OBSERVATIONS ON THE LANGUAGE OF CHAUCER. 
oute (S. üte, üt), 11407 f. 
rathe (S. hrape), 3766, 14510. 
softe (S. sófte), 2783. 
sore (S. sáre), 230, 1396, 6810, 12657, 12799. 
stille (S. stille), 7782. 
swithe (S. swipe), 13222. 
unn-ethe (S. un-eápe), 11659, 13318, 15037. 
uppe (S. uppe, up), 10929 f. 
wide (S. wide), 4556, 8598. 
yerne (S. georne), 13813 f. 
ylike, yliche (S. gelice), 7797, 7812, 8630. 
yoore (S. geáre, geára), 3895 f, 13484 f. 
So, blyve (L. bilife, blive, O. bilife), 2699 f, 5978 f, 
7102 f. 
lowe (S. lage? adj. lah, L. loh., pl. lowe), 1407 f, 
pore, 8919. [17297. 
So in Layamon, clene, ufele, efne, feire, faste, fule, 
harde, hehze (heh), inne (in), late, longe, lude, 
nede, rape, softe, sare, stille, swipe, unepe, uppe 
(up), wide, zeorne, iliche, zeare. 
And in the Ormulum, ebe, depe, fasste, fazzre, fule, 
harrde, hezhe, ille, inne, lannge, late, nede, rape, 
sare, swipe, uppe (upp), zeorne. 
§ 70. Comparatives and Superlatives of the 
Ancient (“Irregular”) Form. 
compar. bet (S. bet. O. bett, bettre), 242, 3604; 
super. best (S. betst), 535. , 
the bet (S. py bet), 5986, 7533. 
But bettre, 344, 610 ; super. beste, 6095. 
fer (S. fyr), 1852. 
ferre, 48 f, 2062 f. 
lenger (S. leng), 2356, 2559, 3409, 4235, 13615, 
16005. 
the lenger, 8563. 
more (S. má, máre, O. mare, mar), 7551, 8867. 
‘ner, neer (S. near, nyr), 970, 1852 f, 12649 f, 14931 f. 
neere, 14931 f (?), (“ner and neere”). 
Note. — bettre, ferre, lenger, more, neere, were 
originally adjective forms (S. betere, uc lengre, 
máre, nearre). 
The following superlative forms are also noticeable 
on account of the à in moste, de, 
O firste mevying cruel firmament, 4715. 
the moste stedefast, 9425. 
the moste deintevous, 9588. 
the moste free, 11926. 
the moste grettest, ii. 974. 
481 
the moste lusty, 17039. 
the gentileste born, 7948. 
But, the fairest hiewed, 16355. 
$ 71. The following Adverbs have an internal e 
(i) which is not found in Anglo-Saxon. 
boldély (S. bealdlice, L. baldeliche, O. baldeliz), 6885, 
14956. 
forthéweard (S. forüweard, L. fordward, O. forrp- 
needély (S. nfdlice), 16730. [warrd), 4683. 
oonély (S. ánlice), 2346 ; oonly, 8195. 
softély (S. sóftlice), 8199, 15083. 
trewély (S. treówlice, L. treoliche), 775, 7929, 11222. 
worthily (S. weordlice, L. wurdliche, wurdeliche, 
O. wurrplihe), 2739. 
So, semély, 151; rudély, 736 ; quytély, 1794. 
$72. The following Particles, of various ter- 
minations in Saxon, have -ë more or less frequently 
in Chaucer. Those marked * have also a form in 
-8: see $ 73. 
a. ( aboven (S. on-, á-, bufan), 53, 2771, 7297. 
| above, 1802 f,1905 f, 5789 f; 
abové, 2029, 3213. 
aboute, 892 f, 2191, 3554, 4146; 
abouté, 2187. 
asondre (S. on-, á-, sundran), 5577 ; asonder, 
7256 f ; asondur, 493 f. 
atwynne (S. on-tweónan ?), 3589 f, 13098 f. 
beside * (S. be sidan), 10688 f. 
biforn (S. be-foran), 1108, 1150 f, 1164 f, 1388. 
E (S. Abútan), 3645. 
byfore, 979 f, 3238 f; beforne, 
14405. 
behynde (S. be-hindan), 3239, 7723 f; byhyndé, 
bynethe (S. be-nipan), 4039. ; [1052. 
bytwene (S. be-twynan), 2861 f, 3107 f. 
by weste (S. be westan), 390 f. 
henne * (S. heonan), 3887 f. 
siththen * (S. sib pan, sib pa), 6826, 15597. 
jie 4478; sith, 8225, 
8721; seth, 5234. 
withouten (S. widútan), 463, 540, 810, 823, 
1851, 1856. 
withoute, 785, 188, 950, 8208 f. 
by-yondé (?) (S. geondan, geonda, geond), 
15130. 
Layamon, abuten, abute, biforen, bifore, bihinden, 
bihinde ; and so of all similar particles. 
Ormulum, abutenn, biforenn, bihinndenn, etc. 
