Studies in the dialect material of mediaeval Lincolnshire

Abstract

This thesis presents studies in the dialect material of mediaeval Lincolnshire, and examines more than 150 MS, sources which are drawn from most of the major national collections. It is illustrated by maps, tables and appendices, and is supplied with a full index of the MS. sources.

This is the first such study of the mediaeval dialects of a single county, and presents a detailed account of part of the material used by Professors McIntosh and Samuels for their Atlas of the Dialects of Later Middle English (see English Studies XLIV (1963), pp. 1-11,81-94).

The thesis falls into three sections:

I. Sources. The dialect geography of mediaeval Lincso is here based on a study of MSS, written in Lincs, dialect; it does not attempt an account of the spoken dialects. The chronological scope of the survey is c. 1350-c. 1450, and in this section are described the various types and sources of dialectal information available for Lincs. during this period. This account is detailed and comprehensive. Additionally there are included notices of Lincs. material from before this period, and also of some later dialect sources.

II. I comprises two chapters. The first treats of the geographical and historical background to the mediaeval dialect pattern. The second includes an account of the salient characteristics of the mediaeval Lincs, dialects, and a collection of 60 dialect-maps with appropriate commentary.

In III. are presented some detailed textual and dialectal studies of certain MSS. Written wholly or partly in Lincs. dialect. There follows the bibliography and index.

A second volume comprises three appendices:

APPENDIX I contains linguistic profiles (L. P's) of the scribal dialects so far recognised as belonging to mediaeval Lincs.

APPENDIX II comprises dialectal material supplementary to the L. P's.

APPENDIX III is a dictionary of the Lincs. forms recorded in respect of the 270 items on the present dialect survey questionnaire.