Substantivation in Chancer 5 



A maide oon of this worlde the best preysed. Troylus and Cry- 

 seyde, Bk. V. 1474. — Of hire delite or joies oon the lesle. ibid. 

 Bk. III. 1261. — For sche was on the fairest under sonne. Frank- 

 eleynes Tale, 6. 



Examples might also be given of the use of adjectives with 

 other weakened substantives such as man, woman, thing, etc. 

 Often with these words, just as with one, the adjective becomes 

 slightly substantivized. In the case of most of these, however, 

 the substantivation is not far enough advanced to make them 

 worthy of special comment. 



C. Substantivized adjectives used without one. 



Adjectives substantivized without the aid of one are very 

 common in Chaucer. Of course there are varying degrees of 

 substantivation. Sometimes we feel that the adjective force of 

 the word has largely been lost sight of, as in nobles, gentils, or 

 goode (meaning property), at last (used adverbially), elders, 

 etc. At other times the word is little more than an adjective, 

 even though it stands in the place of a noun. 



I. As personal substantives in singular and plural (without 

 -s). This use of the adjective is very common. In a compara- 

 tively thorough examination of Chaucer I have noted 137 ex- 

 amples, including 66 different forms. 



Of the plural personal substantives the following are good 

 examples : 



to visit the ferrest in his parrische. Cant. Tales Prologue, 493. — 

 We will slee the gulfyf. Cokes Tale of Gamelyn, 822. — Herkneth 

 what is the sentens of the zvysc. Man of Lawes Tale, 15. — Faire 

 they were welcomed, bothe leste and mesle. Cokes Tale of Gam- 

 elyn, 460. — That at the fest leet slee bothe more and lesse. Man 

 of Lawes Tale, 861. — And further goeth all the contre bothe 

 moste and lesle. Court of Love, 1431. — Sche was not with the 

 leste of hire stature. Troylus and Cryseyde, Bk. I. 281. — ^he com- 

 mendeth with the beste. Man of Lawes Tale, 76. — and bothe of 

 yonge and olde Ful wel beloved. Troylus and Cryseyde, Bk. L 

 129. — "Trentals" sayd he, "delyvereth from penance Her frendes 

 soules as wel eld as yonge." Sompnoures Tale, 16. — Therfore 



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