- •The aims of studying the history of the English language. Synchronic and diachronic approaches to studying the language. The concept of ‘language change’
- •Proto-Indo-European language and comparative linguistics
- •Proto-Germanic language, its development from Proto-Indo-European
- •Modern Germanic languages
- •The earliest descriptions of the Germans, the ancient tribes that spoke Germanic languages
- •Eastern Germanic, Western Germanic and Northern Germanic groups of languages
- •The runic alphabet. Old English alphabet and pronunciation.
- •Common phonetic characteristics of the Germanic languages
- •Changes in the system of vowels in the Germanic languages
- •Grammar characteristics common to the Germanic languages
- •Vocabulary
- •Periodisation in the history of the English language, Old English written records.
- •The historical background of Old English
- •Phonetic processes in Old English (the system of vowels)
- •Independent changes. Development of monophthongs
- •Phonetic processes in Old English (the system of consonants)
- •Velar consonants in Early Old English. Growth of New Phonemes
- •Old English dialects
- •The nominal system of Old English
- •The vocabulary and word-building means in Old English
- •Old English syntax.
- •The verbal system in Old English (grammatical categories)
- •The verbal system in Old English (morphological classification)
- •Economic and social conditions in the 11-12th centuries.
- •The Scandinavian invasions, the Norman Conquest & the way they influenced English.
- •Changes in the alphabet and spelling in Middle English. Middle English written records
- •Middle English dialects. The London dialect.
- •Phonetic processes in Middle English (the system of vowels)
- •Phonetic processes in Middle English (system of consonants)
- •Changes in the categories of the noun in Middle English
- •Practical Part
- •Breaking and Diphthongization
- •Comparison of Adjectives in Old English
- •Conjugation of Preterite-Presents in Old English
- •Conjugation of Verbs in Old English
- •Declension of Adjectives
- •Declension of Nouns in the Late 14th and 15th centuries
- •Declension of nouns Strong Declensions (Vocalic Stems)
- •Strong Declensions (Vocalic Stems)
- •Consonantal Stems
- •Declension of Personal Pronouns
- •Declension of sē, sēo, þæt (Demonstrative pronouns)
- •Development of Old English Diphthongs in Early Middle English
- •Development of Sibilants and Affricates in Early Middle English
- •Middle English Vowels
- •Morphological Classification of Nouns in Old English
- •Old English Consonants
- •Palatal Mutation
- •Peculiarities of Middle English Spelling
- •Principal Middle English Written Records
- •Quantitative Vowel Changes in Late Old English and Early Middle English
- •Strong Verbs in Old English
- •Weak Verbs in Old English
Declension of Adjectives
-
Singular
Strong (pure a- and ō-stems)
M N F
Weak
M N F
Nom. blind blind blind
Gen. blindes blindes blindre
Dat. blindum blindum blindre
Acc. blindne blind blinde
Instr. blinde blinde blindre
blinda blinde blinde
blindan blindan blindan
blindan blindan blindan
blindan blinde blindan
blindan blindan blindan
Plural
Nom. blinde blind blinda, -e
Gen. blindra blindra blindra
Dat. blindum blindum blindum
Acc. blinde blind blinda, -e
Instr. blindum blindum blindum
(NE blind)
All genders
blindan
blindra, -ena
blindum
blindan
blindum
Declension of Nouns in the Late 14th and 15th centuries
-
Main Declension
Variant forms and deviations
Singular
Comm. case
Gen. case
fish, end(e)
tale, sun(e), etc.
wolf, hous(e), etc.
fishes, endes, tales, sunes, etc.
wolves, houses, etc.
lady/ladys, fader/faderes
Plural
Comm. case
Gen. case
fishes, endes
tales, sunes, etc.
wolves, houses, etc.
fishes, endes
tales, sunes
wolves, houses, etc.
hors/horses/horsen, thing/thinges, eyen/eyes
Minor Groups
Singular
Comm. case
Gen. case
foot, mous(e), ox
footes, mousse, oxen
Plural
Comm. case
Gen. case
feet, mis(e), oxen
feetes, mices, oxen(es)
brothers/brethren
children/children