Слайд 1
OE SYNTAX
The order of sentence elements
OE was primarily
a spoken language, therefore the written forms of the language
resemble oral speech. The syntax of the sentence was relatively simple. Complicated syntactical constructions were rare.
Слайд 2 In Germanic the order of sentence elements was
usually SOV, but this was no longer the rule in
OE.
Слайд 3 The word order of sentence elements in OE
is mixed, though there was a tendency to put the
verb in second position. This often led to a SVO order, except that when an adverbial came at the beginning of a sentence, this provided an AVSO order to give a clause like Þa cwxD sum oDer deofol (said another devil).
Слайд 4 Whereas in Germanic the object had tended to
precede the verb, in OE this was no longer the
case, and more often than not the object followed the verb either directly or after the subject.
Слайд 5 This is by no means invariable and there
were two clausal arrangements where it was infrequent.
Слайд 6 The first is where the verb consisted of
an auxiliary element and infinitive or participle. In this situation
it was frequent to have the order S – aux – OV as in we sceolon eac Cristes acennednysse … wurDian (we must also honour Christ’s birth).
Слайд 7 The second is in subordinate clauses where the
verb was commonly placed at the end of the clause,
as in þxt hi heora lare Zymon (that they attended to their instruction).
Слайд 8 Because of these variations there is a dispute
among scholars what the precise word-order patterns were in OE.
Слайд 9 It was not a verb-second language and it
did not retain the SOV order. OE was in transitional
stage moving from SOV to SVO, though with a preference for AVSO.
Слайд 10
Multiple Negation
One of the characteristic features of OE
syntax was multiple negation within a simple sentence or clause.
Слайд 11 The most common negative particle was ne. It
was placed before the verb. It was often accompanied by
other negative words: naht or noht.
Слайд 12 These words reinforced the meaning of negation:
Ne con ic noht sinZan … ic naht sinZ an
ne cuDe (I cannot sing (I cannot sing nothing))
Слайд 13
Compound and Complex Sentences
Compound and complex sentences existed
in the English language since earliest times. But many constructions
in early original prose were disorderly and looked clumsy.
Слайд 14 Coordinate clauses were mostly joined by and, a
conjunction of a most general meaning:
And þa ouZeat
se cyninZ þxt ond he, on þa duru eode, and þa unbeanlice hine werede.
(And then the king saw that, and he went to the door, and then bravely defended himself)
Слайд 15 Repetition of connectives at the head of each
clause was common in complex sentences:
Þa he þxr
to Zefaren wxs, þa eodon hie to hiora scipum
(then (when) he came there, then they went to their ship)
Слайд 16 The pronoun and conjunction þxt was used to
introduce object clauses and adverbial clauses, alone or with other
form-words:
oD Dxt (until)
xr þxm þe (before)
þxt (so that)
Слайд 17 Some clauses were joined asyndetically.
Слайд 18
Þa ic Þa Þis eall gemunde – When I
then this all
remembered
Слайд 19Þa gemunde ic eac
– then remembered I also
Слайд 21xr Þxm Þe hit eall forhergod wxre and forbxrned
–
before it all ravaged was and burnt up
Слайд 22hu Þa circicean giond eall Angelcynn stodon ma Þma and
boca gefylda
– how the churches throughout all England stood
with treasures and books filled
Слайд 23
OE VOCABULARY
Native OE Words
A.I. Smirnitsky, M. Pei think
that the total vocabulary of OE range from 30 thousand
to 100 thousand. The OE vocabulary was almost purely Germanic, except for a small number of borrowings. It consisted of native words inherited from PG or formed from native roots and affixes.
Слайд 24 Native OE words can be subdivided into a
number of etymological layers coming from different historical periods.
Слайд 25 The three main layers in the native OE words
are:
a) common IE words;
b) common Germanic
words;
c) specifically OE words.
Слайд 26Common IE words
Common IE words are the oldest
part of the OE vocabulary. Among these words we find
names of some natural phenomena, plants and animals, agricultural terms, names of the human body, terms of kinship.
Слайд 27E.g. mere (sea)
mona (moon)
treow (tree)
næZl (nail)
Слайд 28adjectives: neowe (new)
ZeonZ (young)
riht (right)
Слайд 29verbs: sawan (sow)
sittan (sit)
beran(bear)
teran (tear)
Слайд 30Common Germanic words
The common Germanic layer includes words
which are shared by most Germanic languages, but do not
occur outside the group.
This layer is certainly smaller than the layer of common IE words. The ratio is 1:2.
Слайд 31 Common Germanic words originated in the common period
of Germanic history, i.e. in PG when the Teutonic tribes
lived close together. Semantically these words are connected with nature, sea and everyday life:
Слайд 32nouns: hand (hand)
sand
(sand)
eorþe (earth)
fox (fox)
Слайд 33verbs: sinZan (sing)
findan
(find)
macian (make)
steorfan (die)
Слайд 34adjectives: earm (poor)
Zrene (green)
Слайд 35Specifically OE words
The next etymological layer of native words
can be defined as specifically OE that is words which
do not occur in other Germanic or non-Germanic languages.
Слайд 36These words are few:
clipian (call)
brid (bird)
wifman (woman)
hlaford (loaf)
weard (keeper)
Слайд 37Borrowed Words (Loan Words)
Borrowed words constituted only a
small portion of the OE vocabulary (about 600 words). OE
borrowing came from two sources: Celtic and Latin.
Слайд 38
Borrowings from Celtic
Many borrowings from Celtic are to
be found in place-names. OE kingdoms Kent, Deira and Bernicia
derive their names from the names of Celtic tribes.
Such proper names as Exe, Esk, Usk, Avon, Evan go back to Celtic.
Слайд 39 Many place-names with Celtic elements are hybrids. The
Celtic component is combined with a Latin or a Germanic
component:
Слайд 40
Latin Borrowings
Latin words entered the English language at
different stages of OE history. Early OE borrowings from Latin
indicate the new things and concepts learned from the Romans.
Слайд 41 They pertain to war, trade, agriculture, building and
home life:
ceapian (to trade)
pund (pound)
ynce (inch)
mynet (coin)
win (wine)
butere (butter)
mil (mile)
Слайд 42 Among the Latin loan-words were some place-names or
components of place-names used by the Celts:
caster
ceaster camp
colonia
port settlement for soldiers
Слайд 43 After introduction of Christianity (597 AD) numerous Latin
words appeared in OE.
apostol (apostle)
antefn (anthem)
biscop (bishop)
candel (candle)
munuc (monk)
Слайд 44Word-building in OE
OE employed two ways of word-formation:
derivation
word composition
Слайд 45Derived words
Derived words were built with the help
of affixes: prefixes and suffixes. In addition to these words
were distinguished with the help of sound interchange and word stress.
Слайд 46Sound interchange
Sound interchange in the root was frequent.
But it was not used alone but combined with suffixation.
E.g. ridan (verb) – rad (noun)
sinZan (verb) – sonZ (noun)
Слайд 47 The use of consonant interchange was far more
restricted than the use of vowels.
E.g. risan –
rxran (rise, rear) Verner’s Law + Rhotacism
Слайд 48Prefixation
Prefixation was a productive way of building new
words in OE. Some OE prefixes go back to IE
prototypes (un-). Many prefixes appeared in PG: e.g. mis-, be-, ofer-
Слайд 49 Prefixes were widely used with verbs but were
far less productive with other parts of speech.
E.g. Zan
(go) a – Zan (go away)
be – Zan (go round)
fore – Zan (precede)
Слайд 50 The most frequent and probably the most productive
were such OE prefixes: a-, be-, for-, fore-, Ze-, ofer-,
un-.
Слайд 51 The prefix modified the lexical meaning of the word,
usually without changing its reference to a part of speech:
E.g. dxd (crime) – un-dxd (deed),(noun)
Слайд 52Suffixation
Suffixation was the most productive means of word
derivation in OE. Suffixes not only modified the lexical meaning
of the word but could refer it to another part of speech.
Слайд 53 Suffixes were mostly used in forming nouns and
adjectives, but seldom – in forming verbs. Noun-forming suffixes are
divided into suffixes of “agent nouns” and those of abstract nouns.
Слайд 54Agent noun forming suffixes:
unproductive
-a, e.g. hunta (hunter)
-o/-end,
e.g. freond (friend)
Слайд 55 OE agent nouns in –ere were derived from
nouns and verbs:
E.g. bocere (a learned man)
fiscere (fisher)
bxcere (baker)
Слайд 56 Nouns in –ere were masculine, the corresponding suffix
of feminine nouns –estre was less common: bxcestre (female baker)
Suffix –inZ was used to build patronymics and to show the descend of a person: CentinZ – a man coming from Kent
Слайд 57 Abstract noun suffixes. The most productive were:
–þu: brad (adj) – brxdþu
(broad – breadth)
lanZ – lenZþu (long – length)
Слайд 58 Another productive suffix which formed abstract nouns from
adjectives was –nes/-nis: blindnis (blindness), druncennis, unrihtwisnes (in justice).
Another productive suffix –ung/-ing was used to build abstract nouns from verbs: wilnian – wilnung (desire)
Слайд 59 A most important feature of OE suffixation is
the growth of new suffixes from root-morphemes. The second components
of compound words turned into suffixes and the words were transformed from compound to derived.
Слайд 60 To this group belong OE –dom, -had,
-lac, -scipe, rxden
E.g. freodom (free choice, freedom, dom =
choice, honour)
wisdom (wisdom)
cristendom (Christianity)
cildhad (childhood, had = title)
wedlac (wedlock, lac = gift)
Слайд 61Word-composition
It was a highly productive way of vocabulary
development in OE. It was common to all IE languages
but in none of the groups has it become as widespread as in Germanic. Word-composition in OE was more productive in nominal parts of speech than in verbs.
Слайд 62 Compound nouns had various first components – stems of
nouns, adjectives and verbs, their second components were nouns.
Слайд 63Type N + N was the most productive
E.g. mann –
cynn (mankind)
boc – crxft (literature)
sonZ – crxft (poetry)
heafod – weard (leader)
Слайд 64A + N
Compound nouns with adjective-stems were less
productive:
E.g. wid – sx (ocean, “wide sea”)
Zod – dxd (“good deed”)
Слайд 65V + N, Adverb + N
Compound nouns
with verb and adverb-stems were rare:
E.g. bxc – hus
(baking house)
inn - ZanZ (entrance)
Слайд 66A + N
Compound adjectives were formed by joining
a noun-stem to an adjective:
E.g. dom – Zeorn (eager for
glory)
mod – ceariZ (sorrowful)