This is a fragment from The Ormulum. The Ormulum is an invaluable document (probably a draft) with very peculiar spellings in Middle English. The author, Orm, was obsessed with meticulously reflecting in writing the 'correct' pronunciation at the time. Thanks to his writings we have a better understanding of how Middle English was was spoken in that area and time.
Closed and Open Syllables: A closed syllable is when the vowel in the syllable is "enclosed" or surrounded by consonants (eg. dog). An open syllable is when there's no such enclosure (eg. she)
Orm's method: Orm adds a consonant after all short vowels in closed syllables. This means that when a consonant is not double the vowel before it must be long or part of a closed syllable.
To illustrate this I include a transcription or Orm's work from the website Engle-Saxe (look in the 'resources' tab).
Closed and Open Syllables: A closed syllable is when the vowel in the syllable is "enclosed" or surrounded by consonants (eg. dog). An open syllable is when there's no such enclosure (eg. she)
Orm's method: Orm adds a consonant after all short vowels in closed syllables. This means that when a consonant is not double the vowel before it must be long or part of a closed syllable.
To illustrate this I include a transcription or Orm's work from the website Engle-Saxe (look in the 'resources' tab).
Þi macche birrþ þe lufenn wel; 3iff þatt 3ho drihhtin dredeþþ. & tu mihht foll3henn hire will; Inn all þatt niss na sinne. Inn all þatt 3ho 3eorneþþ wiþþ skill. To 3unnkerr baþre gode. & 3iff þatt iss þatt 3ho iss all. Wittlæs. & wac. & wicke; All birrþ þe don þi mahht tærto. To 3emenn hire. & gætenn. Swa þatt 3ho mu3he borr3henn beon. Att hire lifess ende. Forr 3iff þatt 3ho iss gætelæs. & e33elæs. & wilde; 3ho gillteþþ skët. & 3iff þüt wast. & te niss nohht tær offe; Þa narrt tu nohht all sinnelæs. Off - þatt 3ho liþ i sinne. & 3iff þi macche iss wis. & god. & tu wittlæs. & wicke; Þa birrþ þi macche gætenn þe. All þatt 3ho ma33 fra sinne. Forr e33þerr birrþ þurrh oþerr beon; Hollpenn to wurrþenn borr3henn. & 3iff 3itt baþe foll3henn rihht. & lufenn godd. & drædenn; & haldenn 3unnkerr cristenndom. Wel affterr 3unnkerr mihhte. Swa þatt 3itt baþe ledenn 3unnc. Clennlike 3unnc bitwenenn; Þa foll3he 3itt tatt narrwe stih. Þatt ledeþþ 3unnc till heoffne; 3iff þatt 3itt endenn 3unnkerr lif. All affterr cristess wille. Wiþþ all þe rihhte læfe o godd; & all i gode dedes. Wiþþ lufe towarrd alle menn; Wiþþ husell. & wiþþ shriffte. & 3unnc birrþ nimenn mikell gom; To þæwenn 3unnkerr chilldre. & 3unnc birrþ 3eorne lærenn hemm. To lufenn godd. & drædenn. 3iff þatt 3itt nilenn wraþþenn godd; Þurrh sinnfull 3emelæste. & 3unnc birrþ 3unnkerr le3he menn. Rihht la3helike ledenn. Swa þatt 3itt nohht att hofelæs. Ne nede þe33m to swinnkenn. Forr 3unnc birrþ witenn swiþe wel. & innwarrdlike trowwenn. Þatt niss bitwenenn 3unnc. & hemm. Nan shæd i manness kinde. & tatt te33 mu3henn gode beon. Biforenn godess ehne. & tatt 3itt mu3henn wraþþenn godd; 3iff 3itt hemm oferrbedenn. & heore le3he birrþ hemm beon; Rædi3 þann itt iss addledd. Forr þatt iss godess bodeword. Loc 3iff þu willt itt foll3henn. Þatt heore da33whammlike swinnc. Beo da33whammlike hemm 3oldenn. & hemm birrþ. 3iff þatt hemm iss laþ. Full hefi3li3 to gilltenn; Beon ar. & làte o 3unnkerr weorrc. & 3eorrnfull a33 þæronne. Forr 3iff þe33 wirrkenn 3unnkerr weorrc. Forrwurrþennlike. & ille; Þa gilltenn þe33 full hefi3li3. 3æn godd. & 3æn 3unnc baþe. | Your mate is duty-bound to love you well If she dreads the Lord. And you may follow her will In all that is not sin, In all that she wishes for, within reason, For the good of both of you. And if she is all Witless and weak and evil You are duty-bound to do your utmost To consent and take care of her, So that she is safe Until the end of her life. For if she is rebellious, and fearless, and wild, She sins quickly, and you understand this And this means nothing to you, Then you are not completely sinless For the fact that she lies in sin. And if your partner is wise and good And you are witless and wicked, Then it’s your duty to listen to your partner In all about sins; For you are duty-bound through the other To help each other become safe. And if you both follow the right path And love and dread God and uphold your Christendom Well according to your capabilities, So that you both conduct Yourselves cleanly, Then you will follow that narrow path That leads you to heaven; If when your life ends, All according to Christ’s will, With all the right faith in God, and all in good deeds, With love towards all men, With the Eucharist & confession. And you are duty-bound to take great care When educating your children. And you are bound to teach them diligently To love and fear God, If you don’t want to provoke God Through sinful carelessness. And you are bound to lead your servants Right and lawfully, So that you don’t excessively Need them to work. For you must know very well, and deeply trust, That between you and them There is no distinction in mankind, And that they can be good In God’s eyes, And that you can anger God If you overwork them. And their wages must for them be Ready when earned. For it is God’s command - See if you will follow it – That their daily work Be daily gold for them. And it befits them, If that to them is offensive, To fully and heavily commit the offense Of being early and late for work, And do so continuously thereon; For if they do the work you give them Inefficiently and badly, They sin fully and heavily Against God and against you two |