Ayenbite of Inwyt

The Ayenbite of Inwyt (also Aȝenbite of Inwit) is a confessional prose work written in a Kentish dialect of Middle English. As a literal rendition of a French original by a "very incompetent translator",^[1] it is generally considered more valuable as a record of Kentish pronunciation in the mid-14th century than as a work of literature.

Origins and content

The Ayenbite is a translation of the French Somme le Roi (also known as the Book of Vices and Virtues), a late 13th century treatise on Christian morality; the popularity of this latter text is demonstrated by the large number of surviving copies. The subject-matter is treated primarily allegorically; for example, the seven deadly sins are identified with the seven heads of the Beast of the Apocalypse.

The English translation was completed on 27 October 1340, by a Benedictine monk, Michael of Northgate. This can be stated with unusual certainty, for the author specifies all these details himself, writing in the preface,

þis boc is dan Michelis of Northgate, ywrite an englis of his oȝene hand, þet hatte Ayenbite of inwyt

And in a postscript,

Ymende, þet þis boc is volveld ine þe eve of þe holy apostles Symon an Iudas, of ane broþer of þe cloystre of sanynt Austin of Canterburi, ine þe yeare of oure lhordes beringe 1340

This postscript also explains the rationale behind the translation: it was intended to provide a confessional treatise that would be accessible to "lewede men", those who could read neither French nor Latin, for the good of their souls. In this aim it can be compared to Robert Mannyng's contemporary Handlyng Synne, but unlike that work, the Ayenbite appears not to have gained any popularity; only one copy has survived, in the British Library manuscript Arundel 57, and that is almost certainly the original.^[2]

Language

Since the work was intended for the use of Kentish commoners, its language has a number of unusual features.

Firstly, the vocabulary shows a marked preference for translating technical terms into compounds of English words, rather than borrowing French or Latin terminology. The title itself is a common example: it uses ayenbite, "again-bite", for modern English "remorse", and inwyt, "inward-knowledge", for modern English "conscience", both terms being literal translations of the Latin words. Even "amen" is often translated, into the phrase zuo by hit ("so be it").

Secondly, the orthography transparently reveals many details of pronunciation. Most notably, initial fricatives are regularly voiced: the word "sin" is spelt zenne, "father" becomes vader, "first" becomes verst or averst.

The spelling is unusually consistent for the time, which implies that it is an accurate representation of the author's speech: it has been described as "as close to a 'pure' dialect as we can get".^[3] As such, it is an invaluable resource in reconstructing the history of southern English dialects.

References

^ Freeborn, Dennis. From Old English to Standard English (London: Macmillan, 1992), pp. 170-176.
^ Treharne, Elaine, ed. Old and Middle English: An Anthology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2000), p. 526.
^ Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000). Volume 1, chapter XVI, §13.