minstrel: Not about tuning or filk.

[hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu]

On Sun, 26 Mar 2000, Emil Stecher wrote:
> --- Christopher Gregory <krummhorn at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > 6. Now gracious God he save oure kynge,
> > His peple, and alle his welwyllynge;
> > Yef hym gode lyfe and gode endynge,
> > That we with merth mowe savely synge;
> > Deo gracias. 
> > 
> > Ah, the finale.  Welwyllynge seems to be
> > well-willing, so that's alright.
> > "Yef hym gode lyfe and gode endynge" is absolutely
> > confusing.  I think,
> > "Grant him good life and good ending," but is that
> > right?  

> Close enough for government work I'd say.

I would read "yef" as corresponding to modern "give".  It's possible that
the text at some point used a yogh (a letter derived originally from an
uncial 'g' that later was treated as an independent letter representing a
"softened" 'g' sound that often merged into a consonantal 'y') and that
this later was interpreted as 'y'.  The OED entry for "give" notes a
number of early citations using yogh (and at least one with 'y').

Tangwystyl

*********************************************************
Heather Rose Jones         hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu
**********************************************************


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