Earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English || Omnath Dubey

The earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English date to the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Middle English is the period of the English language that followed Old English and preceded Early Modern English.

One of the most famous examples of Middle English literature is the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," which is preserved in the Cotton Nero A.x manuscript, dating to the late 14th century. This poem tells the story of a knight who accepts a challenge from a mysterious green knight and must journey to meet him at the Green Chapel.

Another notable Middle English manuscript is the "Ormulum," a religious text written by a monk named Orm in the late 12th century. The "Ormulum" is notable for its strict use of meter and its phonetic spelling, which provides important insights into the pronunciation of Middle English.

Other examples of Middle English manuscripts include the "Ancrene Wisse," a religious text written for female anchorites in the early 13th century, and the "Havelok the Dane," a romance dating to the early 14th century.

Overall, the earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English date to the late 12th and early 13th centuries and include religious texts, romances, and poems. These manuscripts provide important insights into the development of the English language and the literature and culture of the Middle Ages.