Note 2. OE. _a_ when lengthened in open syllables seems to have had an open _ę̄_ sound. Cf. _makede_ : _verade_ 179-80, _þere_ : _fare_ 497-8 L H, _speke_ : _take_ 567-8, _þere_ : _aylmere_ 537-8 L, C H, 1613-14, _ȝate_ : _late_ 1123-4 C, 1593-4 C, _brake_ : _gate_ 1157-8 C, _lede_ : _made_ 1501-2 L H, _slape_ : _rape_ 1531-2 C. Cf. also the _ai_ : _ei_ rimes. L and H write _ai_, _ay_, _ei_, and _ey_ without distinction. Cf. 1087-8 L, 1361-2 C, 1399-1400, etc.
Note 3. Pogatscher’s ingenious test (_Anglia_, xxiii, 301 ff.) can not be applied here, because, so far as I can see, there are no instances of rimes with shortened OE. _ǣ_ (WG. _ā_). This _ǣ_ with original length occurs in rime, now with _a_ lengthened in open syllable (cf. Note 2, above), now with _ē_. Cf. _seche_ : _speche_ 183-4, _swete_ : _forlete_ 231-2, etc.
On the whole, then, we may conclude that it is possible to assume for K. H. the East-Southern product _e_, but that if we do so we must also assume either inaccuracy in the rimes or a mixed dialect.
WS. _ea_ before _l_ + consonant is written, sometimes _eld_, sometimes _old_. It seems also to have had a double pronunciation. Both pronunciations are supported by rimes. Such rimes as _welde_ : _ȝelde_ 513-14 C H, _felde_ : _welde_ 451-2 H, _bihelde_ : _felde_ 901-2, support one pronunciation based on the OE. (WS.) breaking _ea_ before _l_ + cons., while _Admirad_ : _bald_ C, _amyraud_ : _baud_ L, _Admyrold_ : _bold_ H 95-6, seem to testify to the unbroken sound in OE. lengthened before _-ld_ to _ā_ and then opened to _ǭ_. For other instances with varying spelling cf. 17-18, 323-4, 397-8, 639-40, 1499-1500. In v. 497 the L reading _talede_ seems to represent the OE. broken form as opposed to the unbroken form _tolde_ in #C# and #H#.
OE. _ĕ_. There are many instances of _e_ : _i_ rimes. But it is seemingly impossible to determine thereby much concerning the dialect. (Cf. Morsb. §§ 109, 114, N. 1.) For examples of this rime, cf. _wïlle_ : _telle_ 383-4, 1015-16 C; _stille_ : _duelle_ 393-4 C; _þikke_ : _nekke_ 1327-8; _snelle_ : _wille_ 1581-2 C, etc.
The form _sigge_ seems to belong especially to the South-East. (Morsb. 114, N. 1, 109, N. 4, also Wissman, King Horn, p. xiv.) Cf. K. H. vv. 1367-8, _ligge_ : _wiþsegge_ C, _ligge_ : _sigge_ L; _lygge_ : _wiþsugge_ H.