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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Reading Room:
A Middle English Vocabulary Challenge -- Valantine's Edition

SirDennisC
Half-elven


Feb 14, 5:14am


Views: 527
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A Middle English Vocabulary Challenge -- Valantine's Edition Can't Post
Welcome to another edition of A Middle English Vocabulary Challenge (MEVC). For those who like a little romance with their romaunce, this instalment is in honour of Valentine's Day!

Many of you know the drill... flowers, a box of chocolates, candles and soft music... with all that, who wouldn't be in the mood for a little Tolkien inspired philological fun?

It is difficult to defend the appropriateness of a Valentine's Day edition of MEVC without spoiling Tolkien's most significant Middle English text, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Suffice it to say, Sir Gawain's biggest challenge is not having to attend at the Green Chapel to have his head chopped off by the Green Knight, rather it is how he should respond during some romantic situations on the way there.

Now to the matter at hand:

Our word game is based on a list of ten words drawn from two of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle English glossaries:

A) A Middle English Vocabulary, by J.R.R. Tolkien, as published in Sisam, Kenneth, ed. Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose, London: Oxford University Press, 1955; and

B) The Glossary published in Tolkien & Gordon ed. Sir Gawain & The Green Knight, London: Oxford University Press, 1963.

Note: publication dates are of my copies; yours may be as old as 1922 and 1925 respectively.

The Rules:

This is a game of guessing, reasoned or otherwise. If you want to be funny, take it to Main (just kidding!!! please answer in whatever way seems best to you). We ask those who have access to the glossaries to wait until after posting to look up the words! As always, no answers in subject lines please.

The Challenge:

For each of the following words, please state its definition and/or a contemporary equivalent word as you deem appropriate.

1. holsumly
2. forþer
3. reuerence
4. laȝter
5. sweuenes
6. ȝiftis
7. forȝeue
8. þryue
9. ouermoche
10. teuelyng

A little help here:

Regarding the characters þ and ȝ -- as not to make things too easy, let's just say one can usually be read as "gh," the other as "th." At the end of words one often sounds the same as the letter "z."

As well, it may pay to hearken to NZ Strider via NEB: "Try reading Middle English aloud while looking at the text. A few words that your eye misses your ear will catch."

Answers to follow within a few days... what are you waiting for? Laugh

___

(Cool story: The other day I met a fellow who had just found a 1922 edition of A Middle English Vocabulary -- published separately from Sisam, apparently -- among a late professor's library he purchased during an estate sale. Can you imagine?)

Subject User Time
A Middle English Vocabulary Challenge -- Valantine's Edition SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 14, 5:14am
    I actually found Roheryn Send a private message to Roheryn Feb 14, 6:30am
        No way and oh no you di'int SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 14, 2:12pm
            Vinaver didn't think much of Tolkien geordie Send a private message to geordie Feb 16, 6:34pm
                Now I'm wondering about Roger Lancelyn Green SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 17, 7:33pm
                    Not an Inkling, so far as I know Voronwë_the_Faithful Send a private message to Voronwë_the_Faithful Feb 17, 8:19pm
                        That's odd SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 18, 2:53am
                        Not all Inklings are equal squire Send a private message to squire Feb 18, 3:17am
                            I have no doubt that attended some meetings, Voronwë_the_Faithful Send a private message to Voronwë_the_Faithful Feb 18, 5:02pm
                                Good point about the generation gap squire Send a private message to squire Feb 18, 5:37pm
                                    I didn't know (or perhaps had forgotten) Voronwë_the_Faithful Send a private message to Voronwë_the_Faithful Feb 18, 6:04pm
                    Roger got on well with Tolkien, and Lewis geordie Send a private message to geordie Feb 17, 10:10pm
    Oh, fun! I like languages... arithmancer Send a private message to arithmancer Feb 14, 1:56pm
        An opportunity arises: SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 14, 2:35pm
    For Valentine's and to increase the u count in this thread, SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 14, 4:18pm
    Guesses CuriousG Send a private message to CuriousG Feb 14, 5:43pm
        I like that you SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 15, 3:33am
    My attempt: Aunt Dora Baggins Send a private message to Aunt Dora Baggins Feb 14, 6:14pm
        Was thinking of you when making this list SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 15, 3:36am
            After looking at everyone else's answers Aunt Dora Baggins Send a private message to Aunt Dora Baggins Feb 15, 12:38pm
    Here goes... Morthoron Send a private message to Morthoron Feb 15, 4:34am
    <Prepares to be embarrassed> BoromirOfWinterfell Send a private message to BoromirOfWinterfell Feb 15, 4:06pm
    Ah, but is it a first edition? ;-) geordie Send a private message to geordie Feb 16, 12:00pm
        Great story SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 16, 5:45pm
            Heh - geordie Send a private message to geordie Feb 16, 6:26pm
    I'll make an attempt :) Aragalen the Green Send a private message to Aragalen the Green Feb 16, 6:35pm
        My goodness -- I hope people SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 16, 9:15pm
            No worries here! Aragalen the Green Send a private message to Aragalen the Green Feb 16, 11:10pm
            I haven't! arithmancer Send a private message to arithmancer Feb 17, 3:19am
    I don't see "chocolate" on this list... dernwyn Send a private message to dernwyn Feb 17, 2:37am
    Last Call! SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 18, 7:41pm
    under the wire? telain Send a private message to telain Feb 18, 8:27pm
    Answers and further discussion SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 19, 8:44am
        oops re #2 SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 19, 6:22pm
        Fascinating... arithmancer Send a private message to arithmancer Feb 19, 6:50pm
            It also reminds me Aragalen the Green Send a private message to Aragalen the Green Feb 20, 12:09am
                Somewhere in the back of my mind SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 20, 2:49am
            You may be interested in this SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 22, 5:57am
                Cool!// arithmancer Send a private message to arithmancer Feb 22, 11:26am
                Yes, fascinating! dernwyn Send a private message to dernwyn Feb 24, 2:10am
        One emendation.... Morthoron Send a private message to Morthoron Feb 20, 3:18am
            Semantics FarFromHome Send a private message to FarFromHome Feb 20, 3:12pm
                Just when I was about to adjust Morthoron's score SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 21, 6:02am
                    I enjoy reading your vocabulary threads, SirD FarFromHome Send a private message to FarFromHome Feb 21, 11:17am
                        Thank you! SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 22, 2:43am
                            Westu Théoden hál! squire Send a private message to squire Feb 22, 3:14am
                                Another fine link, thank you! SirDennisC Send a private message to SirDennisC Feb 22, 5:44am

 
 
 

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