Re: [MTLR] RE: The Vocalic Theory (PIE *al-)

On 2008-05-21 19:22, Rick McCallister wrote:

> You occasionally hear shat and shatten but always in
> humorous contexts. Shit is the standard past
> participle.
> Canterbury Tales has "shiten" --
> And shame it is if a preest take keep,
> a shiten shepherd and a clene sheep. (505-506)

Had it developed regularly, it would be shite/+shote/+shitten now (< OE
*sci:tan/*sc(e)a:t/*sciton/sciten, Class 1, like wri:tan, though only
the p.p. -sciten is directly attested). Middle English generally
preserved the expected reflexes. <Shite> is of course still common
regionally, at least in the British Isles, and the pret./p.p. shit can
also be regarded as historically "correct".

Piotr