Grammar 2 Flashcards
Why are subordinating conjunctions more difficult than coordinating conjunctions?
Because they do not always resemble the Modern English word they correspond with in function.
Why did /a/ become /æ/?
It was spontaneous fronting unless it was followed by a nasal or back-vowel in the next syllable.
Fronting: when did /a/ stay /a/?
When followed by a back-vowel (a o u).
Fronting: when did /a/ become /ɔ/?
If it was followed by a nasal /n m/.
What is it called when short /æ/ turned into <ea> and /e/ turned into /eo/?</ea>
Breaking
When does breaking occur?
If short /æ/ or /e/ was followed by;
1. h+consonant
2. r+consonant
3. l+consonant
Explain the alternation between:
the g° (j) in dæ°g
the g (g) in dagas
It is caused by palatalisation because g preceded a front vowel and is therefore not palatalised.
Palatalisation: what happened to /g/
It became /j/ <g°>.
Palatalisation: what happens to /k/ <c></c>
It became /tsch/ <c°>
When does palatalisation occur?
When a velar plosive /g/ or /k/ is preceded or followed by a front-vowel in the same syllable.
When happens when the beginning of a word is palatalised?
It may affect the vowel:
ae > ea
e > ie
Where do you find the word order Subject-verb in OE?
In both independent and subordinate clauses.
Where do you find the word order Verb-subject in OE?
Independant clause introduced by certain adverbs: pā, ponne (then), pœr (there), panon (thence), pider (thither).
But also the negative adverb ‘ne’. Also conjugations and/ond & ‘ac’ (but).
These are quite frequent in narrative situations.
Where do you find the OE word order Subject….verb
Subordinate clauses introduced by and/ond, but also ac (but).
Weak verbs Class I
- Vowel before t/d (-e)
- Infinitives ends with -an/-rian
- Stem vowel affected by i-mutation (i,y,e,æ)
- Gemination in short stem
- Front vowel in stem
Weak verbs Class II
- Vowel before t/d (o,a)
- Infinitive ends with -ian/rian
- Stem vowel not affected by i-mutation (u,o,a definitely class II)
Weak verbs Class III
- Libban = live
- Habban = have
- Hycgan = think
- Secgan = say
Difference negation Old English vs. PDE
Old English: multiple negatives make something more negative.
PDE: two negatives make a positive.
Eight parts of speech
- Verb
- Noun
- Adjective
- Adverb
- Pronoun
- Conjunction
- Preposition
- Interjection
What is the most important feature of athematic nouns?
They sometimes have i-mutation of the root vowel instead of an ending.
Strong verbs: past 1
Strong verbs: past 2
Past 1: first and third person singular past indicative
Past 2: second person singular past indicative, plural past indicative and subjunctive forms
Strong verbs: past participle
Just past participle
How to determine class of strong verbs
- Determine column
• Infinitive: pres. indicative, imperatives, present subjunctive and present participle.
• Past 1: 1st and 3rd singular past indicative
• Past 2: 2nd singular past indicative and all plural past indicative and past subjunctive
• Past participle: past participle - Check vowel in stem
- How many consonants in them?
• Two = class 3 (sometimes 7) - If one consonant, which one?
• If MLNR = class 4
What are preterite-present verbs?
Verbs that look like past tense of strong verbs, but are present.
What does āgan mean? What about cunnan, dugan, durran, magan, mōtan, ġemunan, sculan, purfan, unnan, witan?
āgan: possess (preterite-present)
cunnan: know (how to) (preterite-present)
dugan: be good (for something) (pp)
durran: dare (preterite-present verb)
magan: may (preterite-present)
mōtan: must, be allowed (pp)
ġemunan: remember (pp)
sculan: must (preterite-present)
purfan: need (pp)
unnan: grant, give, allow (pp)
witan: know (pp)
To what class does ‘swicon’ we belonged belong?
Strong verb class 1
To what class does ‘sungan’ sung, past participle belong?
Strong class 3
To what class does ‘grēowe’ you grew belong?
Class 7, strong
To what class does ‘swæfon’ they slept belong?
Class 5, strong
To what class does ‘dragon’ endured, past participle belong?
Class 2, strong
To what class does ‘molten’ belong?
Class 3, strong
What does -um mean at the end of nouns?
The dative plural ending
How to make subordinate clauses with relative pronouns
There are several ways to make a relative pronoun:
1. Þe (…who obey his word)
2. Þam Þe (whom he’d served)
3. A demonstrative pronoun without ‘Þe’: …sēo (which) is…
Þǣra
Genitive plural of se, the demonstrative pronoun
How do you make a comparative adjective? And what about the superlative? What is another feature of adjectives?
By adding -r between the root syllable and the inflectional ending, which is always weak.
• milde ‘kind’: mildra
The superlative is made by adding -ost, which may be followed by either a weak or strong inflection.
• milde ‘kind’: mildost
Some adjectives have i-mutation in the comparative and superlative forms; -est.
• eald ‘old’: ieldra, ieldest
Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
Coordinating: fanboys
Subordinating: after, although, if, how, though
Two-syllable nouns
They have syncopation (loss of a vowel) in the second syllable when the first syllable is long and an ending follows.
enġeles, hēafodes
When are c and g printed with dots?
- Before the front vowels i and ie and the diphthongs ea and eo.
- At the end of a syllable, ġ is printed if it follows a front vowel, unless a back vowel instantly follows. The same is true for ċ, but only after i.
In some instances, wīf is plural but does not have an inflectional ending, why?
Because it’s a neuter noun, belongs to a category of strong neuters. These don’t take inflections in the nominative and accusative (long stem, strong noun).
Preterite-present verbs
Model verbs! The most frequently occurring verbs.
can (magan)
should/must (sċulan)
may (mōtan)
need (Þurfan)
know (witan)
know how to (cunnan)
remember (ġemunan)
dare (durran)
to own (āgan)
grant (unnan)
Infinitive endings for weak and strong verbs
Weak verbs: -an, -ian, -on
Strong verbs: -an
