Group 22

Carmen, Marina, Paula y Alberto,

History of the English Language Prof. Contreras (5 Ex)

John of Trevisa. Translation (1385) of Polychronicon by R. Higden

As hyt ys y-knowe houʒ meny maner people buþ in þis ylond, þer buþ also of so meny
2 people longages and tonges; noþeles Walschmen and Scottes, þat buþ noʒt y-melled wiþ oþer
nacions, holdeþ wel nyʒ here furste longage and speche, bote ʒef Scottes, þat were som tyme
4 confederat and wonede wiþ þe Pictes, drawe somwhat after here speche. Bote þe Flemmynges,
þat woneþ in ze west syde of Wales, habbeþ y-left here strange speche and spekeþ Saxonlych
6 y-now. Also Englischmen, þeyʒ hy hadde fram þe bygynnyng þre maner speche, Souþeron,
Norþeron and Myddel speche (in þe myddel of þe lond), as hy come of þre maner people of
8 Germania, noþeles, by commyxstion and mellyng furst wiþ Danes and afterward wiþ Normans,
in menye þe contray longage ys apeyred, and som useþ strange wlaffyng, chytteryng, harryng
10 and garryng grisbittyng. Ðis apeyryng of þe burþ-tonge ys because of twey þinges. On ys, for
chyldern in scole, aʒenes þe usage and manere of al oþer nacions, buþ compelled for to leve
12 here oune longage, and for to construe here lessons and here þinges a Freynsch, and habbeþ,
suþthe þe Normans come furst into Engelond. Also, gentilmen children buþ y-tauʒt for to speke
14 Freynsch fram tyme þat a buþ y-rokked in here cradel, and conneþ speke and playe wiþ a child
hys brouch, and oplondysch men wol lykne hamsylf to gentilmen, and fondeþ wiþ gret bysynes
16 for to speke Freynsch for to be more y-told of.
Ðis manere was moche y-used to-fore þe furste moreyn and ys seþthe somdel
18 y-chaunged. For Johan Cornwal, a mayster of gramere, chayngede þe lore in gramer-scole, and
construcion of Freynsch into Englysch; and Richard Pencrych lurnede þar manere techyng of
20 hym, and oþer men of Pencrych; so þat now, þe ʒer of oure Lord a þousond þre hondred foure
score and fyve, of þe secunde kyng Richard after þe conquest nyne, in al þe gramer-scoles of
22 Engelond childern leveþ Frensch and construeþ and lurneþ an Englysch, and habbeþ þerby
avauntage in on syde and desavauntage yn anoþer; here avauntage ys þat a lurneþ here
24 gramer yn lasse tyme þan childern wer y-woned to do; disavauntage ys þat now childern of
gramer-scole conneþ no more Frensch þan can here lift heele, and þat ys harm for ham, and a
26 scholle passe þe se and travayle in strange londes, and in meny caas also. Also gentilmen
habbeþ now moche y-left for to teche here childern Frensch. Hyt semeþ a gret wondur houʒ
28 Englysch, þat ys þe burþ-tonge of Englischmenn and here oune longage and tonge, ys so
dyvers of soun in þis lond; and þe longage of Normandy ys comlyng of anoþer lond, and haþ on
30 maner soun among al men zat spekeþ hy aryʒt in Engelond. Noþeles, þer ys as meny dyvers
maner Frensch yn þe rem of Fraunce as ys divers maner Englysch in þe rem of Engelond.
32 Also, of þe forseyde Saxon tonge, þat ys deled a þre, and ys abyde scarslych wiþ feaw
uplondysch men, hyt ys gret wondur; for men of þe est wiþ men of ze west, as hyt were undur
34 þe same party of hevene, acordeþ more in sounyng of speche þan men of þe norz wiþ men of
þe souþ; þerfore hyt ys zar Mercii, þat buþ men of myddel Engelond, as hyt were parteners of
36 þe endes, undurstondeþ betre þe syde longages, Norþeron and Souþeron, þan Norþeron and
Souþeron undurstondeþ eyþer oþer.
38 Al þe longage of þe Norþhumbres, and specialych at Ʒork, ys so scharp, slyttyng and
frotyng, and unschape, þat we Souþeron men may þat longage unneþe undurstonde. Y trowe
40 þat þat ys bycause þat a buþ nyʒ to strange men and aliens þat spekeþ strangelych, and also
bycause þat þe kynges of Engelond woneþ alwey fer fram þat contray. For a buþ more y-turnd
42 to þe souþ contray; and ʒef a goþ to þe norþ contray, a goþ wiþ gret help and strengthe. Ðe
cause why a buþ more in þe souþ contray þan in þe norþ may be betre cornlond, more people,
44 more noble cytes, and more profytable havenes.
VOCABULARY:

(1) buþ: are (14) a: they

(2) noþeles: nevertheless (15) lykne: be alike
(2) y-melled: mixed (15) fondeþ: make strong efforts
(4) here: their (17) seþthe: since then
(4) wonede: lived (23) lurneþ: learn
(6) þeyʒ: though (24) wer y-woned: were used to
(7) hy: they (25) ham: them
(8) commyxstion and mellyng: mixing (26) se: sea
(9) apeyred: deteriorated (29) soun: sound
(9) wlaffyng: stammering (38) Ʒork: York
(9) chyttering: chattering (38) slyttyng: piercing
(9) harryng: snarling (39) frotyng: grinding
(10) grisbittyng: grinding of the teeth (39) unneþe: hardly
(10) burþ-tonge: native language (40) nyʒ: near
(11) aʒenes: against (42) goþ: go
(12) a: on

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ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

(Mention the number of line(s) where you find the evidence for the answers)

1. How many dialectal areas are distinguished in the text? (line 6 to 7)

There are 3 distinguished areas in the text which are: Souƥeron, Norƥeron and Middle
dialect.

2. What was the degree of mutual intelligibility between them? (lines 35 to 36)
Middle dialect had certain advantages while Northern and Southern had problems at
mutual intelligibility

3. What language was used in school? Was there any change in this regard? If so, when
did it take place? (lines 11 to 13, 20 and 22)
In school, French was used as a tool of instruction. With the time. French started to
loose prestige and English started to be used instead.

4. What area does Trevisa belong to? (line 39 to 40)

It belongs to the Southern dialects
5. What attitude does he show towards dialects other than his own? (lines 9 to 10) (line 38 to
39)
He critics them.

6. Which area was the wealthiest one at this time? Name a few factors that explain its
buoyant economy. (line 43 to 44)
 The wealthiest part was the South because it was the most populated one. Some factors that
explain its great economy were the better grain lands and the more profits obtained thanks to them.