English Syntactic
System
(Historical Aspect)
1. Characteristic features of IE syntax.
2. Characteristics of Germanic and Old
English Syntactic System:
a) Simple sentence.
b) Complication of a simple sentence by
non-finite constructions.
c) Complex sentences: compound clauses
d) Complex sentences: subordinate
clauses
Greenberg:
Theoretically possible WOs: SVO, SOV,
VSO, VOS, OSV, OVS
S – subject
V – predicate
O – object
The main WOs in the languges:
1) VSO, 2) SVO, 3) SOV
W. Lehman: IE s-ce consisted of the verb
and 1 or 2 objects
J. Odri (s-ce types):
a) one member
c) two member
d) three-member
One-member
Nominal
Verbal
Two-member: SV
Three-member: SOV
Complex Sentence?
Only simple s-ces existed in PIE (J.Odri)
IE sentence was simple by its form but
could function as an equivalent of the
compisite (G.Knabe)
Complex s-ces start their formation in
PIE, but we see only the initial stage: i.e.
there already existed subordinate
clauses but there were no specialized
conjunctions (O. Melnychuk)
O. Riftin
(the theory of two paths)
1st path: the subordinate s-ces emerged
on the basis of combination of simple
sentences;
2nd path: the subordinate clauses
appeared on the basis of a simple
sentence, when it was complicated by
infinitive or participial constructions
Attributive constructions => asyndetic
constructions => subordinate clauses with
personal pro => relative clauses with
coordinate conjunctions => relative clauses
with relative markers
атрибутивні конструкції => асиндетичні
конструкції типу апокойну =>
підпорядковані речення, що вводяться
особовими займенниками => відносні
речення, оформлені сурядними
сполучниками в сполученні з дейктичними
елементами => відносні речення, що
вводяться власне релятивними
маркерами.
Germanic l-ges, Old English
Sentence was one or two component
One component: the S could be omitted
and coded in the verb
Sigon þa to slæpe (Beow 1252). – They
sank then to sleep
Impersonal simple sentence
двн.-англ. hit hagolode seofon niht
it rained seven days
‘сім ночей йшов дощ’.
WO types
PIE belonged to OV-type
Germanic:
70% OV-type (SOV),
> 20% SVO-type,
The rest – VSO-model (mainly
imperatives or with the aim to reach
some dramatic effect)
All these models were complemented by
V2 (which was an intermediate between
OV- and VO-types).
OE changed further its WO from OV to
VO in later periods of the English
language development
A.Kroch, S.PinTzuk: double-base
hypothesis
Part of speech hypothesis
Saits:
S is a noun
Records of ІХ сen.: SVO – 49%, SOV –
31%, VSO – 12%;
S is a pronoun
Records of ІХ сen.: SVO – 33%, SOV –
60%, VSO – 7%;
Complication
Datuvis Absolutivus
гот. dalath þhan atgaggandin imma аf
fairgunja laistidedun afar imma iumjons –
“Коли він зійшов із гори, за ним
слідувала велика кількість людей”.
Complication
Accusativus Absolutivus
гот. Ūsgaggandan þan ina in daur, gasalυ
ina anþara – “Його, що виходив з воріт,
побачила інша”.
Complication
Absolute Nominative
гот. Jah waurþans dags gatils… – “Коли
настав зручний день (=ставши
зручним день)”.
Accusative with Infinitive
гот. Hausideduþ ina siukan – “Ви чули,
що він хворіє”.
двн.-англ. ic hyrde hīe secgan – “я чув,
що вони говорили”.
Complex s-ce
Compound clauses
Subordinate clauses
Compound clauses
OE. and ‘і’ oþþe ‘або’, ac ‘але’;
OHG. inti, ioh ‘і’, ouh ‘також’; двн.-ісл.
ok ‘і’, eđa ‘або’.
Subordinate clauses were introduced by
the subordinate conjunctions
Other feature was: special WO different
from the main clause (verb-final);
Relative
se, seo, þæt, þ(e), þær
Complementary
þæt, þæt … þe, þ(e), hwæþer … þe
Temporal
þa, þonne, þær, þenden, þe hwile þe,
siþþan, swa lange swa, æfter þæm (þe),
þæs þe, sona swa (þa, mid), ær (þæm
(þe)), oþ (þæt), hwænne
Locative
þær, hwer, swa huer
Causal
for þæm (þe), for þy/þi (þe), nu, þa,
siþþan, mid þy/þæm, þonne, þæt, swa,
þe
Aim and Result
þæt, swa þæt(te), to þæm (…) þæt(te),
for þæm (…) þæt, þy læs (þe)
Comparison
þon/þy/þe … þe, swa (swa) (…swa),
þan(ne), þonne
Condition
gif, butan, gif… ne, nymte/nemne
Interrogative
hwæðer, hwa, hwæt, hwelc, hu, hwær
Middle English
Word Order: SVO
OvVS: The childe was given a book. –
The child was given a book.
XSV: To Caunterbury they wende
Thane longen folk to goon on
pilgrimages. – then willing people to go
on pilgrimage.
Deviations
inversion of the main parts of the
sentence
reverse WO of the main and dependent
parts.
Here comes she to me
But who directed you thither? – That did
my man, sir.
Yet can I not but worthily admire
Never came trouble to my house`
