Table Of ContentLinguistische
207
Arbeiten
Herausgegeben von Hans Altmann. Herbert E. Brekle, Hane Jurgen Heringer,
Christian Rohrer, Heinz Vater und Otmar Werner
LiloM oessner
Early Middle English Syntax
Max Niemeyer Verlag
Ti.ibingen 1989
CIP-Titelaurnahme: der Deu1i;chenB ibliochek
Moessner.L Iia: Early Middle English syntax/ Lilo Moessner. -Tilbingcn: Niemeyer. 1989
(LinguisliS,thAe rbeiten 207)
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Freibura (Brcis,au). Univ. . Habil.-Sch.r• 1985
NE:GT
[SBN 3484-30207•0
0 Max Niemeyer Verlag, Tllbingen 1989
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au6erhalb der mgen Grenzcn des Urheberrcchlsge:setus isl ohne Zustimmungd es Verlagc~
uniulassig und srrafbar. Das gilt insbesondere rur Vervielf"lltigungen. Obetsctzungen,
Mikroverfilm1mgcnu nd die Einipeicherung 11ndV crarbeitung in clcktronischcn Syslemcn.
Prinled in Omnany.
Druck: Wtillcn.Druck GmbH, Da.nnstadl
CONTENTS
Preface Vii
Abbrev.iations ix
I. Introduction 1
1. Research on Middle English Syntax 1
2. Theoretical Framework 4
3. Axiomatic Functionalism 6
4. The Place of Syntax in Axiomatic Functionalism 11
S. Syntactic Relations 13
6. Data Base 20
7. Descriptive Method 22
II. Compulsory Constituents of Early Middle English
Clauses 24
1. The Active Verbal Syntagm 24
2. The Copulative Syntagrn 42
3. The Passive Syntagm 47
III. Nominal Syntagms 53
1. The Substantival Syntagm 53
2. The Adjectival Syntagm 73
3. The Pronominal Syntagm 78
IV. Functional Syntagms 84
1. The Prepositional Syntagm 84
2. The Conjunctional Syntagrn 86
3. The Comparative Syntagm 90
4. The Genitival Syntagm 94
v, The Predicative Syntagm 98
1. Syntactic Properties of Predicative Syntagms 98
1.1. Passive vs. Active Verbal vs. Copulative 98
1.2. Intransitive vs. Non-intransitive 100
1.3. one Predicative Complement vs. more than
one Predicative Complement 104
1.4. Transitive vs. Non-tra.nsitive 105
2. ICs of Predicative Syntagrns 108
2.1. Nucleus 108
2.2. Complements 108
2.2.1. Copulative Complement 108
2.2.2. Objects 109
2.2.3. Verbal Complement 115
3. Types of Predicative Syntagms 116
3. 1. Type (1): copulat1ver Intransitive 117
3. 2. Type (2): Active verbal, lntrane1t1ve 118
3. 3. Type {3): Passive, Intransitive 118
3. 4. Type (4): Copulative, Non-intransitive,
one Predicative Complement 179
3, 5. Type (5): Copulative, Non-intransitive,
more than one Predicative
Complement 119
Vi
3. 6. Type ( 6 l : Passive, Non-1ntrans1t1ve,
one Predicative Complement 121
3. 7. Type ( 7 1: Passive, Non-intransitive, more
than one Predicative Complement 122
3. 8. Type ( 8) : Active Verbal, Non-intransitive,
one Predicative Complement,
Transitive 123
3. 9. Type { 9) = Active Verbal, Non-intransitive,
one Predicative Complement, Non-
transitive 125
3. 10. Type ( 10): Active Verbal, Non-intransi-
tive, more than one Predica-
tive Complement, Transitive 128
3.11 • Type ( 1 1 ) ; Active Verbal, Non-intrans1-
tive, more than one Predica-
tive Complement, Non-transi-
tive 132
VI. The Clause 137
1. Nucleus 137
2. Expansions 137
2.1. Subject 137
2.2. Adverbial Complement 147
2.3. Agent Complement 150
VII. Functional Constructions 155
1. Infinitive Constructions 155
1.1. Infinitive Constructions without Subject 155
1.2* Infinitive Construction with Subject 157
2. Relative Constructions 161
3. Participial Con&tructions 168
VIII. Conjunctive Constructions 172
IX. Syntagms with Coordinated ICs 179
x. syntagms with Interord1nated ICs 184
1. The Passive Syntagm 184
2. The Syntactic Type ure iwil us is lod to lete 184
3. The Syntactic Type pe bet pe bet- 186
Appendix Ii Data Base 188
Appendix II: 1. verbs which only Combine with 'habben• in
'tense' Position 191
2. verbs which only Combine with 'ben' in
'tense' Position 193
Appendix Ill: Descriptive Models 195
Bibliography 200
Name Index 209
Key Word Index 211
PREFACE
In the early 70s, Professor H. Pilch drew my attention to the
lack of a comprehensive description of the syntactic structures
of Middle English. After several years of collecting data, at a
point when I was about to be overwhelmed by the sheer mass of ma
terial, I met, by a very lucky coincidence, Professor Jan Mulder,
then chairman of the Linguistics Department of St. Andrews univer
sity. He introduced me to his theory of Axiomatic Functionalism.
During my repeated visits to St. Andrews, he took a lively inter
est in the progress of my work and spent many an hour with me on
the discussion of individual problems. I owe him special thanks
for his unfailing support over the years and also for letting me
use a draft version of his latest book. Unfortunately, Foundations
of Axiomatic Functionalism appeared only after I had finished the
typescript of my own book, so that the most recent developments
of this theory could not be incorporated.
A German version of my study was accepted as a Habilitati
onsschrlft at the University of Freiburg in 1985. The plan of
translating it into English was shaping in my mind, when Professor
w.
D. Bald offered to recommend my study for publication - in Eng
lish - to the editors of Linguistische Arbeiten. As it is, a thor
ough revision of the original has resulted, requiring a reconsid
eration of already completed descriptions and the reorganisation
of the whole subject matter. I gratefully acknowledge the generos
ity and patience with which Max Niemeyer Verlag put up with more
and more delays. The final version of my text profited from the
scrutiny of Dr. Janet Harkness and Lorna Walker, who pointed out
inconsistencies and made valuable suggestions concerning the finer
points of English. The present format would not have been possible
without the expertise of Hans-Gunther Borrm.ann of Freiburg Univer
sity Computing Centre.
I wish to express my gratitude to all those mentioned above,
Viii
but also to many others on whose professional and personal support
I was able to count from the f 1rst draft version to the final
product. Needle!iiis to say, I alone am responsible for all inaccu
racies, omissions and rnisto.kes which remain despite all precau
tions taken. May my shortcomings inspire others to do better and
more, thus furthering our knowledge of the structure of Middle
English syntax.
Freiburg, July 1989
ABBREVIATIONS
act.verb, active verbal
act.verb.synt. active verbal syntagm
adj. adjective, adjectival
adj.synt. adjectival syntagm
adv.compl. adverbial complement
'AF Axiomatic f'Unctionalism, axiomatic functional
ist
agent comp!. agent complement
app.suppl. appos1t1ve supplement
compl. compl.
comp. compl. comparative complement
comp.conj. comparative conjunction
conj. conjunction# conjunctional
conj .compl. conjunctional complement
cop. copula, copulative
cop.compl. copulative complement
dir.obj. direct object
EME Early Middle English
empha.s. emphasizer
EPBS(s) Extended Predicative-Based Syntagm(s)
GCE Grammar of Contemporary English
gen.comp!. genitival complement
gen ..s ynt. genitival syntagm
IC( s ~ Irmiediate Constituent(s)
intens. intensifier
1ntrans. (~intr.) intransitive
ME Middle English
mod.aux. modal auxiliary
non-intrans.•
non-intr. non-intransitive
non-tr. non-transitive
obj. object
OE Old English
part. participle, participial
part.compl. participial complement
part.past (=p.p.} past participle
part.pres. present participle
X
pass. passive
pass.cop. passive copula
PBS{s) Predicative-Based Syntagm(s)
PDE Present-Day English
pred. p.redicate, predicative
pred.nucl. predicative nucleus
pred.synt. predicative syntagm
prep. preposition, prepositional
prep.obj. prepositional object
prep.suppl. prepositional supplement
prep.synt. prepostional syntagm
pron. pronoun, pronominal
pron.synt. pronominal syntagrn
relat. relativizer
rel. comp!. relative complement
rel.constr. relative construction
rel.suppl. relative supplement
subj. subject
subst. substantive, substantival
subst.synt. substantival syntagrn
suppl. supplement
tr ans • ( =t r • ) transitive
verbal compl.=
verb.comp!. verbal complement
