Page:King Alfred's Old English version of St. Augustine's Soliloquies - Hargrove - 1902.djvu/27

GRAMMATICAL OBSERVATIONS XXI (6.7), ært (6.2), eart (5.21); hālne (13.17), hǣalne (13.20); lufast (33. 19), lufæst (33. 16).

The same is true of i, ie, and y: gehērst (62.1) gehīere (11.4), gehūre (57.10), gehȳre (11.4); gelīfan (66.16), gelȳfan (62.8); gēt (59.11), gēot (34.13), gīt (53.6), gȳet (49.12), gȳt (1.15).

The following may be cited as instances of forms not in accordance with the strict West Saxon norms: dīgele (4.8), fegrum (1.11), gereihte (66.12), gestrȳned (3.16), hēhstan (6.1), īuwedon (7.19), mage (5.1), meihte (1.5), wilt (2.14), wurðe (5.1), yrfe (2.12).

Consonants: We note here only some of the more striking deviations from the norm:

1. Liquids. R is found for n in mare gâ (59.16) for manega, is dropped in gehēde (38.5) for gehērde, and in undefēhst (39.8) for underfēhst. Inorganic r occurs in oððer (25.5) for oððe. L is used for b in leste (41.19), which would seem to oppose the theory of dictation.

2. Nasals. Interchange between m and n is frequent; as in þān (28. 18) for þām, and in weorðam (5.6) for weorðan (see MS. readings for various examples). N is lost in georlice (26.18), lufia (19.10); this dropping of n occurs no less than 13 times.

3. Labials. F is lost in dorte (20.6); f is doubtless a scribal error for s in gefēoð (69.6), as is sp for s in gespcōp (63.31), both of which would also cast doubt on the dictation theory.

4. Dentals. T is lost from sōðfasnes (50.7) and in at least 20 other instances; is inorganic in cræftest (4.18) and in four other cases; is used for h in matte (18.5), and for r in lǣtst (42. 18). D is lost in frēonscypes (24.6) and in about 22 other instances; is used for t in hwæd (4.13), for ð in æordlice (12.14), and in byd (28.4) 22 times. Ð (þ) is used for t as in efð (29.5 etc.) often, for d as in geðafenað (32.15) often. S is used for c as in is (17.4) and for ð as in os ðe (46. 11).