Some Remarks on Case Marking in Old English

A discussion of evidence of the presence of syncretism in the formal case marking system in Old English argues that syncretic forms in the case marking system predate the period estimated by Cynthia Allen (1995). The syncretic patterns of the singular & plural forms of the nominative, accusative...

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Veröffentlicht in:Transactions of the Philological Society 1997-01, Vol.95 (1), p.95-109
1. Verfasser: Hogg, Richard M.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:A discussion of evidence of the presence of syncretism in the formal case marking system in Old English argues that syncretic forms in the case marking system predate the period estimated by Cynthia Allen (1995). The syncretic patterns of the singular & plural forms of the nominative, accusative, & dative are examined individually in Early West Saxon, Northumbrian, & Late West Saxon. It is contended that West Saxon texts considerably mask the degree of syncretism present in the language at the time due to the merger of unstressed vowels not represented by the conservative conventions of the spelling standard. However, occasional errors found in manuscripts, & treated as "slips" of the scribes by Samuel Moore (1928), are argued to witness the actual speech of the time. Because evidence from other texts shows the presence of syncretic forms in the 10th century, it is concluded that the choice of the Early West Saxon texts - as the core representative of Old English - may have been crucial in the period estimation made by Allen. 20 References. S. Godjevac
ISSN:0079-1636
1467-968X
DOI:10.1111/1467-968X.00014