Wikipedia
Keskienglanti (Middle English) on nimitys englannin kielen varhaismuodolle. Se syntyi muinaisenglannin saadessa normannivalloituksen myötä vaikutteita ranskan kielestä. Sen käyttö ajoitetaan 1000-luvulta 1400-luvun puoliväliin, jolloin kruunun standardoima Lontoon murteeseen pohjautunut englannin muoto alkoi yleistyä sanomalehdistön avittamana. Noin vuoteen 1650 käytettyä kielimuotoa keskienglannin ja nykyenglannin välissä kutsutaan varhaisnykyenglanniksi.
Keskienglanti muistutti jo paljolti nykyenglantia, mutta oikeinkirjoitus ei ollut vakiintunutta. Kieltä puhuttiin lähinnä Englannissa ja eteläisessä Skotlannissa.
Kappale Geoffrey Chaucerin Canterburyn tarinoista.
- Whan that Aprill with his shoures sote
- The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
- And bathed euery veyne in swich licour,
- Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
- Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
- Inspired hath in euery holt and heeth
- The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
- Hath in the Ram his halfe course yronne,
- And smale fowles maken melodye,
- That slepen al the niȝt with open ye—
- So priketh hem Nature in hir corages—
- Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
- And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
- To ferne halwes, couthe in sondry londes;
- And specially, from euery shires ende
- Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
- The holy blissful martir for to seke,
- That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke.
|
- Nykyenglanti:
- When April with its sweet showers has pierced
- the drought of March to the root,
- and bathed every vein in such liquor
- from whose power the flower is engendred;
- when Zephyr [the west wind] also, with his sweet breath
- has blown [into life] in every wood and heath
- the tender crops, and the young sun
- has run his half-course in the sign of the Ram [Aries],
- and small fowls make melody,
- who sleep all night with open eye
- - so Nature stimulates them in their hearts
- - THEN people long to go on pilgrimages,
- and palmers [pilgrims carrying palm leaves] to seek strange coastlines,
- to distant saints [holy places], known in various lands;
- and specially, from every shire's end [from every county]
- in England, to Canterbury they journey,
- to seek the holy blissful martyr [Thomas à Becket]
- who helped them when they were sick.
|
