is ge-feran [companions] samod the mid him sithedon
[journeyed]. Betwux tham wearth of-slagen [off-slain] Eadwine his eam
[uncle], North-hymbra cyning, on Crist ge-lyfed, fram Brytta cyninge,
Ceadwalla ge-ciged [called, named], and twegen his aefter-gengan binnan
twam gearum [years]; and se Ceadwalla sloh and to sceame tucode tha
North-hymbran leode [people] aefter heora hlafordes fylle, oth thaet
[until] Oswold se eadiga his yfelnysse adwaescte [extinguished]. Oswold
him com to, and him cenlice [boldly] with feaht mid lytlum werode
[troop], ac his geleafa [belief] hine ge-trymde [encouraged], and Crist
him ge-fylste [helped] to his feonda [fiends, enemies] slege."

It will be noticed in every case that the syntactical arrangement of the
words in the sentences follows as a whole the rule that the governed
word precedes the governing, as in Latin or High German, not _vice
versa_, as in modern English.

A brief list will show the principal modifications undergone by nouns in
the process of modernisation. _Stan_, stone; _snaw_, snow; _ban_, bone.
_Craeft_, craft; _staef_, staff; _baec_, back. _Weg_, way; _daeg_, day;
_naegel_, nail; _fugol_, fowl. _Gear_, year; _geong_, young. _Finger_,
finger; _winter_, winter; _ford_, ford. _AEfen_, even; _morgen_, morn.
_Monath_, month; _heofon_, heaven; _heafod_, head. _Fot_, foot; _toth_,
tooth; _boc_, book; _freond_, friend. _Modor_, mother; _faeder_, father;
_dohtor_, daughter. _Sunu_, son; _wudu_, wood; _caru_, care; _denu_,
dene (valley). _Scip_, ship; _cild_, child; _ceorl_, churl; _cynn_, kin;
_ceald_, cold. Wherever a word has not become wholly obsolete, or
assumed a new termination, (_e.g._, _gifu_, gift; _morgen_, morn-ing),
it usually follows one or other of these analogies.

The changes which the English language, as a whole, has undergone in
passing from its earlier to its later form, may best be considered under
the two heads of form and matter.

As regards form or structure, the language has been simplified in three
separate ways. First, the nouns and adjectives have for the most part
lost their inflexions, at least so far as the cases are concerned.
Secondly, the nouns have also lost their gender. And thirdly, the verbs
have been simplified in conjugation, weak preterites being often
substituted for strong ones, and differential terminations largely lost.
On the other hand, the plural of nouns is still distinguished from the
singular by its termination in _s_, which