Template:Middle English diphthongs
Note: V means "any vowel"; C means "any consonant"; # means "end of word".
| Late Old English (Anglian) | Early Middle English | Late Middle English | Early Modern English | Modern English | Example (Old and Modern English forms given)[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| æġ, ǣġ | /ai/ | /ai/ [æi] | /eː/ | /eɪ/ | dæġ > day; mæġ > may; mæġden > maiden; næġl > nail; fæġer > fair; clǣġ > clay; grǣġ > gray |
| eġ, ēġ# | /ɛi/ | weġ > way; pleġan > to play; reġn > rain; leġer > lair; leġde > laid; hēġ (WS hīeġ) > hay | |||
| ēġV | /ei/ > /iː/ | /iː/ | /əi/ | /aɪ/ | ēage > ēġe > eye; lēogan > lēġan > to lie (deceive); flēoge > flēġe > fly |
| iġ, īġ, yġ, ȳġ | /iː/ | tiġel > tile; liġe > (I) lie ("recline"); hīġian > to hie; ryġe > rye; byġe > (I) buy; drȳġe > dry | |||
| æw, aw, agV | /au/ | /au/ | /ɔː/ | /ɔː/ | clawu > claw; lagu > law; dragan > to draw |
| ǣw, ēaw, ew, eow | /ɛu/ | /ɛu/ | /juː/ | /(j)uː/ | mǣw > mew; lǣwede > lewd; scrēawa > shrew; dēaw > dew |
| ēw, ēow | /eu/ | /iu/ | ċēowan > to chew; hrēowan > to rue; blēow > blew; trēowþ > truth | ||
| iw, īw, yw, ȳw | /iu/ | hīw > hue; nīwe > new; trīewe (WS) > true; Tīwesdæġ > Tiwesdæġ > Tuesday | |||
| āw, āgV, ow, ogV, ōw, ōgV | /ɔu/ | /ɔu/ | /ou/ > /oː/ | /əʊ/ (British), /oʊ/ (American) | cnāwan > to know; crāwa > crow; snāw > snow; sāwol > soul; āgan > to owe; āgen > own; grōwan > to grow; blōwen > blown; boga > bow /bou/; flogen > flown |
| ugV, ūgV | /uː/ | /uː/ | /əu/ | /aʊ/ | fugol > fowl; drugaþ > drouth > drought; būgan > to bow /baʊ/ |
| æh, ah, ag# | /auh/ | /auh/ | ([x] > ∅) /ɔː/ | /ɔː/ | slæht (WS sleaht) + -or > slaughter |
| ([x] > /f/) /af/ | /æf/, /ɑːf/ | hlæhtor > laughter | |||
| eh | /ɛih/ | /ɛih/ | /ei/ > /eː/ | /eɪ/ | streht > straight |
| ēh | /eih/ > /iːh/ | /iːh/ | /əi/ | /aɪ/ | hēah > hēh > high; þēoh > þēh > thigh; nēh > nigh |
| ih, īh, yh, ȳh | /iːh/ | reht > riht > right; flyht > flight; līoht > līht > light | |||
| āh, āg#, oh, og# | /ɔuh/ | /ɔuh/ | ([x] > ∅) /ou/ > /oː/ | /əʊ/ (British), /oʊ/ (American) | dāg > dāh > dough |
| ([x] > /f/) /ɔf/ | /ɒf/, /ɔːf/ | trog > trough | |||
| āhC, ohC, ōhC | /ɔuh/ | /ɔuh/ | /ɔː/ | /ɔː/ | āhte > ought; dohtor > daughter; þoht > thought; sōhte > sought |
| ōh#, ōg# | /ouh/ > /uːh/ | /uːh/ | ([x] > ∅) /əu/ | /aʊ/ | bōg > bough; plōg > plōh > plough |
| ([x] > /f/) /ʊf/ | (centralized) /ʌf/ | ġenōg, ġenōh > enough; tōh > tough; ruh > rough | |||
| uh, ug#, ūh, ūg# | /uːh/ | (non-centralized) /ʊf/ | Weōcetun > Woughton |
References
- ^ Many examples from Fernand Mossé (1968), A Handbook of Middle English, tr. James Walker, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, pp. 27–29.