| Late Old English (Anglian), c. 1000
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Middle English pronunciation, c. 1400
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Modern English spelling, c. 1500
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Early Modern English pronunciation, c. 1600
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Modern English pronunciation, c. 2000
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Source
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Example
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| a; æ; ea; ā+CC; often ǣ+CC,ēa+CC; occ. ē+CC (WS ǣ+CC) |
/a/ |
a |
/a/ |
/æ/ |
OE a |
OE mann > man; OE lamb > lamb; OE sang > sang; OE sacc > sack; OE assa > ass (donkey)
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| OE æ |
OE fæþm embrace > fathom; OE sæt > sat; OE æt > at; OE mæsse > mass (at church)
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| OE ea |
OE weax > wax; OE healf > half /hæf/ (GA)
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| OE +CC |
OE āscian > ask /æsk/ (GA); OE fǣtt > fat; OE lǣstan > to last /læst/ (GA) ; OE blēddre (WS blǣddre) > bladder; OE brēmbel (WS brǣmbel) > bramble
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| (w+, not +g,ck,ng,nk) GA /ɑ/, RP /ɒ/ |
OE a |
OE swan > swan; OE wasċan > to wash; OE wann dark > wan
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| OE æ |
OE swæþ > swath; OE wæsp > wasp
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| OE ea |
OE wealwian > to wallow; OE swealwe > swallow (bird)
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| (+r) /ar/ > GA /ɑr/, RP /ɑː/ |
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OE heard > hard; OE ærc (WS earc) > ark
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| (w+ and +r) /ɔr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ |
OE ea |
OE swearm > swarm; OE sweart > old poetic swart >! swarthy; OE weardian > to ward; OE wearm > warm; OE wearnian > to warn
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| (+lC,l#) /ɔː/ |
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OE smæl > small; OE all (WS eall) > all; OE walcian (WS wealcian) to roll > to walk
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| (+lm) GA /ɑ/, RP /ɑː/ |
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OE ælmesse > alms; Latin palma > OE 'palm > palm
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| (RP, often +f,s,th) /ɑː/ |
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OE glæs > glass; OE græs > grass; OE pæþ > path; OE æfter > after; OE āscian /ɑːsk/ > to ask; OE lǣstan /lɑːst/ > to last
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| (leng.) /aː/ [æː] |
aCV |
/ɛː/ |
/eː/ > /eɪ/ |
OE a |
OE nama > name; OE nacod > naked; OE bacan > to bake
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| OE æ |
OE æcer > acre; OE hwæl > whale; OE hræfn > raven
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| (+r) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ |
OE a |
OE caru > care; OE faran > to fare; OE starian > to stare
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| e; eo; occ. y; ē+CC; ēo+CC; occ. ǣ+CC,ēa+CC |
/e/ |
e |
/ɛ/ |
/ɛ/ |
OE e |
OE helpan > to help; OE elh (WS eolh) > elk; OE tellan > to tell; OE betera > better; OE streċċan > to stretch
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| OE eo |
OE seofon > seven
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| OE y |
OE myriġ > merry; OE byrġan > to bury /ˈbɛri/; OE lyft- weak > left (hand); OE cnyll > knell
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| OE +CC |
OE cēpte > kept; OE mētte > met; OE bēcnan (WS bīecnan) > to beckon; OE clǣnsian > to cleanse; OE flǣsċ > flesh; OE lǣssa > less; OE frēond > friend /frɛnd/; OE þēofþ (WS þīefþ) > theft; OE hēold > held
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| (+r) ar |
/ar/ |
GA /ɑr/, RP /ɑː/ |
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OE heorte > heart; OE bercan (WS beorcan) > to bark; OE teoru (WS teru) > tar; OE steorra > star
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| (w+ and +r) /ɔr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ |
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AN werra > war; AN werbler > to warble
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| (occ. +r) er |
/ɛr/ |
/ər/ > GA /ər/, RP /ɜː/ |
OE e |
OE sterne (WS stierne, styrne) > stern
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| OE eo |
OE eorl > earl; OE eorþe > earth; OE liornian, leornian > to learn
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| OE +CC |
OE hērde (WS hīerde) > heard
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| (leng.) /ɛː/ |
ea,eCV |
/eː/ |
/iː/ |
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OE specan > to speak; OE mete > meat; OE beofor > beaver; OE meotan (WS metan) > to mete /miːt/; OE eotan (WS etan) > to eat; OE meodu (WS medu) > mead; OE yfel > evil
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| (+r) /iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ |
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OE spere > spear; OE mere > mere (lake)
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| (occ.) /eɪ/ |
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OE brecan > to break /breɪk/
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| (occ. +r) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ |
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OE beoran (WS beran) > to bear; OE pere, peru > pear; OE swerian > to swear; OE wer man > were-
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| (often +th,d,t,v) /ɛ/ |
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OE leþer > leather /lɛðɚ/; OE stede > stead; OE weder > weather; OE heofon > heaven; OE hefiġ > heavy
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| i; y; ī+CC,ȳ+CC; occ. ēoc,ēc; occ. ī+CV,ȳ+CV |
/i/ |
i |
/ɪ/ |
/ɪ/ |
OE i |
OE writen > written; OE sittan > to sit; OE fisċ > fish; OE lifer > liver
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| OE y |
OE bryċġ > bridge; OE cyssan > to kiss; OE dyde > did; OE synn > sin; OE gyldan > to gild; OE bysiġ > busy /ˈbɪzi/
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| OE +CC |
OE wīsdōm > wisdom; OE fīftiġ > fifty; OE wȳsċan > to wish; OE cȳþþ(u) > kith; OE fȳst > fist
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| OE ȳ+CV,ī+CV |
OE ċīcen > chicken; OE lȳtel > little
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| OE ēoc,ēc |
OE sēoc > sick; OE wēoce > wick; OE ēc + nama > ME eke-name >! nickname
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| (+r) /ər/ > GA /ər/, RP /ɜː/ |
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OE gyrdan > to gird; OE fyrst > first; OE styrian > to stir
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| (leng. — occ.) /eː/ |
ee |
/iː/ |
/iː/ |
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OE wicu > week; OE pilian > to peel; OE bitela > beetle
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| o; ō+CC |
/o/ |
o |
/ɔ/ |
GA /ɑ/, RP /ɒ/ |
OE o |
OE god > god; OE beġeondan > beyond
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| OE +CC |
OE gōdspell > gospel; OE fōddor > fodder; OE fōstrian > to foster
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| (GA, +f,s,th,g,ng) /ɔː/ |
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OE moþþe > moth; OE cros > cross; OE frost > frost; OE of > off; OE oft > oft; OE sōfte > soft
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| (+r) /ɔr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ |
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OE corn > corn; OE storc > storc; OE storm > storm
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| (leng.) /ɔː/ |
oa,oCV |
/oː/ |
GA /oʊ/, RP /əʊ/ |
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OE fola > foal; OE nosu > nose; OE ofer > over
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| (+r) /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ |
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OE borian > to bore; OE fore > fore; OE bord > board
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| u; occ. y; ū+CC; w+ e,eo,o,y +r |
/u/ |
u,o |
/ʊ/ |
/ʌ/ |
OE u |
OE bucc > buck /bʌk/; OE lufian > to love /lʌv/; OE uppe > up; OE on bufan > above
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| OE y |
OE myċel > ME muchel >! much; OE blysċan > to blush; OE cyċġel > cudgel; OE clyċċan > to clutch; OE sċytel > shuttle
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| OE +CC |
OE dūst > dust; OE tūsc > tusk; OE rūst > rust
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| (b,f,p+ and +l,sh) /ʊ/ |
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OE full > full /fʊl/; OE bula > bull; OE bysċ > bush
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| (+r) /ər/ > GA /ər/, RP /ɜː/ |
OE u |
OE spurnan > to spurn
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| OE y |
OE ċyriċe > church; OE byrþen > burden; OE hyrdel > hurdle
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| OE w+,+r |
OE word > word; OE werc (WS weorc) > work; OE werold > world; OE wyrm > worm; OE wersa (WS wiersa) > worse; OE weorþ > worth
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| (leng. — occ.) /oː/ |
oo |
/uː/ |
/uː/ |
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OE (brȳd)-guma > ME (bride)-gome >! (bride)-groom
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| (+r) /uːr/ > /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ |
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OE duru > door
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| (often +th,d,t) /ʌ/ |
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?
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| (occ. +th,d,t) /ʊ/ |
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OE wudu > wood /wʊd/
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| ā; often a+ld,mb |
/ɔː/ |
oa,oCV |
/oː/ |
GA /oʊ/, RP /əʊ/ |
OE ā |
OE āc > oak; OE hāl > whole
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| OE +ld,mb |
OE camb > comb; OE ald (WS eald) > old; OE haldan (WS healdan) > to hold
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| (+r) /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ |
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OE ār > oar, ore; OE māra > more; OE bār > boar; OE sār > sore
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| ǣ; ēa |
/ɛː/ |
ea,eCV |
/eː/ |
/iː/ |
OE ǣ |
OE hǣlan > to heal /hiːl/; OE hǣtu > heat; OE hwǣte > wheat
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| OE ēa |
OE bēatan > to beat /biːt/; OE lēaf > leaf; OE ċēap > cheap
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| (+r) /iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ |
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OE rǣran > to rear ; OE ēare > ear; OE sēar > sere; OE sēarian > to sear
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| (occ.) /eɪ/ |
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OE grēat > great /greɪt/
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| (occ. +r) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ |
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OE ǣr > ere (before)
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| (often +th,d,t) /ɛ/ |
OE ǣ |
OE brǣþ odor > breath; OE swǣtan > to sweat; OE sprǣdan > to spread
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| OE ēa |
OE dēad > dead /dɛd/; OE dēaþ death; OE þrēat menace > threat; OE rēad > red; OE dēaf > deaf
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| ē; ēo; often e+ld |
/eː/ |
ee,ie(nd/ld) |
/iː/ |
/iː/ |
OE ē |
OE fēdan > to feed; OE grēdiġ (WS grǣdiġ) > greedy; OE mē > me; OE fēt > feet; OE dēd (WS dǣd) > deed; OE nēdl (WS nǣdl) > needle
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| OE ēo |
OE dēop deep; OE fēond > fiend; OE betwēonum > between; OE bēon > to be
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| OE +ld |
OE feld > field; OE ġeldan (WS ġieldan) to pay > to yield
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| (often +r) /ɛːr/ |
ear,erV |
/eːr/ |
/iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ |
OE ē |
OE hēr > here; OE hēran (WS hīeran) > to hear; OE fēr (WS fǣr) > fear
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| OE ēo |
OE dēore (WS dīere) > dear
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| (occ.) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ |
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OE þēr (WS þǣr) > there; OE hwēr (WS hwǣr) > where
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| (occ. +r) /eːr/ |
eer |
/iːr/ |
/iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ |
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OE bēor > beer; OE dēor > deer; OE stēran (WS stīeran) > to steer; OE bēr (WS bǣr) > bier
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| ī; ȳ; often i+ld,mb,nd; often y+ld,mb,nd |
/iː/ |
i,iCV |
/əi/ |
/aɪ/ |
OE ī |
OE rīdan > to ride; OE tīma > time; OE hwīt > white; OE mīn > mine (of me)
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| OE ȳ |
OE mȳs > mice; OE brȳd > bride; OE hȳdan > to hide
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| OE +ld,mb,nd |
OE findan > to find; OE ċild > child; OE climban > to climb; OE mynd > mind
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| (+r) /air/ > GA /aɪr/, RP /aɪə/ |
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OE fȳr > fire; OE hȳrian > to hire; OE wīr > wire
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| ō; occ. ēo |
/oː/ |
oo |
/uː/ |
/uː/ |
OE ō |
OE mōna > moon; OE sōna > soon; OE fōd > food /fuːd/; OE dōn > to do
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| OE ēo |
OE ċēosan > to choose; OE sċēotan > to shoot
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| (+r) /uːr/ > /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ |
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OE flōr > floor; OE mōr > moor
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| (occ. +th,d,v) /ʌ/ |
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OE blōd > blood /blʌd/; OE mōdor > mother /mʌðə(r)/; OE glōf > glove /glʌv/
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| (often +th,d,t,k) /ʊ/ |
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OE gōd > good /gʊd/; OE bōc > book /bʊk/; OE lōcian > to look /lʊk/; OE fōt > foot /fʊt/
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| ū; often u+nd |
/uː/ |
ou |
/əu/ |
/aʊ/ |
OE ū |
OE mūs > mouse; OE ūt, ūte > out; OE hlūd > loud
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| OE +nd |
OE ġefunden > found; OE hund > hound; OE ġesund > sound (safe)
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| (+r) /aur/ > GA /aʊr/, RP /aʊə/ |
OE |
OE ūre > our; OE sċūr > shower; OE sūr > sour
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| (occ. +t) /ʌ/ |
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OE būtan > but; OE strūtian > ME strouten > to strut
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