the historical syntax of the brythonic languages

The Historical Syntax of the Brythonic Languages

The Historical Syntax of the Brythonic Languages :

Some Breton and Cornish Evidence



Benjamin Bruch26th Annual Harvard Celtic ColloquiumBarker Center· Harvard University· 7 October 2006

A Problem in Brythonic Historical Syntax

Insular Celtic languages tend toward verb-initial word order

Old Welsh, Cornish, and Breton are thought to have had VSO word order

Middle Welsh, Cornish, and Breton texts rarely have VSO word order in affirmative main clauses, although they use VSO elsewhere

Modern Cornish and Breton largely continue the syntax observed in medieval texts

Modern Welsh, however, is almost exclusively VSO

Did Welsh change from VSO to non-VSO, and then back again?

Explaining Syntactic Change in Welsh

Hypothesis I: Welsh syntax never really changed

Non-VSO orders in Middle Welsh represent a ‘literary style’ that does not reflect actual speech (Mac Cana, Watkins, Fife, King)

Non-VSO orders may be derived from foreign (English, French, Latin) influence (Watkins)

Non-VSO orders may have spread from south-eastern dialects of Welsh, which subgroup with Breton and Cornish rather than with northern Welsh dialects (Lewis, Mac Cana)

Brythonic Languages

British

NorthernDialects

SouthernDialects

Pictish (?)

NorthernBritish

Cornish

Breton

South-WesternBritish

NorthernWelsh

South-easternWelsh

Welsh

SouthernBritishNon-VSO

VSO

†

†

Explaining Syntactic Change in Welsh

Hypothesis I: Welsh syntax never really changed

Non-VSO orders in Middle Welsh represent a ‘literary style’ that does not reflect actual speech (Mac Cana, Watkins, Fife, King)

Non-VSO orders may be derived from foreign (English, French, Latin) influence (Watkins)

Non-VSO orders may have spread from south-eastern dialects of Welsh, which subgroup with Breton and Cornish rather than with northern Welsh dialects (Lewis, Mac Cana)

Modern Welsh preserves traces of the non-VSO orders used by speakers of Middle Welsh (Willis, Manning)

Hypothesis II: Middle Welsh was not a VSO language

Verbal particles mi, fe derived from subject pronouns

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S V

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

The dog see I.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

The dog see I.O

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

The dog see I.O V

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

See I the dog.

The dog see I.SO V

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

See I the dog.V

The dog see I.SO V

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

See I the dog.SV

The dog see I.SO V

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

I the dog see.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

SI the dog see.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

S OI the dog see.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*

S O VI the dog see.*

Irish :

Feicim Ø an madra.See-1sg the dog.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :

Feicim Ø an madra.

VSee-1sg the dog.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :

Feicim Ø an madra.

SVSee-1sg the dog.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :

Feicim Ø an madra.

S OVSee-1sg the dog.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :

Mé feiceann an madra.I see the dog.

Feicim Ø an madra.


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :

Mé feiceann an madra.

SI see the dog.

Feicim Ø an madra.


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S VI see the dog.

Feicim Ø an madra.


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S OVI see the dog.

An madra feicim Ø.The dog see-1sg.

Feicim Ø an madra.


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S OVI see the dog.

An madra feicim Ø.

OThe dog see-1sg.

Feicim Ø an madra.


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S OVI see the dog.

An madra feicim Ø.

O VThe dog see-1sg.

Feicim Ø an madra.


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S OVI see the dog.

An madra feicim Ø.

SO VThe dog see-1sg.

Feicim Ø an madra.


Mé an madra feiceann.I the dog see.

Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S OVI see the dog.

An madra feicim Ø.


Feicim Ø an madra.


S


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S OVI see the dog.

An madra feicim Ø.


Feicim Ø an madra.


S O


Word Order Typology

English :

I see the dog.S OV

*See I the dog.S OV

The dog see I.SO V

*


Irish :


S OV

*I see the dog.

An madra feicim Ø.

SO V

*The dog see-1sg.

Feicim Ø an madra.


S O V

Mé an madra feiceann.*I the dog see.

Verb-Second Language

German :

Ich sehe den Hund.I see the dog.


German :

S



German :

S V



German :

S V O


Den Hund sehe ich.The dog see I.


German :

S V O


O



German :

S V O


O V



German :

S V O


O V S


Jetzt sehe ich den Hund.Now see I the dog.


German :

S V O


O V S


X



German :

S V O


O V S


X V



German :

S V O


O V S


X V S



German :

S V O


O V S


X V S O



German :

Ich den Hund sehe.I the dog see.

S V O


O V S


X V S O



German :

S


S V O


O V S


X V S O



German :

S O


S V O


O V S


X V S O



German :

S O V


S V O


O V S


X V S O



German :

S O V

Ich den Hund sehe.I the dog see.*

S V O


O V S


X V S O



German :

S V O


O V S


X V S O


Du weißt, dass ich den Hund sehe.You know that I the dog see.

C


German :

S V O


O V S


X V S O


S


C


German :

S V O


O V S


X V S O


S O


C


German :

S V O


O V S


X V S O


S O VC



German :

S V O


O V S


X V S O


S O VS C



German :

S V O


O V S


X V S O


S O VS V C



Breton :

Me a wel ar c’hi.I see-3sg the dog.


Breton :

S



Breton :

S p V



Breton :

S p V O


Ar c’hi a welan Ø.The dog see-1sg.


Breton :

S p V O


O



Breton :

S p V O


O p V



Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


Bremañ e welan Ø ar c’hi. Now see-1sg the dog.


Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X



Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V



Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S



Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


Gwelout a ran Ø ar c’hi. See-vn do-1sg the dog.


Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN



Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V



Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V S



Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V S O


Ich werde den Hund sehen. I will-1sg the dog see-inf.

German :


Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V S O


S


German :


Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V S O


VS


German :


Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V S O


VS O


German :


Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V S O


VNVS O


German :


Breton :

S p V O


O p V S


X p V S O


VN p V S O



Breton :

Gouzout a rez Ø e welan Ø ar c’hi.Know-vn do-2sg see-1sg the dog.


Breton :


p V


Breton :


Sp V


Breton :

O


Sp V


Breton :

VN O


Sp V


Breton :

VN p V O


Sp V


Breton :

VN p V S O


Ne welan ket Ø ar c’hi.Neg see-1sg not the dog.

Sp V


Breton :

VN p V S O


p V


Sp V


Breton :

VN p V S O


p V S


Sp V


Breton :

VN p V S O


p V S O


Sp V

Conjugated verb preceded by particle

Third-person singular agreement in SVO order

Subject pronoun may be deleted after a conjugated verb

Verb-second rule only applies in affirmative main clauses

Breton V2 vs. German V2 :


Breton :

VN p V S O


p V S O


Sp V

Verb-second rule only applies in affirmative main clauses



Subject pronoun may be deleted after a conjugated verb

Breton V2 vs. German V2 :


Breton :

VN p V S O


p V S O


Sp V

XVSO, VVSO orders predominate; OVS also found



Breton V2 vs. French SVO :

VSO order is used in most negative and subordinate clauses

Verb-Second in Welsh

The ‘Abnormal’ Order :

Hwy a welsant y mab bychan…They saw-3pl the little boy…

(Matt. 2: 11)



S


(Matt. 2: 11)



S p V


(Matt. 2: 11)



S p V O


Eglwysi eraill a ysbeiliais Ø.Other churches plundered-1sg.

(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)



S p V O


O


(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)



S p V O


O p V


(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)



S p V O


O p V S


A’r bore yr aeth Jonathan i’r maes.And in the morning went-3sg Jonathan to the field.

(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)

(1 Sam. 20: 35)



S p V O


O p V S


X


(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)

(1 Sam. 20: 35)



S p V O


O p V S


X p V


(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)

(1 Sam. 20: 35)



S p V O


O p V S


X p V S PP


Ofni yn ddirfawr a wnaethant Ø. Become extremely frightened-vn did-3pl.

(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)

(1 Sam. 20: 35)

(Luke 2: 9)



S p V O


O p V S


X p V S PP


VN


(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)

(1 Sam. 20: 35)

(Luke 2: 9)



S p V O


O p V S


X p V S PP


VN p V


(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)

(1 Sam. 20: 35)

(Luke 2: 9)



S p V O


O p V S


X p V S PP


VN p V S


(Matt. 2: 11)

(2 Cor. 11: 8)

(1 Sam. 20: 35)

(Luke 2: 9)

SVO Orders in Welsh and Breton

Welsh ‘Abnormal’ Order

Hwy a welsant…They saw-3pl

Hwy a welodd…They saw-3sg

Welsh ‘Mixed’ Order




Ef a welodd…He saw-3sg

Ef a welodd…He saw-3sg




Y dyn ny doeth…The man neg came-3sg


Nyt y dyn a đoeth…Neg-cop the man came-3sg


Breton SVO OrderInt a wel…

They see-3sgAn den ne zeu ket…

The man neg come-3sg











Int eo a wel…They cop see-3sg

N’eo ket an den a zeu…Neg-cop the man come-3sg

Breton Cleft Order










Int eo a wel…They cop see-3sg

N’eo ket an den a zeu…Neg-cop the man come-3sg

Breton Cleft Order

Ys hwy a welodd…Cop they saw-3sg

SVO to VSO in Welsh (after Willis)

Middle Welsh : Mi a welafI see-1sg

(Mi) ni welaf(I) neg see-1sg

Breton :

Mi welaf (fi)Agr see-1sg (I)

Mi welaf Ni welaf (fi)Neg see-1sg (I)I see-1sg

(fi)(I)

(Mi) welaf (fi)Aff see-1sg (I)

(Mi) weli (di)Aff see-2sg (you)

Modern Welsh :

Pronoun

Cornish :

Me a welI see-3sg

My a welI see-3sg

Pronoun

Pronoun

Complementizer

Verbal Particle

Conclusions Middle Welsh, Cornish, and Breton are verb-second languages

V2 is limited to affirmative main clauses

Brythonic V2 uses word orders and agreement rules that differ from those of English, French, or Latin

Subject-verb agreement in Middle Welsh led to loss of V2

Most other types of clauses are VSO

This V2 word order is probably not due to foreign influence

Brythonic V2 is ‘weaker’ than German V2

Breton and Cornish do not feature subject-verb agreement in SVO sentences and so could not lose V2 as easily as Welsh

V2 occurs in fewer clause types

VSO word order in subordinate clauses makes the V2 rule harder to acquire (Willis)



Benjamin Bruch26th Annual Harvard Celtic ColloquiumBarker Center · Harvard University · 7 October 2006

the historical syntax of the brythonic languages

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