caption: "I wolde I knewe how of thee I might be Quitten" and knew the reference right away: "I wish I knew how to quit you" from the movie. The creator of this blog is having a great time entertaining followers and fellow-lovers of Middle English. I think it must be very rewarding to take something you love--Chaucer and Middle English--and turn it into a hobby like this. The creator is also sharing the beauty of Middle English in a fun, novel way. He must derive great pleasure from reading all of the responses he receives.
My favorite pick-up line in the post "To Kalamazoo with Love" is: "Woldstow haue me shyfte thyne voweles?" (Do you want me to shift your vowels?)
And after seeing it enough times, I conclude that "woldstow" is "would you (wouldest thou?)"
Noted Differences between Middle and Modern English:
Phonology:
If the "-e" was pronounced at the end of words, that is really the main phonological difference I notice in pronunciation. Otherwise, the frequent [
θ] at the end of many verbs adds a distinctive change to the sound of Middle English as compared to Modern English.
Morphology:
- the morpheme "swote" has become "sweet"
- the "-n" changed ("maken" to "making") and become the suffix "-ing"
- the "-th" dropped from verbs ("telleth" to "tell" and "doth" to does")
- the "-t" dropped in verbs like "lookst"
- "the "y-" dropped in verbs like "ybit" and "ymaad"
Most of the changes I notice involve verbs.
Syntax:
Middle English: "I wolde I knewe how of thee I might be Quitten." (I would I knew how of you I might be Quitting)
to
Modern English: "I wish I knew how to quit you."
In the example of syntactic change above, the middle English statement has the order SOV, while the modern translation has the order SVO.
Another example of change is " juyce of mojito" instead of "mojito juice" which would a change in order from "noun-preposition-modifier" TO just "noun-modifier."
Semantics:
"Chaucer" uses the same semantics of English words that we use today.
Myn son and ich are at YHOP eaten. But alas, he hath a syster, and y a daughter, that with us dyd noght want to coom for she was not merrye. So it was just we tweye. Ich decyded to bryng wyth me myn werke. Ich have much to do ere morewe! Hot caykes and syrup ay liste myn spyryts and make the tyme to fly!