Selected Papers from the Fourteenth International ... - STIBA Malang
Selected Papers from the Fourteenth International ... - STIBA Malang
Selected Papers from the Fourteenth International ... - STIBA Malang
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The balance between syntax and discourse in Old English<br />
selle ic ðe hwæthwugu, gif he hit him ðonne sellan mæge.<br />
give I you something, if he it him <strong>the</strong>n give may.<br />
“in <strong>the</strong> books of Solomon, it is written that we are not to say to our friend: “Go,<br />
and come tomorrow, <strong>the</strong>n I will give you something,” if we can give it him <strong>the</strong>n.”<br />
(cocura, CP.44.323.24)<br />
However, <strong>the</strong> figures for nominal subjects in Table 2 show that we are not dealing<br />
merely with a position reserved for personal pronouns. The relatively high<br />
frequency of nominal subjects preceding <strong>the</strong> adverb renders this particularly problematic,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>re is no ready generalization with respect to <strong>the</strong> choice of nominal<br />
subject on <strong>the</strong> left or right of <strong>the</strong> adverb; higher and lower nominal subjects, for<br />
instance, include definite NPs, as <strong>the</strong> representative examples (8) and (9) show.<br />
(8) Forðæm bið se sige micle mara ðe man mid<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore is <strong>the</strong> victory much greater which one with<br />
geðylde gewinð, forðæm sio gesceadwisnes ðonne hæfð<br />
patience wins, because this wisdom <strong>the</strong>n has<br />
ofercumen ðæt mod & gewielð, swelce he self<br />
overcome <strong>the</strong>.mind and subdued, as.if he self<br />
hæbbe hiene selfne gewildne, & sio geðyld hæbbe ðæt<br />
have himself conquered, and <strong>the</strong> patience have <strong>the</strong><br />
mod geðreatod & gecafstrod.<br />
mind intimidated and curbed.<br />
“Therefore <strong>the</strong> victory which is won with patience is much greater, because this<br />
wisdom (patience) has overcome and subdued <strong>the</strong> mind, as if he himself had<br />
conquered himself, and patience had intimidated and curbed <strong>the</strong> mind.”<br />
(cocuraC,CP_[Cotton]: 33.218.19.42)<br />
(9) Gif ðonne se sacred bið ungerad ðæs lareowdomes, hwæt<br />
If <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> teacher is unskilled <strong>the</strong>.instruction, what<br />
forstent ðonne his gehlyd?<br />
avails <strong>the</strong>n his cry?<br />
“<strong>the</strong>n if <strong>the</strong> teacher is unskilled in instruction, what avails his cry?”<br />
(cocura, CP, 15,91,25)<br />
Thus, we cannot say that <strong>the</strong> position preceding <strong>the</strong> adverb is reserved exclusively<br />
for pronouns. And because <strong>the</strong> diagnostic value of <strong>the</strong> position of <strong>the</strong> adverb is so<br />
strong (as shown by Rissanen 1999; van Kemenade 2000 for a diachronic picture<br />
spanning <strong>the</strong> entire history of English), we should hesitate to give up on <strong>the</strong> generalization<br />
concerning <strong>the</strong> nature of <strong>the</strong> position preceding <strong>the</strong> adverb. Since pronouns<br />
are well-known to have discourse-referential properties, we have <strong>the</strong>refore<br />
pursued an approach in which we take into account <strong>the</strong> discourse properties of <strong>the</strong><br />
elements preceding <strong>the</strong> adverb.