PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions govern different cases in Old English. The cases they usually govern are noted below.

Unlike modern English, sometimes the prepositions can come after the word(s) they govern.

Several prepositions can take either the accusative or dative; in many cases the accusative occurs when motion is implied, whereas the dative implies rest. Compare the following:

Motion (accusative)

Hēr cōmon Westseaxe in þā stōwe þe is gecweden Cerdicesora.

‘Here (in this year) the West-Saxons came to the place that is called Cerdic’s Ore.’

Rest (dative)

Hēr fuhton Cerdic and Cynric wiþ Brettas in þǣre stōwe þe is gecweden Cerdicesleaga.

‘Here (in this year) Cerdic and Cynric fought against the British in the place that is called Cerdic’s Ley.’

æfter (dative) ‘after, along’ æfter miclum fæce ‘after a long period of time’

ǣr (dative) ‘before’ ǣr Eastrum ‘before Easter’

æt (dative) ‘at, from, by’ æt Middeltūne ‘at Milton’

be (dative) ‘by, along(side)’ be þǣm sūþ·stæðe ‘along the south coast’

binnan (dative or accusative) ‘within, into’ binnan þǣm fierste ‘within the period’ (dat) bufan (dative or accusative) ‘above, upon’ se engel hine sette bufan þǣm sēaþe

‘the angel put him above the pit’ (dat) būtan (dative or accusative) ‘without, except’ būtan gōdum weorcum ‘without good works’

(dat)

for (dative or accusative) ‘for, in front of’ for his sċēapum ‘for his sheep’ (dat)

fram (dative) ‘from, by (agent)’ fram his āgnum folce ‘from his own people’

fēower mīla fram þǣm mūðan ‘four miles from the river mouth’

geond (accusative) ‘throughout’ hē fērde geond manigu land ‘he travelled throughout many lands’

in (dative or accusative) ‘in, into’ in heofonum ‘in heaven’ (dat)

See the examples of motion and rest above too innan (dative or accusative) ‘in, into’ innan þǣre ċiriċan ‘inside the church’ (dat) mid (dative or accusative) ‘with, among’ mid his herġe ‘with his army’ (dat)

of (dative) ‘from, of’ cōmon hīe of Bretene ‘they came from Britain’

ofer (dative or accusative) ‘over, across’ heofonlic lēoht cōm ofer hīe ealle ‘heavenly light came over them all’ (acc)

hēo geseah þǣre niht þæt lēoht ofer his bānum ‘she saw that night the light over his bones’ (dat)

hīe ofer sǣ fōron ‘they went across the sea’

(acc)

on (dative or accusative) ‘on, in, into’ on þǣm hūse ‘in the house’ (dat) on þissum ġēare ‘in this year’ (dat)

sumu sǣd fēollon on gōde eorþan ‘some seed fell on good earth’ (acc)

hē on þā duru ēode ‘he went to the door’ (acc) hē belāf on Norþhymbralande ‘he remained in Northumberland’ (dat)

ongēan (dative or accusative) ‘towards; against’ hīe fuhton ongēan Peohtas ‘they fought against the Picts’ (acc)

oþ (accusative) ‘up to, until’ oþ þisne andweardan dæġ ‘until this present day’

tō (dative) ‘to, towards’ tō hiera sċipum ‘to their ships’

þurh (accusative) ‘through, by’ þurh his fultum ‘through his help’

under (dative or accusative) ‘under, beneath’ under Dena onwealde ‘under Danish rule’ (dat) wiþ (usually accusative) ‘against, toward, along; in return for; with’

hē ġe·feaht wiþ hǣþne menn ‘he fought against heathen men (=the Danes)’ (acc) friþ wiþ þone here ‘peace with the army’ (acc) ne cōme þū tō mē tō wyrċenne wiþ ānum peninge? ‘Didn’t you come to me to work for one penny?’ (dat)

ymb(e) (accusative) ‘about, after’ ymb twā ġēar ‘about two years’

Middle English Exercises

The first text is a very early example of Middle English. This is the introduction from the British Library website (

http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/timeline/index.html

), where you can view the original manuscript. The spelling and punctuation of this passage has not been normalised.

Most sermons (or homilies) in this collection are copies of earlier ones in Old English. But this one is different. It is an English translation of a Latin sermon in which we can see many of the changes that signal the end of Old English. The rhythm and pattern of the sentences are beginning to sound distinctly modern. That is why linguists have called it the first text in Middle English. The sermon was given by Ralph d’Escures, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the 12th century.

Translate the following passage to modern English. You will need to look up the words you don’t know. For this, I suggest you use the online Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary:

(http://bosworth.ff.cuni.cz/) which includes non-normalised spellings.

Se godspellere Lucas sæigð on þyssen godspelle. þæt se hælend com in to

sumen cæstele. and sum wif hine underfeng in to hire huse. þære wæs to name Martha. Seo hæfde ane suster. þe wæs genæmd Maria. Seo wæs sittende æt ures drihtenes foten. and hlyste his worden.

The second text is taken from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It is the taken from the Prioress’s Portrait in the General Prologue.

You can listen to this being read out from here:

https://archive.org/details/P_CHA_GEO_01 (at 6 mins 24), http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/priorport.htm or here:

http://www.vmi.edu/fswebs.aspx?tid=34099&id=34327

First try and understand as much as you can with the help of the glossary at the bottom of the webpage:

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/priorport.htm

It is also possible to look up individual words online in this Middle English Dictionary:

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/med/structure.html

Then you can look at this interlinear translation to help you with the words that you have difficulties with:

http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/gp-par.htm

Finally, work in pairs and answer the study questions below. There is a brief but useful guide to Chaucer’s pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary available from here:

http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/pronunciation

120

125

130

135

140

145

150

155

160 Ther was also a Nonne, a PRIORESSE, That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;

Hire gretteste ooth was but by seïnt Loy;

And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.

Ful weel she soonge the service dyvyne, Entuned in hir nose ful semely,

And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe, For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.

At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle, She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle, Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe.

Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe, Thát no drope ne fille upon hire breste;

In curteisie was set ful muchel hir leste.

Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene,

That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.

Ful semely after hir mete she raughte, And sikerly she was of greet desport, And ful plesáunt, and amyable of port, And peyned hire to countrefete cheere Of Court, and been estatlich of manere, And to ben holden digne of reverence.

But for to speken of hire conscïence, She was so charitable and so pitous She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.

Middle English Exercises

The first text is a very early example of Middle English. This is the introduction from the British Library website (

), where you can view the original manuscript. The spelling and punctuation of this passage has not been normalised.

Translate the following passage to modern English. You will need to look up the words you don’t know. For this, I suggest you use the online Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary:

(http://bosworth.ff.cuni.cz/) which includes non-normalised spellings.

Se godspellere Lucas sæigð on þyssen godspelle. þæt se hælend com in to

sumen cæstele. and sum wif hine underfeng in to hire huse. þære wæs to name Martha. Seo hæfde ane suster. þe wæs genæmd Maria. Seo wæs sittende æt ures drihtenes foten. and hlyste his worden.

The second text is taken from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It is the taken from the Prioress’s Portrait in the General Prologue.

You can listen to this being read out from here:

First try and understand as much as you can with the help of the glossary at the bottom of the webpage:

It is also possible to look up individual words online in this Middle English Dictionary:

Then you can look at this interlinear translation to help you with the words that you have difficulties with:

Finally, work in pairs and answer the study questions below. There is a brief but useful guide to Chaucer’s pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary available from here:

120

125

130

135

140

145

150

155

160

Ther was also a Nonne, a PRIORESSE, That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;

Hire gretteste ooth was but by seïnt Loy;

And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.

Ful weel she soonge the service dyvyne, Entuned in hir nose ful semely,

And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe, For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.

At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle, She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle, Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe.

Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe, Thát no drope ne fille upon hire breste;

In curteisie was set ful muchel hir leste.

Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene,

That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.

Ful semely after hir mete she raughte, And sikerly she was of greet desport, And ful plesáunt, and amyable of port, And peyned hire to countrefete cheere Of Court, and been estatlich of manere, And to ben holden digne of reverence.

But for to speken of hire conscïence, She was so charitable and so pitous She wolde wepe if that she saugh a mous Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.

Of smale houndes hadde she that she fedde With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel breed;

But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed, Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte, And al was conscïence and tendre herte.

Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was;

Hire nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,

Hir mouth ful smal, and ther-to softe and reed, But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;

It was almoost a spanne brood I trowe, For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.

Ful fetys was hir cloke as I was war;

Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,

And ther-on heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,

On which ther was first write a crowned A,

And after Amor vincit omnia.