How to Read and Speak Middle English

The written form of Middle English was used from the twelfth to the fifteenth century in works such as “The Canterbury Tales” and “Gawain and the Green Knight.” Because modern English spelling and pronunciation had not yet been cemented, Middle English may look alien to us today. However, even somebody who has never studied Medieval literature can learn how to read it.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Select an easy text, such as the prologue to “The Canterbury Tales.” A good version of Chaucer’s work will include many footnotes for words that no longer occur in modern English.

2. Speak each word out loud. This is the easiest way to become familiar with Middle English. Words which are spelled strangely often become recognizable when heard aloud.

3. Pronounce every consonant, even those that seem like they should be silent. (“Droghte” sounds like “drog-tuh.”) Because spelling did not become uniform until the 15th century, words in Middle English were usually spelled like they sounded.

4. Learn additional rules about consonants. “R’s” should be rolled. “S’s” sound like “hiss,” not like “hizz.” “Gh” in “knight” sounds like “kuh-niCK-tuh.”

5. Learn how to pronounce Middle English vowels. Some examples: A word with a long “a,” like “name,” is pronounced “nAH-muh.” A word with a long “e,” like “sweete,” is pronounced “swAY-tuh.” A word with a long “i,” like “shires,” is pronounced “shEE-res.” The “au” in “cause” makes the word sound like “cOW-suh.” The “ow” in the word “fowles” makes the word sound like “fOO-les.”

6. Become familiar with archaic Middle English characters. There are four main characters used in Middle English that have no corollary in Modern English: those are the Ash (Æ), the Eth (ð), the Thorn (þ) and the Yogh (ȝ). These characters are edited out in most editions of medieval texts.

7. Finally, make your own Middle English lexicon as you go along. Although Middle English dictionaries exist, it’s easier to check the footnotes in a text when you encounter an archaic word, and to write it down so that you remember it next time.

Tips & Warnings

• If you become frustrated because you can't understand a passage of Middle English, remember to take it slowly and always read the footnotes.

[Elitchka]

on 12/1/2007 Very interesting article. Thank you