Page:Alexander and Dindimus (Skeat 1878).djvu/36

 biggede, and buskede; and, in the plural, tendide, spatten, spilden. Of past participles, those of strong verbs properly end in -en, as holden (16), coren (chosen), doluen, i-boren; but the final n often drops off, as in holde (13), graue, i-ȝoulde, schape, i-founde, smite (smitten). Examples of past participles of weak verbs are listned, i-eged, y-sustained, ydemed, ending in -ed; wastid, ending in -id; also i-kid, tend, iput, iset, kild, maad, contracted forms. In two cases we actually find the ending -eþ; viz. in yhanteþ, 988, unwasteþ, 236; these are probably errors. The prefix i- or y- is by no means uncommon, especially in weak verbs, as i-kid, i-said, iput, i-set, i-eged, y-kid, y-maad, y-sustained, y-demed; it is even found in strong verbs, as i-ȝoulde, i-boren, ifounde. Cf. iset (454) with set (481). The present participles end in -inge, as rydinge, likinge, wastinge. Substantives of verbal origin also end in -inge, as wachinge, housinge, lesinge, swaginge, handlinge, heringe, queminge; see ll. 948–952. We once find -in for -inge, as in offrin, ;. 718. It is, perhaps, worthy of remark, that in the plural of the present tense of the verb signifying to be, we find both arn and ben. Both forms are due to the author, as is proved by the alliteration. In ll. 333, 423, 904, we find ben, as the alliteration requires; whilst in ll. 338, 345, 506, 1007, we find arn, also as required. A similar peculiarity occurs in Piers the Plowman. In ll. 446, 634, we have examples of the verb worþen, to become. Some peculiarities of spelling may be noted. For fish, we have the curious forms, fihcs, fihs, fihch, fihches. For strength, we find strenke; for strengthen, strenkþen; for drinking, drinkinke; for nought, noukt. In the word world, the l is frequently dropped, giving word or worde; but we also find the curious form wordle as in some MSS. of Piers the Plowman. This form is still found in Somersetshire, as in the phrase bĕeyaen aul the daiz een dhu wuurdl (beyond all the days of the world), to quote from the representation of Somersetshire speech in glossic spelling, given by Mr. Elworthy in his Grammar of the Dialect of West Somerset, p. 103. We may also note the loss of d after l, as in gol for gold; as well as the use of scl for sl, as in sclepe, sclowpe, sclain, all in l. 344. Also the use of sch for ch, as in schast for chast (894), suggesting that ch had occasionally the sound of sh. The aspirate is sometimes misused, as in