Selected Papers from the Fourteenth International ... - STIBA Malang

152 Cristina Suárez-Gómez
either to extrapose the relative clause, or to left-dislocate the antecedent and the
relative clause A three-fold classification regarding the position of the relative
clause in Old English is summarized below (O’Neil 1976; Hopper & Traugott 2003:
chapter 7; Suárez-Gómez 2006: 39– 42):
• Extraposed relative clauses, in which the relative clause is separated from the
antecedent it resumes and moved to the end of the main clause, as the following
example illustrates:
(12) We sceolon urne Hælend i gladian mid
we must our Saviour gratify with
sumre godnysse, [ RC se i ðe æfre wile us
certain goodness Rel ever wants us
mannum mildsian]
to men show mercy
“We must gratify our Saviour with certain goodness, who always wants us to
show mercy to men.” [Q O3 IR HOM AELFR15: 47]
• Left-dislocated relative clauses, in which a relative clause is displaced to the front
of the main clause, together with the antecedent it resumes. The antecedent is
then repeated in the main clause, as below in (13):
(13) Ac se i [ RC þe (i) god onginneþ and on
but he Rel good begins and in
þon þurhwunaþ oþ ende of his lifes], se
this way continues until end of his life this
bið hal geworden.
is hale been
“But he who begins good and continues therein until the end of his life shall
be saved.” [Q O2/3 IR HOM BLICK2: 139]
In example (13), the relative clause þe god onginneþ and on þon þurhwunaþ oþ
ende of his lifes is moved to the front of the main clause preceded by the antecedent
se. This antecedent is then copied (‘copy-pronoun’) and functions as the
subject of the main clause.
• Intraposed relative clauses, in which the relative clause and the antecedent are
together, and the relative clause is embedded within the main clause, as in (14):
(14) Eower Fæder i [ RC se i on heofenum is], wat
your Father Rel in heaven is knew
hwæs eow þearf biþ
what your necessity is
“Your Father who is in heaven knows what is necessary for you.”
[Q O2/3 IR HOM BLICK2: 103]