Thefourth edition of this essential Middle English textbook introduces students to the wide range of literature written in England between 1150 and 1400. Beginning with an extensive overview of middle English history, grammar, syntax, and pronunciation, the book goes on to examine key middle English texts including a new extract from Julian of Norwich's Revelation of Divine Love with helpful notes to direct students to key points within the text. Keeping in mind adopter feedback, this new edition includes a new model translation section with a student workbook and model exercise for classroom use. This new chapter will include sections on 'false friend' words, untranslatable idioms and notes on translating both poetry and prose. The text and references will be fully updated throughout and a foreword dedicated to the late J. A. Burrow will be included.

THORLAC TURVILLE-PETRE is Emeritus Professor of Medieval English at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is the author of numerous books includingThe Alliterative Revival, England the Nation, andDescription and Narrative in Middle English Alliterative Poetry. HisReading Middle English Literature is designed as a companion to this book.

J. A. BURROW was Emeritus Professor at Bristol University, UK, a Fellow of the British Academy and Honorary Director of the Early English Text Society. He was the author of many classic studies, includingA Reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Medieval Writers and their Work, andThe Ages of Man.

List of Illustrations ix

Preface to the Fourth Edition xi

Abbreviations xiii

Part One

1 Introducing Middle English 3

1.1 The Period 3

1.1.1 From Old to Middle English 3

1.1.2 From Middle to Modern English 4

1.2 Varieties of Middle English 5

1.2.1 Regional Dialects 5

1.2.2 Early and Late Middle English 8

1.2.3 Spelling 8

2 Pronouncing Middle English 9

2.1 Introduction 9

2.2 Vowels 10

2.2.1 The Long Vowels 10

2.2.2 The Short Vowels 11

2.2.3 Unstressed Final -e 11

2.2.4 The Diphthongs 12

2.3 Consonants 12

2.4 Stress 13

3 Vocabulary 14

3.1 Introduction 14

3.2 Scandinavian 14

3.3 English, French and Latin 15

3.4 Latin Loan-Words 17

3.5 French Loan-Words 18

4 Inflexions 19

4.1 Introduction 19

4.1.1 The Inflexional System 19

4.1.2 Loss of Inflexional Endings 19

4.2 Nouns 20

4.2.1 Introduction 20

4.2.2 Noun Inflexions: Early Southern Texts 21

4.2.3 Developments in Noun Inflexions 22

4.2.4 Genitive Singular Without Ending 23

4.2.5 Unchanged Plurals 23

4.2.6 Mutated Plurals 23

4.3 Pronouns and Articles 24

4.3.1 Forms of the Personal Pronouns 24

4.3.2 First and Second Person Pronouns 25

4.3.3 Third Person Pronouns: Masculine and Neuter Singular 25

4.3.4 Third Person Pronouns: Feminine Singular 25

4.3.5 Third Person Pronouns: Plural 26

4.3.6 The Definite Article 26

4.3.7 Demonstratives 27

4.3.8 The Indefinite Article 27

4.4 Adjectives and Adverbs 27

4.4.1 Definite and Indefinite Inflexions 27

4.4.2 Inflexions for Case 28 4.4.3 Comparison of Adjectives 29

4.4.4 Comparison of Adverbs 29

4.5 Verbs 30

4.5.1 Introduction 30

4.5.2 Present Tense 30

4.5.3 Past Tense and Past Participle 32

4.5.4 Past of Weak Verbs 32

4.5.5 The Verbs Have and Say 33

4.5.6 Past of Strong Verbs 34

4.5.7 Irregular Verbs 35

4.5.8 The Verb To Be 36

5 Syntax 38

5.1 Gender 38

5.2 Number 38

5.3 Use of Cases 39

5.3.1 Nominative and Accusative 39

5.3.2 Genitive 39

5.3.3 Dative 40

5.4 Pronouns and Articles 41

5.4.1 Þou and e 41

5.4.2 Non-expression of Personal Pronouns 41

5.4.3 Man 42 5.4.4 Self 42

5.4.5 Reflexive Pronouns 43

5.4.6 Relative Pronouns 43

5.4.7 The Articles 44

5.5 Adjectives and Adverbs 44

5.5.1 Position 44

5.5.2 Comparatives and Superlatives 44

5.5.3 Adjectives as Nouns 45

5.6 Verbs 45

5.6.1 Use of Present Tense 45

5.6.2 Use of Past Tense 46

5.6.3 Auxiliaries of the Past 46

5.6.4 Auxiliaries of the Future: shall and will 47

5.6.5 The Infinitive 47

5.6.6 The Subjunctive 48

5.6.7 The Imperative 50

5.6.8 Impersonal Verbs 50

5.6.9 Verbs of Motion 51

5.6.10 The Passive 51

5.7 Negation 52

5.8 Questions 52

5.9 Word-Order 53

5.9.1 Inversion 53

5.9.2 The Object 54

5.9.3 Prepositions 54

5.9.4 Relative Clauses 54

5.9.5 Adverbial Phrases 54

5.9.6 Verb in Final Position 55

5.10 Recapitulation and Anticipation 55

6 Metre 56

6.1 Introduction 56

6.2 Rhymed Verse 56

6.3 Alliterative Verse 59

6.4 LaamonsBrut61

7 From Manuscript to Printed Text 62

8 Translating Middle English 65

8.1 TrevisasDialogue65

8.2 Words and Their Meanings 66

8.3 Dictionaries 67

8.4 False Friends 68

8.4.1 lewd 68

8.4.2 kind 70

8.4.3 Some Nouns and Verbs 71

8.5 Idioms 71

8.6 Translating Prose 71

8.7 Translating Verse 73

8.8 TranslatingPearl74

9 Select Bibliography 77

9.1 Bibliographies, Indexes, and Internet Resources 77

9.2 Language Studies 78

9.3 General Studies of the Literature 79

9.4 Studies of Particular Genres 81

9.5 Historical and Social Studies 82

Part Two: Prose and Verse Texts

Note on Treatment of Texts 86

1The Peterborough Chronicle1137 87

2The Owl and the Nightingale93

3 Laamon:Brut108

4Ancrene Wisse118

5Sir Orfeo124

6The Cloud of Unknowing144

7 William Langland:Piers Plowman153

8Patience174

9Sir Gawain and the Green Knight194

10Pearl214

11St Erkenwald233

12 John Trevisa:Dialogue between a Lord and a Clerk247

13 John Gower:Confessio Amantis255

14 Lyrics 267

15 The York Play of the Crucifixion 284

16 Geoffrey Chaucer:The Parliament of Fowls295

17 Chaucer:Troilus and Criseyde321

18 Chaucer:The Canterbury Tales339

18a The Reeves Tale 340

18b The Prioresss Tale 358

19 Julian of Norwich:Revelations of Divine Love368

Textual Notes 375

Glossary 382