1. Middle English Dialects

2. Types of Lexical Transfer
Loanword: the incorporation of a lexical item, either through borrowing or imposition, from the source language into the lexicon of the recipient language. (munuc from L. monachus) Loan Translation: elements of the lexical item in the source language are translated into corresponding elements in the recipient language; the form of the source item is not actually transferred. (anhorn from unicornis) Semantic Loan: the form of a lexical item in the recipient language does not change, but it is invested with new meaning derived from the source language. (OE synn [crime, fault] becomes synn as moral or religious transgression)

3. Rules? Ad hoc spelling systems, cf. Orm
But spelling can reveal sound clues, e.g. Scots
Highly localized variations on representing sounds, cf. example of Ancrene Riwle/Wisse
Regional attempts at local standardization, esp. in Worcestershire (southwest Midlands)
Loo what sholde a man in thyse dayes now wryte. Egges or eyren / certaynly it is harde to playse euery man / by cause of dyuersite & chaunge of langage. For in these dayes euery man that is in ony reputacyon in his countre. Wyll vtter his commynycacyon and maters in suche maners & termes / that fewe men shall vnderstonde theym.

4. Shaping Moments Worcestershire texts of 13th Century
Many 14th-C stimuli to write, esp. religious texts
1362 Statute of Pleading
Gave legitimacy to English as professional and literary
Wycliffe and “Central Midlands Standard”
Lollards aimed at democratization or religion
Wycliffe from Central Midlands
Henry V and “Chancery Standard”
English nationalism expressed in language, 1417 ff.

5. Identifying Dialects Northern Southern
Shows most simplifying in inflection, esp. adj./adv./ def. article
-s in present tense verbs (from Norse medio-passive –sk)
3rd person pronouns them and their
Hardening of a’s
She spelled scho/sho/sco/so
Southern
Sooner adoption of –sh- or –sch- for OE –sc-
-eth and -eð 3rd person plural (they) verb ending; most rapid adaptation of French th for ð
Plural pronouns hem (them) and here (their)
Rounding of a’s and eo’s  oa and o (bat  boat, ban  bone, weorld  world)
Wide Metathesis (southern vs. sotherin)
She spelled heo, hu, hoe, he
Retention of inflectional –e and –es for adj./adv.

6. Identifying Dialects Southwest Midlands Central and East Midlands
She spelled heo/hu/hoe/ha
Strongest retention of Old English words, inflections, and orthography
Central and East Midlands
Indistinguishable 3rd person pronoun (he/she/they): he
Then uses –en plural verb to distinguish from –eð for singular verb, [ex. Sing. he hateð ; Pl. he haten]
She spelled sche/sce/se

7. Signal words Kirk/kirke = West Midland or Northern
Alliterative Verse tends to be farther from Court influence
Rhyming Verse reflects heavier French influence
Siche for such and silf for self = Central Midlands
Such(e) for such and self(e)/sylf for self= Southern