The subject of history of English

27. Middle English Noun

Old English complex classification of nouns was based on differences in declension, in endings that were added to them in various forms; as the endings were levelled, the grounds for distinguishing the very classes become insignificant. The category of gender was lost. The category of number was preserved. If we have a look into the Old English nominal paradigms, we’ll see that the plural ending originally were: -as ( of the a-stems masculine, r-stems masculine); 0 (a-stems neuter, some r-stems); -u (neuter a-stems, i-stems, s-stems, some r-stems ); -a (o-stems, u-stems); -e (masculine i-stems, some root stems); -an (n-stems). Due to the reduction of the unstressed vowels all these came to:-es, -0, -e or -0, -en

So finally we have -es, -en, which becomes a competing ending. Ending -es was invariably added to form the plural form of numerous borrowings(two felawes; the chambres and the stables; fresshe floures )

Several nouns retain their Old English plural with the mutated vowel (such as man - menn, foot -feet, gOOSe - geese etc.;). Some former -n-stems still retain their suffix as a marker of the plural form: Thou seist, that oxen, asses, hors, and houndes...< you see that oxen, asses, horses and hounds...);

from hise even ran the water doun... (from his eyes the water ran down)

The nouns naming some domestic animals such as sheep, swyn, hors retained their old uninflected plurals. The plural of child developed in a unique way - it retained its suffix of the former -s- stems (it was -r- through rhotacism) and additionally got the -en suffix - children.

Case

The number of cases was reduced from Old English four to two, the Nominative and the Genitive. The ending -es of the a-stems nouns, which were the most numerous group, becomes predominant; it irradiates not only to the singular but also to the plural. In Middle English only some nouns have a distinct paradigm of four forms: man – menn; mannes – mennes; nama – namen; names - (namene) names

In other cases the context resolved the ambiguity:he hadde a fyr-reed cherubynnes face (he had fire-red cherub’s face)

at the kvnges court ( at the king’s court)

His lordes sheep (his lord’s sheep) a wvdwes sone (a widow’s son) waspes nest (wasps’ nest) daves light (day’s light)

sette the foxes tavles alle on fire (and set the foxes’ tails all on fire) at his beddes heed (at the head of his bed)