Reanalyzing person in the history of English

Elly van GelderenGLAC, Austin, TX

15 April 2011ellyvangelderen@asu.edu

Aims1.To examine the distribution of pro-drop,

pronouns, and demonstratives in Old English.

2.To explain this in terms of the child interpreting input in a particular way through Feature Economy

3.To examine internal and external factors of linguistic change and their interaction

What happens from OE > ME?

• Loss of pro-drop

• Loss of verbal agreement

• Introduction of articles

• Change in the relation between demonstrative and ps pronoun

• Introduction of new ps pronouns

Three factors, e.g. Chomsky 2007

(1) genetic endowment, which sets limits on the attainable languages, thereby making language acquisition possible;

(2) external data, converted to the experience that selects one or another language within a narrow range;

(3) principles not specific to [the Faculty of Language]. Some of the third factor principles have the flavor of the constraints that enter into all facets of growth and evolution, [...] Among these are principles of efficient computation"

Internal Grammar vs Prescriptive Pressure

Reanalysis of `how’:

(1) How would you like to go to the game?

`Would you like to go to the game?’

(2) Dwyer told the players how he wanted to win

‘D. told the players that he wanted to win.’

(from the BNC as given by Willis 2007: 434)

And possibly in:

How/why: Cognitive Economy (or UG) principles

help the learner, e.g:

Phrase > head (minimize structure)

Avoid too much movement

(1) XP

Spec X'

X YP

Y …

Minimalist features

The interpretable ones are relevant at the Conceptual-Intentional interface.

Uninterpretable ones act as `glue’ so to speak to help out merge.

For instance, person and number features (=phi-features) are interpretable on nouns but not on verbs.

Pronouns = Agreement; variation in the lexicon

English me French jei-phi u-phi(=i-ps) (=u-ps)

s/he il/ellei-phi i-phi(=i-deictic) (=i-deictic)

What are some of the features?

TPT'

T vP[u-phi] DP v'[NOM]She v VP

[u-Case] saw [i-phi] [u-phi] DP V’

[ACC] bears V [u-Case]

[i-phi]

Semantic, interpretable, and uninterpretable

The Subject Cycle

(1) demonstrative > third person pron > clitic > agreement

(2) oblique > emphatic > first/second pron > clitic > agreement

As features:

emphatic/

demonstrative > personal > agreement

[i-phi] [i-phi] [u-phi]

[i-deixis] [u-Case]

ille il il+V

Feature Economy

Chomsky (1995: 230; 381) "formal features have semantic correlates and reflect semantic properties (accusative Case and transitivity, for example)."

A language learner selects lexical items with fewer features.

(1) Adjunct Specifier Head affix

semantic > [iF] > [uF]

(2) emphatic > full pronoun > head > agreement

[i-phi] [i-phi] [u-1/2][i-3] [u-phi]

Back to the History of English

Pro-drop theories/data: Taraldsen (1978), Jaeggli & Safir (1989), Sigurðsson (1993), van Gelderen (2000), Axel (2007)

(1) Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uardNow must praise heavenly-kingdom

guard

`Now we must praise the lord of the heavenly kingdom.'

(beginning of the Northumbrian version of Caedmon’s Hymn).

Connected to V-movement as in OHG?

(1) Sume hahet in cruci OHG

some hang-2P to cross

`Some of them, you will crucify.’ (Axel 2007: 293; Monsee Fragments)

No:

Pogatscher (1901) has 176 null subjects “im nebensatze”.

OE subordinates with pro-drop

(1) þæt ic gumcystum godne funde beaga bryttan breac þonne mostethat I manly-virtue good found ring dispenser enjoyed as-long could`that I found a noble bestower of rings and enjoyed it as long as I could.' (Beowulf 1486-7)

(2) swylcum gifeþe bið þæt þone hilderæs hal gedigeð such given be that the battle-storm unhurt endure`May it be that he will withstand unhurt the heat of the battle.' (Beowulf 299-300)

There is also Topic-drop

(20) Heah wæs þæt handlean and him hold frea high was that reward and him kind lordgesealde wæpna geweald wið wraðra gryre, gave weapens power against hostile terrorofercom mid þy campe cneomaga felaovercame with it in-fight warriors many

(Talking about Moses), `Great was the reward and God was gracious to him (=Moses) and gave him weapons against hostile terror. He overcame many warriors with it in battle.' (Exodus 19-21)

Pro-drop is licensedby what?

Agreement (SV order; weak verbs):Present S 1 -e

2 -(e)s(t)3 -(e)ð

P -aðPreterite S 1 -de

2 -des(t)3 -de

P -dun, -don, dan

Inflection on strong verbs in e.g. Mercian Glosses

Þu V 5 –es, 1 –est, 1 –ast, -2 st

V Þu 2 –es, 1 –s, 2 –(e)st

V 3 –est (Berndt 1956: 98)

(1) Þu bindes (Matthew 16.9)

(2) spreces Þu (Matthew 13.10)

(3) cymest (Matthew 3.14) (Berndt 1956: 98)

No difference for third person:Rushworth’s Mercian part

SV: 16 –eþ, 1 –eth, 2 –aþ

VS: 1 –aþ

V: 10 –eþ, 3 –aþ, 1 –æþ, 1 –iþ (Berndt 103)

(1) he findeþ (Matthew 7.8)

(2) sti3aþ he (Matthew 24.17)

(3) onwreoþ (Matthew 16.17) (Berndt 104)

Person split in OE: Null vs Overt Subject Pronouns

Rushworth’s Matthew

1S 6/191 (=97%)

1P 1/44 (=98%)

2S 12/90 (=88%)

2P 20/168 (=89%)

3S 223/246 (=54%)

3P 130/141 (=52%)

Lindisfarne (Northumbrian)

1S 9/212 (=96%) 9/656 (=99%)

1P 0/53 (=100%) 1/120 (=99%)

2S 16/103 (=87%) 22/308 (=93%)

2P 10/206 (=95%) 21/428 (=95%)

3S 445/116 (=21%) 1292/225 (=15%)

3P 263/108 (=29%) 618/154 (=20%)

Pro-drop/agreement licensing in OE

- Not V-movement as in OHG- There is a relation to agreement- Less pro-drop in first and second person

and less agreement here

- T has interpretable phi-features in OE- Hence, pro-drop etc- These are first lost with first and second ps

Overt pronouns(1) þæt fram ham gefrægn Higelaces þegn, god mid

Geatum, Grendles dæda; se wæs moncynnes mægenes strengest on þæm dæge þysses lifes, æþele ond eacen. Het him yðlidan godne gegyrwan, cwæð, he guðcyning ofer swanrade secean wolde, mærne þeoden, þa him wæs manna þearf. ðone siðfæt him snotere ceorlas lythwon logon, þeah he him leof wære.

`Hygelac’s thane heard about Grendel’s deeds while in Geatland; he (=Hygelac’s thane) was mankind’s strongest man on earth, noble and powerful. (He) ordered himself a good boat prepared and said that he wanted to seek the king over the sea since he (=the king) needed men. Wise men did not stop him (=Hygelac’s thane) though he was dear to them.’ (Beowulf 194-98)

Traugott (1992: 171)(2) Þa clypode an ðæra manna Zebeus gehaten and cwæð to ðam cyninge;

`Then cried one of-the men Zebeus called and said to the king:

Eala ðu cyning þas fulan wuhta þu scoldest awurpan of ðinum rice. Oh you king the foul creatures you should throw-out of your kingdom

ðylæs ðe hi mid heora fylðe us ealle besmiton; in-case that they [= the foul creatures] with their filth us all affect

Hi habbað mid him awyriedne engel. mancynnes feond. They [= the foul creatures] have with them corrupt angel, mankind’s enemy

and se hæfð andweald on ðam mannum ðe heora scyppend forseoð. and he [the angel] has power over those men that their creator despise

and to deofolgyldum bugað; and to idols bow.’

(DOE Segment 8 Ælfric’s Catholic Homilies, second series M. Godden 1979, p. 283. 110 – 115)

Cf. Dutch:

(3) Hij had Stern gesproken en aan deze enige woorden en zaken uitgelegd, die hij niet begreep. Die Stern niet begreep, meen ik.

`He had talked to Stern and explained to this one some words and matters which he did not understand. Which Stern did not understand, I mean'. (Multatuli, Max Havelaar, chap 4, van Gelderen 1998).

Changes in C12, e.g. `she’(1) þæræfter toforan Candelmæssan on Windlesoran

him to wife forgyfen Aðelis & syððan to cwene gehalgod. seo wæs þæs heretogan dohtor of Luuaine. thereafter before Candlemas at Windsor was given him to wife Adela and after hallowed queen. She was the duke of Louvain’s daughter.’ (PC 1121)

(2) He brohte his wif to Engleland. & dide hire in þe castel on Canteberi. God wimman scæ wæs. oc scæ hedde litel blisse mid him. `He brought his wife to England and put her in a castle in Canterbury. She was a good woman but she had little bliss with him. (PC 1140)

(3) 3ho wass … Elysabæþ 3ehatenn `She was called Elisabeth.’ (Ormulum 115)

Third plural, demonstrative pronouns, and reflexives

(1)& swa þe33 leddenn heore lif Till þatt te33 wærenn alde `and so they led their lives until they were old.’ (Ormulum 125-6)

(2) For he and he had samen ben, forwit selcuth wrath.`Because they had together been debating.’ (Cursor Mundi, Cotton 16161)

(3) mon forgit his selfes ... he sceal hine selfne geðenceanman forgets his-GEN self-GEN ... he must him-ACC self-ACC remember`man forgets himself ... he must remember himself.' (Alfred, Pastoral Care, 34.7)

What happens?

Externally: a `strengthening’ of the third person features in the pronoun and a shift in the relationship with the demonstrative.

This reinforcement through external pronouns, she and they, brought about a reanalysis of the features of the pronoun as deictic.

In addition:

The demonstrative:

(1) hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedonhow those nobles courage did'how the nobles performed heroic acts' (Beowulf 3)

(2) se wæs Wine haten & se wæs in Gallia rice gehalgod.he was wine called and he was in Gaul consecrated

From Demonstrative to article:

(1) gife to … þa munecas of þe mynstregive to … the monks of the abbey (Peterborough Chron 1150)

(2) & gaddresst swa þe clene corn All fra þe chaff togeddre and gather-2S so the clean wheat all from the chaff together`and so you gather the clear wheat from the chaff.’ (Ormulum 1484-5, Holt edition)

(3) *the (Wood 2003: 69)

Features of DP

(1) a. *That the dog loves their the toys.

b. I saw that.

c. *I saw the.

(2) DP DP

that D’ D NP[i-loc] D NP the 3S[i-ps] 3S [u-phi]

Reduction of the article and renewal

(3) Morret's brother came out of Scoteland for th'acceptacion of the peax

(The Diary of Edward VI, 1550s)

(4) Oh they used to be ever so funny houses you know and in them days … They used to have big windows, but they used to a all be them there little tiny ones like that. (BNC - FYD 72)

OE pronouns and demonstratives

He, heo, hit, hi - se, seo, etc.

non-deictic deictic

reflexive relative clause

So 1200: a reanalysis(1) & gaddresst swa þe clene corn

`and so you gather the clear wheat.’ (Ormulum 1484-5, Holt edition)

(2) 3ho wass … Elysabæþ 3ehatenn `She was called Elisabeth.’ (Ormulum 115)

(3) & swa þe33 leddenn heore lif Till þatt te33 wærenn alde `and so they led their lives until they were old.’ (Ormulum 125-6)

(4) þin forrme win iss swiþe god, þin lattre win iss bettre. `Your earlier wine is very good, your later wine is better.’ (Ormulum 15409)

Internal Externalse --> the seo --> shethat --> that hi --> theyhim/her --> him/herself (3ps no longer only topic switch)

a.se > the[i-loc]/[i-phi] [u-T]/[u-ps]

b.he/hi is replaced by heheo/ha is replaced by she (possibly via seo)hi/hie is replaced by they[i-phi] [i-phi]/[i-loc]

Demonstrative

[i-phi]

[i-loc]

 

 

article pronoun

[u-phi] [i-phi]

[u-T]

ConclusionsThe pronoun system undergoes a major

shift around 1200:

Pro-drop is lost

Demonstrative > Articles

Personal pronouns are strengthened externally

The former/latter are introduced

ctd

Internal change:

Semantic > Interpretable > Uninterpretable

External change:

Renewal of the semantic features

Some ReferencesBerndt, Rolf 1956. Form unde Funktion des verbums im nordlichen

Spataltenglischen. Halle: Niemeyer.Chomsky, Noam 2007. Approaching UG from below, in Uli Sauerland et

al. (eds), Interfaces + Recursion = Language, 1-29. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Gelderen, Elly van 2004. Grammaticalization as Economy. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Gelderen, Elly van 2011. The Linguistic Cycle. Oxford University Press. Givón, Talmy 1971. Historical syntax and synchronic morphology.

Chicago Linguistic Society Proceedings 7: 394-415. Hodge, Carleton 1970. The Linguistic Cycle. Linguistic Sciences .Traugott, Elizabeth 1992. Syntax. In Richard Hogg (ed.), The Cambridge

History of the English Language I; Old English, 168-289. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wood, Johanna 2003. Definiteness and Number: Determiner Phrase and Number Phrase in the History of English. ASU PhD.