In 1385 John Trevisa translated from Latin into English Ranulph Higden's Polychronicon, including and expanding Higden's comments on the state of the English Language:
. |
As hit is yknowe how many maner people beth in this ylond, ther beth also of so many people longages and tonges. Notheles Walschmen and Scottes, that beth noght y-melled with other nacions, holdeth wel nigh here furste longage and speche, bot yif Scottes, that were som time confederat and wonede with the Pictes, drawe somwhat after here speche. Bote the Fleminges that woneth in the west side of Wales, habbeth yleft here strange speche and speketh Saxonlych ynow. Also Englischmen, theigh hy hadde fram the beginning three maner speche, Southeron, Northeron, and Middel speche in the middel of the lond, as hy come of three maner people of Germania, notheles by commixstion and melling, furst with Danes and afterward with Normans, in many the contray longage is apeired, and som useth strange wlaffyng, chytering, harryng, and garryng grisbittyng. . This apeiring of the burth-tonge is because of twey thinges. One is for children in scole, ayenes the usage and manere of al other nacions, beth compelled for to leve here owne longage and for to construe here lessons and ther thinges a Freynsch, and habbeth siththe the Normans come furst into Engelond. Also gentil men chlidren beth ytaught for to speke Freynsch from time that a beth yrokked in here cradel and conneth speke and play with a child his brouch; and oplondysch men wol likne hamsilf to gentil men, and fondeth with gret bisynes for to speke Freynsch, for to be more ytold of. This maner was moche y-used tofore the furste moreyn, and is siththe somdel y-chaunged. For John Cornwal, a maister of gramere, changede the lore in gramer-scole and construccion of Freynsch into Englysch; and Richard Pencrych lurned that maner of teching of him, and other men of Pencrych, so that now, the year of oure Lord a thousand three hondred foure score and five, of the secund Kyng Richard after the Conquest nine, in the gramer-scoles of Engelong children leveth Frensch and construeth and lurneth an Englisch, and habbeth therby avauntage in on side and desavauntage in another. Here avauntage is that a lurneth here gramere in lasse time than children wer y-wonded to do. Disavauntage is that now childern of gramer-scole conneth no more Frensch than can here left heele, and that is harm for ham and a scholle passe the se and travaile in strange londes, and in many caas also. Also gentil men habbeth nowe moche y-left for to teche here childern Frensch. . . . Al the longage of the North-humbres, and specialich at York, is so scharp, slytting, and frotyng and unschape that we Southeron men may that longage unnethe understand. Y trowe that that is bicause that a beth nigh to strange men and aliens, that speketh straungelich, and also because that the kinges of Engelond woneth alwey fer from that contray. |
mixed first except that wonede = dwelled here = their ynow = enough though they hy = they mixture and mingling many cases the country impaired. . . stammering chattering, snarling, and grating gnashing of teeth impairment. . . two a = in a = they provincial. . . try plague teaching construing learned construe. . . on = in on = one here = their. . . a = they accustomed children. . . know ham = them. . . and a = if they piercing, and rasping, and unshapely hardly |