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Introduction to Introduction to Old and Middle Old and Middle

English:English:Part IPart I

Historical syntax

December 16, 2005Andreas H. Jucker

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Word order: ModE

Main clauses– Fred hates syntax exercises (SVO)– Yesterday Fred might have done some syntax exercises (XSVO)

Subordinate clauses– … because Fred hates syntax exercises. (XSVO)

– … Fred, who hates syntax exercises. (SVO)

Pattern: subject – verb – object (SVO)

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Word order: OE

Main clauses– he hæfde an swiðe ænlice wif (SVO)‘he had a most excellent wife’

– þa eoden hie ut (XVSX)‘then they went out’

– Micelne geleafan he hæfde (O(S)V, S=clitic)‘Great faith he had’

Pattern: verb second (V2)

Sources: Bruce & Mitchell 1992: 63; van Kemenade 1987: 37

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Word order: OE

Subordinate clause– þat hie mid þæm þæt folc ut aloccoden (XSXV)‘so that by doing that, they would entice the people out’

– gif hie ænigne feld secan wolden (XSOV)‘if they wished to seek any open country’

Pattern: verb-final (V-F)

Sources: Bruce & Mitchell 1992: 63; van Kemenade 1987: 37, 39

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Problem for historical syntax

Word order in main clauses– verb-second --> subject-verb

Word order in subordinate clauses– verb-last --> subject-verb

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Word order reanalysis

Assumptions:– OE underlying SOV in all clauses– in main clauses:

• verb fronting• topicalisation• pronouns are clitics unless topicalised• clitics are attached to the finite verb• result: V2

– in subordinate clauses:• verb fronting and topicalisation blocked

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Verb fronting and topicalisation

Main clauses– he hæfde an swiðe ænlice wif ‘he had a most excellent wife’

– þa eoden hie ut ‘then they went out’

– Micelne geleafan he hæfde‘Great faith he had’

Pattern: topic-(clitic)-verb-rest = verb second

Sources: Bruce & Mitchell 1992: 63; van Kemenade 1987: 37

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Reanalysis

Not possible in main clauses– SVX only coincidentally if subject topicalised

SVX in subordinate clauses by 1200/1300 through extraposition

SVX in main clauses by analogy SVX in main clauses not before 1400

Decliticisation of pronouns

Stockwell & Minkova 1991

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Extraposition

Subordinate clause– æfter disum gelamp þæt micel manncwealm becom ofer þære Romaniscan leode (...SVX)‘then it happened that a great plague came over the Roman people’

– sme men cewþaþ on Englisc þæt hit sie feaxede steorra (…SVX)

– ær he acenned wæs of Marian (XSVX)‘before He was born of Mary’

Pattern: verb-final plus extraposition or SV

Sources: Bruce & Mitchell 1992: 63; van Kemenade 1987: 37, 39

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Word order in Shakespeare

He loves not you. You do not look on me. Wilt thou use thy wit? Wrong I mine enemies? Do you fear it? Knows he not thy voice? Didst thou not say he comes? Can’st not rule her? What do you read my lord?

Source: Radford 1997: 127

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Ongoing change: progressive

Early examples in Beowulf Shakespeare: “I am dying, Egypt, dying”but also “I come, my queen”

ModE: “Tom is having a bath” Recent developments:

– Tom is having a bath as soon as Arabella is out of the bathroom

– Charles is understanding French a lot better since he’s been to France

Aitchison 1991: 99, 100

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Futurity: be going to

Occasionally in Shakespeare– I’m going to visit the prisoner

Dickens: Oliver Twist– 4 per cent of references to future time

Salinger: Catcher in the rye– 30 per cent of references to future time

Aitchison 1991: 100