1. Introduction to Old and Middle English: Part I Historical syntax December 16, 2005 Andreas H. Jucker

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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

5. Problem for historical syntax  Word order in main clauses – verb-second --> subject-verb  Word order in subordinate clauses – verb-last --> subject-verb

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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