Old English

The recording of Old English is spoken from the text of St John’s Gospel, Chapter 14, verses 22 and 23 (Text from J. W. Bright, 1906, The gospel of St John in West Saxon, London and Boston: Heath & Co). It represents the West Saxon dialect and was written around 1000 ad by person or persons unknown. It is read here according to the transcription given in Gimson’s Pronunciation of English (GPE) §6.3.1.

Phonetic transcription

juːdɑs kwæθ toː hɪm. næs nɑː seː skɑrɪɔt. drɪçtən, hwæt ɪs jəwɔrdən θæt θuː wɪlt θeː sʏlfnə jəswʊtɛlɪjən ʊs næs mɪddɑnɛərdə.

seː hæːlənd ɒndswɑrɔdə ɒnd kwæθ toː hɪmː jɪf hwɑː meː lʊvɑθ heː hɪlt miːnə spræːʧə ɒnd miːn fædər lʊvɑθ hɪnə ɒnd weː kʊmɑθ toː hɪm ɒnd weː wʏrkɪɑθ ɛərdʊŋɡstoːwə mɪd hɪm.

Old English manuscript

Iudas cwæð tō him,—næs nā sē Scarioth,
— Drihten, hwæt ys geworden θæt θū wylt θē
sylfne geswuteligan ūs, næs middanearde ?

Sē Hǣlend andswarode and cwæð tō him,
Gif hwā mē lufað, hē hylt mīne sprǣce ; and mīn
Fæder lufað hine, and wē cumað tō him, and wē
wyrceað eardungstōwa mid him

(For font-matching and following practice in one type of modernization of Old English manuscripts, the Runic letter ‘thorn’ is replaced by the Greek letter ‘theta’. Note also Iudas without lengthened vowel, where the recording and phonetic transcription, based on Gimson’s original, has a lengthened vowel)

Literal translation

Judas spoke to him. It was not Iscariot. ‘Lord, what has happened, that you will show yourself to us and not to the world?’

The Holy one answered and said to him, ‘if someone loves me, he heeds my speech and my Father loves him and we come to him and we make our dwelling with him’.

Middle English

The following Middle English is spoken from the opening text of Chaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer’s dialect was London English of the late Middle English period. It is not therefore a direct descendant of the late West Saxon illustrated in the Old English section above (GPE §6.3.1). The text is from F. N. Robinson (ed.), 1966, The works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Second edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. It is read here according to the phonetic transcription given in GPE §6.4.1.

Phonetic transcription

hwan θat aːprɪl, wɪθ hɪs ʃuːrəs soːtə
θə drʊxt ɔf marʧ haθ pɛrsəd toː ðə roːtə,
and baːðəd ɛːvrɪ vaɪn ɪn swɪʧ lɪkuːr
ɔf hʍɪʧ vɛrtɪʊ ɛnʤɛndərd ɪs θə fluːr,
hʍan zɛfɪrʊs ɛːk wɪθ hɪs sweːtə brɛːθ
ɪnspiːrəd haθ ɪn ɛ:vrɪ hɔlt and hɛːθ
θə tɛndər krɔppəs, and ðə jʊŋɡə sʊnnə
haθ ɪn ðə ram hɪs halvə kʊrs ɪrʊnnə,
and smɑːlə fuːləs maːkən mɛlɔdiːə
θat sleːpən ɑːl ðə nɪçt wɪθ ɔːpən iːə—
sɔː prɪkəθ hɛm naːtɪur ɪn hɪr kʊraːʤəs—
θan lɔːŋɡən fɔlk toː ɡɔːn ɔn pɪlɡrɪmaːʤəs.

Middle English text

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich likuour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne
And smale foweles maken melodye
That slepen al the nyght with open eye–
(so priketh hem Nature in hir corages):
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages

Literal translation

When that April with its sweet showers
the drought of March hath pierced to the root
and bathed every vein in such juice
from whose power is brought forth flowers,
when Zephyrus also with his sweet breath
has encouraged in every wood and heath
the tender shoots, and the young sun
has in the Ram his half course run
and small birds make melody
who sleep all night with open eyes—
so Nature spurs them in their feelings––
then people long to go on pilgrimages.

Early Modern English

The following text from Shakespeare’s Macbeth illustrates the period of Early Modern English. The Great Vowel Shift which makes the main difference between Middle English and present-day General British (GB) had not quite developed its present character. Notice, for example, dreams as [dreːmz] rather than [driːmz], pale and take as [pɛːl] and [tɛːk] rather than [peɪl] and [teɪk], and howls and time as [həʊlz] and [təɪm] rather than [haʊlz] and [taɪm]. The speech is read here according to the transcription in GPE §6.5.1.

Phonetic transcription

nəʊ oːər ðə wɤn haːf wɤrld
nɛːtər siːmz dɛːd, ənd wɪkɪd dreːmz əbjuːz
ðə kɤrtɛɪnd sliːp: wɪʧkraft sɛlɪbrɛːts
pɛːl hɛkəts ɒfərɪŋz: ənd wɪðərd mɤrdər,
əlarəmd bəi hɪz sɛntɪnəl, ðə wʊlf,
huːz həʊlz hɪz waʧ, ðɤs wɪθ hɪz stɛlθəɪ pɛːs,
wɪθ tarkwɪnz rævɪʃɪŋ strəɪdz, tuːərdz hɪz dɪzəɪn
muːvz ləɪk ə ɡoːst. ðəʊ sjuːr ənd fɛrm-sɛt ɛrθ
heːr nɒt məɪ stɛps, hʍɪʧ wɛɪ ðɛɪ wɔːk, fər feːr
ðəɪ vɛrəɪ stoːnz prɛːt əv məɪ hwɛːrəbəʊt,
ənd tɛːk ðə prɛzənt hɔrər frəm ðə təɪm,
hʍɪʧ nəʊ sjuːts wɪð ɪt.

Original spelling

Now o’re the one halfe World
Nature seemes dead, and wicked Dreames abuse
The Curtain’d deepe: Witchcraft celebrates
Pale Heccats Offerings: and wither’d Murther,
Alarum’d by his Centinell, the Wolfe,
Whose howle’s his Watch, thus with his stealthy pace
With Tarquins rauishing strides, towards his designe
Moues like a Ghost. Thou sure and firme-set Earth
Heare not my steps, which way they walke, for feare
Thy very stones prate of my where-about,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now sutes with it.

Download: Recording Scripts

• Recording Script 1a
• Recording Script 1b
• Recording Script 1c
• Recording Script 1d
• Recording Script 1e

GPE Intonation Recording Part 2: Intonational phrasing and nucleus placement

11.6.2.1 Intonational phrasing (henceforth IP)

IPs corresponding with clauses
He usually comes at ten o’clock.
He worked hard / and passed the exam.
Because he worked hard / he passed the exam.
It’s nice / isn’t it?

Syntactic subject as IP
The workers / have got a rising standard of living.
A competitive society / is defensible.
A lot of industry’s profits / go in taxation.

Adverbial as IP
I go to London / regularly.
The government’s got to give in / apparently / to every pressure from the City.
In my view / the argument should be / how to build a partnership / between public and private sectors.
Seriously / it seems to me / that the crucial issue / is ...

IPs for vocatives, parentheticals and parallels
Lucy / will you please stop making that noise.
Professor Bull / the Head of the Department / declared his support.
John / this will really amaze you / actually got the highest marks.
This will be achieved by hard work / by brainpower / by interactive subtlety / and by keeping to deadlines.

IP for non-restrictive relative clause but not for restrictives
The old man / who was clearly very upset / denied the charge.
The man who appeared in the dock / looked very ill.

Two syntactic clauses as one IP
/I don’t think he will/

IP for fronted syntactic object and in parallel structures
This / you really ought to see.
I like him / but I loathe/ and detest / his wife.

11.6.2.2 Primary accents and new information

Primary accent on last lexical item
Jane’s had a `baby.
Something happened on Sunday which was quite un`usual.
I don’t really want to at`tend.
He was accused of `dividend stripping.

Primary accent on subject of intransitive verb
That `building’s falling down.
A `doberman’s on the prowl.
The `dog barked. (cf. The man `swore.)
I heard a `bird sing.

No primary accent on some final adverbials
I go to `Manchester usually.
It wasn’t a very nice `day unfortunately.
There’s been a `mix-up possibly.
He didn’t suc`ceed however.

Primary accent on final adverbial when separate IP
I go to `Manchester / ˏusually.
It was a very nice `day / unˏfortunately.

Vocatives and speech markers unaccented in final position
Don’t you a`gree, Peter?
Don’t be a `fool, he said.

Unaccented old information at end of sentences
(Why don’t you invite John to the party?) Because I don’t `like John.
(We had a long `wait.) You mean we had a `very long wait.

Primary accent for contrast even when not last lexical item
John is quite a `tall man / but his brother’s very `short.

Primary accent in echoes
(I couldn’t `do it.) You couldn’t ˊdo it?
(This time we went to `Ireland.) Oh you went to `Ireland / ˏdid you?

11.6.2.3 Primary accent on function words

Function word highlighting contrast of tense or negation
(Why haven’t you `phoned me?) But I `have phoned you.
(Why don’t you `love me?) But I `do love you.
(I wish I was in ˇEngland.) But we `are in England.
(This book ought to be re`printed.) But it’s `been reprinted.

Function word giving special emphasis
(Why are you doing `that?) It’s the only sensible thing `to do.
`Acted a lot / ˏdid you? / Can’t say I remember your `face / `or your name.
[Announcement] Please make ˏsure / you have all your belongings `with you.
The mistakes you made were not ˇbig / but there were a great many `of them.
(I a`greed with the decision.) But do you accept that there were special aspects `to the case?

Nucleus on be or auxiliary verb in question word questions
(We can’t let ˇthat happen.) What `should be done?
(That’s a very expensive `ring.) How much `is it?
(I expect the `family to come toˏnight.) How `is your wife?
[Thinking you recognise someone] Who `is that man over there?

11.6.2.4 Focusing adverbs

(1) Nucleus on too and as well in meaning ‘in addition’
I’m a vege`tarian / `too.
`I’m a vegetarian / `too.
I discovered ˇtoo / that no `women were coming.
I think John’s going `too.
Quite right `too.
Did ˏyou live in that area / ˏtoo?
`I’m a vegetarian / as `well.
In Africa `too they do that.
In this area `too he showed his mettle.
John `too agreed to come.

Compare non-nuclear may as well and might as well:
He might as well have done it `anyway.
I may as well finish `now.

(2) Either as the negative equivalent of too also takes the nucleus
`I’m not a vegetarian / `either.
I’m not a vege`tarian / `either.

(3) The focus is from non-nuclear even and not even up to the nucleus
Even `John agreed.
Not even `John agreed.
He didn’t even say good`bye.
He even pawned his wife’s `jewels.
Not even a hundred `pounds would make me do that.
He didn’t even say he was `sorry.
I’m not even `slightly amused.

(4) The nucleus commonly falls on all in not … at all
It’s not like that at `all.
He’s not at `all friendly.

(5) Non-nuclear only and only phrases produce focus from the only up to the nucleus
Only `three.
Only `I know how to do that.
Only ten of them turned `up.
He only did it for `your sake.
It’s not only `John who said that.
If only we’d thought of that be`fore.
I’ll a`gree /but only because it’s `you that’s putting it forward.

But nuclear only is backward-looking:
We were allowed two tickets `only.

(6) When non-nuclear, the adverb also focuses on all up to the nucleus whereas when nuclear it is backward-looking
He’s also written to the `chairman.
Also under scrutiny was the `president of the company.
He also passed the e`xam.
He `also passed the exam.

(7) Enough often reinforces an adverb or adjective in initial position. In other positions it is non-nuclear
Strangely eˇnough / it doesn’t `work like that.
Oddly eˇnough / I a`gree with you.
He wasn’t big enough to `reach it.
He be`haves nicely enough.
There wasn’t enough `space.

11.6.2.5 Some special accentings

In cleft sentences the nucleus commonly falls on the focused item but less commonly it falls on a pre-focus or post-focus item
It was `Tom who suggested it.
It was Tom who su`ggested it.
It’s `always Tom who suggests things.

A common pattern has the nucleus on a pronoun in clauses following a reporting verb
The real IRA said that `they planted the bomb.
The TUC insisted `it was responsible.

Reflexive pronouns are commonly nuclear
The gears on my bike shift them`selves.
Honda—the car that sells it`self.

A nucleus often falls on vague words
I don’t as a regular ˇthing.
Get your `things.
That’s the `thing.
A close-run `thing.
Do the right `thing.
Where’s my `stuff?
What’s the `matter?
She’s a very nice `person.

But the nucleus is placed on ordinal numbers in preference to vague words
The `first thing to do …
The `next time you come …

GPE Intonation Recording Part 3: The meanings of tones

11.6.2.6

(1) Major declaratives

High fall and low fall on major declaratives:
It’s a very nice `garden.
Of `course it is.
It’s a very dull ˎbook.
The parcel arrived on ˎThursday.

Fall-rise for reservations, contradiction, contrast and warning:
I like his ˇwife / even if I don’t like `him.
(It’s the twenty ˋfifth today / ˏisn’t it?) Twenty ˇsixth.
John didn’t sucˋceed / but ˇPhilip did.
If you ˋdon’t do it / John’ll be very ˇcross.

High rises on echoes and declarative questions:
(I did it in `blue.) You did it in ˊblue?
So you didn’t ˊgo?

Low rise without preceding high accent as complaining:
You mustn’t go aˏway.

Low rise with preceding high accent as patronising:
You’ll ˈonly overˏdo things.
There’s ˈno point in ˏrushing.

Rise-fall as being impressed, unimpressed, indignant or sarcastic:
He’s the head of a big firm in ˆLondon.
Oh inˆdeed / How ˆnice for you.

Rise-fall for gossip:
Have you ˏheard? / Jill’s ˆpregnant.

(2) Minor declaratives

Low rise, fall-rise and mid level on minor declaratives:
What I’d ˇlike / is a drink of ˋtea.
The ˇbest person to do it / would be Bill ˋBailey.
The ˇcrucial issue / is that ...
We took the ˏcar / and drove to ˋBirmingham.
On my way to >work / it started to ˋrain.
Un>fortunately / it doesn’t ˇwork like that.
Unˇfortunately / it doesn’t ˇwork like that.

Falling tone on initial assertive adverbials:
Be`sides / he’s had time to `think about it.
By the `way / what do you think of the ˋnew chap?

Final adverbials with low rise (but again fall on assertives):
I went to ˋCanada / last ˏyear.
It didn’t ˋwork / unˏfortunately.
He turned bright ˋred / `literally.

Sequences of high fall plus low rise or fall-rise plus high fall:
I began to feel `ill / because I hadn’t had enough to ˏeat.
I began to feel ˇill / because I hadn’t had enough to `eat.

(3) Yes/no-interrogatives

Low rise on yes/no-interrogatives:
(It’s going to ˋrain I’m afraid.) Do you ˈreally ˏthink so?
(I’m really enˋjoying myself.) Is ˈthis your ˏfirst visit to London?
(The large size costs a ˋpound.) Is ˈthat the ˏnew price?

High fall on brusque yes/no-interrogatives:
(Can you remember where I left my new ˏshoes?) Are they in the `wardrobe?
(Tom exˋplained it all to me.) But do you under`stand it?
(I can’t find my pen ˋanywhere.) Are you sure you brought it `with you?

Rise-fall marking yes/no-interrogative as an exclamation:
(He didn’t even leave a ˋmessage.) Now isn’t that peˆculiar!
(I’m going to ˋSpain tomorrow.) Aren’t you ˆlucky!
(He refused to ˋhelp me.) Would you beˆlieve it!

(4) Question word interrogatives

High fall or low fall on question word interrogatives:
(She wants you to send an aˋpology.) What’s it got to do with `her?
(You mustn’t `tell her.) Why `not?
(She didn’t ˋget the job.) How do you ˎknow?

Low rise on question word interrogatives:
(We’re off on ˋThursday.) What time do you ˏstart?
(I’m afraid it didn’t ˋwork.) Why did you do it ˏthat way?

High rise on question word interrogatives asking for repetition:
(He’s completely irreˋsponsible.) ˊWhat did you say?
(Her name was `Pettigrew before she was ˏmarried.) ˊWhat did you say she was called?

(5) Tag-interrogatives

Reversed polarity tags, fall inviting agreement, rise leaving it open:
(It’s a long way from the shops.) It’s right on the outskirts / `isn’t it?
(I had a lovely time.) Yes / The day did go well / `didn’t it?
(Lend me your copy of Shakespeare.) You will look after it / `won’t you?
(Where did I put my golf clubs?) You left them in the garage / ˏdidn’t you?
(He asked me to drive him there.) But you won’t be able to go / ˏwill you?
(Who was that woman he was with?) It was his sister / ˏwasn’t it?

Constant polarity tags, thoughtful echo, sometimes threatening:
(I think he’s going to emigrate.) So he won’t `marry her / ˏwon’t he?
(Rachel’s gone away with John.) She’s still `seeing him / ˏis she?

Detective type of interrogation, threatening:
Watch a lot of television / ˏdo you?
Come on his bike / ˏdid he?
Didn’t give it any thought / ˏdidn’t you?

(6) Imperatives

Falling tones abrupt, rising polite:
(I’ve decided to lend him my car.) Don’t be such a silly `fool.
(What should I do now?) Go and wash the `car.
(You shouldn’t have spent all that money.) Don’t be ˏangry about it.
(I’m afraid I’ve had enough of you.) Give me another ˏchance.
(I have a very delicate job to do here.) Be ˇcareful.

Tag after imperatives also polite:
(Can I have some more wine?) Help your`self / ˏwon’t you?
(Her nerves are terrible.) See if you can `help / ˏwill you?
(I’m doing my best.) >Well / hurry `up / ˏcan’t you?

(7) Exclamatives and (8) Social Formulas

Exclamatives take a falling or rising-falling tone:
What a beautiful `day!
How `stupid he is!
What a very silly thing to `do!
What a paˆlaver!
`Nonsense!
You `idiot!
`Marvellous!

Formulaic or sincere greeting:
Good ˏmorning. Good `morning.
Heˏllo. He`llo.

Stylised tone:
Good ˭morning.
˭Johnny. You’ve split your ˭pants!

(8) Tonal sequences
Rising or mid level followed by falling tone:
Un>fortunately / it didn’t `work.
The ˇusual excuse / is that there’s not enough `time.
Because he gave up too ˇearly / he lost two thousand `pounds.
He staked everything on ˏwinning / and ended up with `nothing.

Falling tone followed by a rising tone:
I deny the whole `thing / ˏusually.
That’s the best way to `do it / ˏisn’t it?

Falling tone plus falling tone:
I go to `London / `regularly.
It was a beautiful `day / `wasn’t it?
(What should I do?) Take up `singing / write a `book / do an `evening class / buy a `bicycle / `anything!