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A
to E. Cases in which the vowel e is due to an
original a, the change being caused by the occurrence of i
in the following syllable, are best observed by comparing the
following words with their Gothic forms. Bed, A.S. bed
= Goth. badi; better, A.S. betera = Goth. batiza;
fen = A.S. fen or fenn = Goth. fani;
ken, Icel. kenna = Goth. kannjan (= kannian
*); kettle, A.S. cetel = Goth. katils,
borrowed from Lat. catillus; let (2), A.S. lettan
= Goth. latjan; net, A.S. net = Goth. nati;
send, A.S. sendan = Goth. sandjan; twelve,
A.S. twelf = Goth. twalif; wed, from A.S. wed,
sb. = Goth. wadi. Even in mod. E. we have men as the
pl. of man; English from Angle; French
(A.S. Frenc-isc) from Frank; sell from sale;
tell from tale; fell from fall;
length, strength, from long, strong (A.S.
lang, strang). And see belt, blend, hen, penny,
quell, say, wretch.
O
to Y. Observe kitchen, A.S. cycen = Lat. coquina;
mill, A.S. mylen = Lat. molina; minster,
A.S. mynster = Lat. monasterium; mint (1), A.S. mynet
= Lat. moneta. Next observe build, A.S. byldan,
from A.S. bold, a dwelling; first, A.S. fyrst,
from fore; gild, A.S. gyldan, from gold; kernel,
A.S. cyrnel, from corn; kiss, v., A.S. cyssan,
from coss, a kiss; knit, A.S. cnyttan, from knot,
A.S. cnot; lift from loft; vixen from fox.
U
to Y. Inch, A.S. ynce = Lat. uncia;
pit, A.S. pyt = Lat. puteus. Again fill,
A.S. fyllan = Goth. fulljan, from full (cf. fulfil
);
kin, A.S. cyn = Goth. kuni (cf. king);
list (4), A.S. lystan, from lust; thrill, A.S.
þyrlian, from A.S.
þurh, through. And see stint, trim,
winsome.
EA
to Y. Eldest, A.S. yldesta (for
yldista *), is the
superlative of old, A.S. eald. Cf. eld, A.S.
yldo.
EO
to Y. Work, v., A.S. wyrcan, is from
work, sb., A.S.
weorc. And see wright.
Long
A to long AE. Any, A.S.
ǽnig, from án, one; bleak, A.S. blǽc, from
blác, pt. t. of blícan, to shine;
feud (1), A.S. fǽhð,
from fá, foe; heal, A.S. hǽlan, from
hál, whole; heat, A.S. hǽtu, from
hát, hot; hest, A.S. hǽs, from A.S.
hátan. And see
leave (1), lend, tease.
Long
O to long E. We have
feet, geese, teeth, A.S. fét, gés, téð, as the pl. of
foot, goose, tooth, A.S. fót, gós, tóð. Compare
bleed from blood, breed from brood,
deem from doom, feed from food. And see beech, glede (2),
green, meet (2), speed, steed, weep. Brethren, A.S.
bréðer, is the pl. of brother, A.S.
bróðor.
Long
U to long Y. Hide (2), A.S.
hýd, is cognate with Lat. cūtis. We find
lice, mice, A.S. lýs, mýs, as the pl. of
louse, mouse, A.S. lús, mús; and kine,
A.S. cý, as the pl. of cow, A.S. cú.
Filth, A.S. fýlð, is from
foul, A.S. fúl (cf. de-file);
kith,
A.S. cýððe, is from A.S.
cúð, known (cf. un-couth);
pride, A.S. prýte, is from proud, A.S.
prút. And see wish; also dive in the
Supplement.
Long
EA to long Y. Steeple, A.S.
stýpel, is from steep, A.S. steáp.
Long
EO to long Y. Stirk, A.S.
stýric, is from steór, a
steer.
From An Etymological
Dictionary of the English Language, by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat,
Litt.D. LL.D. Edin., M.A. Oxon. Elrington and Bosworth Professor
of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Cambridge. Second Edition, 1883.
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