Hatrack River Forum: Canterbury Tales Old English pronunciation

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Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :

Could anyone help me with the pronunciation of the first four lines of the Canterbury Tales?

"Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour."

Thanks!

Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :

I can't do it how it'd be dictionarily spelled- but I can phonetically (I had to memorize that for english in my 10th grade)

Wahn thaht Ahpril weeth the shoures sootah
The droot of March hat pearcead to the rootah
Ahnd bahthed evry vine in sweesh licoor
Of wheech vertoo inginderd is the flour.

Sorry- I can't figure other ways to say it- it's not very good. And that's the way I learned it- it's not perfect I'm sure.

Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :

Oh- and Canterbury tales is Middle English. Beowulf is old english.

Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :

Thanks, that helped a lot.
"Pearcead", is the 'c' more of a 'ch' or an 's' sound?

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :

I think it's the Drookht of March. And hath pearcead toh the rotah.
And I think the last one is floor (like moor, not the actual word floor).

Otherwise I agree with Shawshank. [Smile]

Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :

s sound. It's the old for of pierced. So- yeah, s sound.

I got it! flour is like Fleur - the French name. That's what it's like- at least I think so.

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :

Yeah! Like that, for the most part.

Posted by Dante (Member # 1106) on :

Here

Posted by Shawshank (Member # 8453) on :

Or aiua- you could just visit Dante's link... Lol...