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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4 Peter Petré & Hubert Cuyckens<br />
ent subconstructions within <strong>the</strong>se networks is not always equally strong. In this<br />
respect, <strong>the</strong> link between APs and participles deserves special attention, as it is<br />
particularly strong in <strong>the</strong> case of weorðan in comparison to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r copulas (this<br />
strength is indicated in Figure 3 by a dotted line).<br />
i. In general, (D) and (G) are very similar syntactically, because, in OE, <strong>the</strong> past<br />
participle in (G) still behaves to a large extent as an adjective (denoting <strong>the</strong> resulting<br />
quality of <strong>the</strong> subject after <strong>the</strong> event has taken place). More specifically, participles<br />
still show number and case agreement with <strong>the</strong> subjects <strong>the</strong>y are predicated<br />
of. This feature is shared by all copulas.<br />
( 7) His deoflu:nom.m.pl mid him wurdon aworpene:nom.m.pl on hellegrund.<br />
(c970. LS 20 [AssumptMor[BlHom 3]]: 59.378)<br />
“His devils, toge<strong>the</strong>r with him, were thrown on <strong>the</strong> bottom of hell.”<br />
ii. In <strong>the</strong> constructions marked by weorðan, however, this link seems to have<br />
been stronger than it was in those marked by o<strong>the</strong>r copulas. Syntactically as well as<br />
semantically, <strong>the</strong> strong link between adjectives and participles is evidenced in <strong>the</strong><br />
occasional occurrence of <strong>the</strong> co-ordination of adjectives and participles following<br />
a single occurrence of weorðan.<br />
( 8) Þanon eorþe wearð eall mid blode mane gemenged:pple, misdædum fah.adj.<br />
(c970. PPs: 05.28)<br />
“Thence <strong>the</strong> earth got wholly mixed with blood-guilt, filthy with evil deeds.”<br />
( 9) And hys flæsc wearð eall gesett:pple and hal.adj geworden.<br />
(c 075. VSal [Cross]:9. )<br />
“And his flesh had become entirely set and sound.”<br />
(20) & ward swa wrað.adj & swa awed:pple; þt he al o wodschipe demde hire to deaþe.<br />
(c 225. St. Margaret:87)<br />
“And [he] became so angry and so angered, that he wholly out of anger judged<br />
her to death.”<br />
Moreover, a look at <strong>the</strong> distribution of complement types of weorðan (see Figure 4)<br />
in <strong>the</strong> sample used reveals that <strong>the</strong> constructional profile of weorðan is dominated<br />
precisely by such adjectival and participial complements, which makes a high degree<br />
of cognitive association between <strong>the</strong> two all <strong>the</strong> more likely (<strong>the</strong> juxtaposition of adjectival<br />
and participial complements, as illustrated in ( 8)–(20), occurs twelve times<br />
and is classified under (D); n gives <strong>the</strong> raw frequencies on which Figure 4 is based).<br />
iii. Finally, <strong>the</strong> drift towards <strong>the</strong> disappearance of weorðan in all <strong>the</strong>se constructions<br />
points towards <strong>the</strong> homogeneous status of <strong>the</strong> network associated with<br />
weorðan. This homogeneous status, or <strong>the</strong> existence of strong links between all<br />
of <strong>the</strong> constructions marked by weorðan, is corroborated by <strong>the</strong> gradual loss