Middle English vowel length in French loanwords
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Ashley L. Burnett
Abstract
Previous analyses of vowel length in French loanwords have relied on the Middle English processes of Open Syllable Lengthening and Closed Syllable Shortening, but have left many exceptions unaccounted for. Recently, Vennemann (2000) and Murray (2000) have provided compelling evidence that Middle English was a syllable cut language, whereby the cut of a syllable determined vowel length. Expanding on this model, I argue that vowel length in French loanwords was determined primarily by the reanalysis of syllables within the syllable cut system of Middle English. Syllables reanalyzed as smoothly cut were assigned long vowels when stressed and short vowels when unstressed, while syllables reanalyzed as abruptly cut were always assigned short vowels. A second factor in the reanalysis of loanwords was the existence of long vowels in French, which induced smooth cuts. Consequently, the assignment of vowel length in French loanwords can be seen to have followed regular patterns.
Abstract
Previous analyses of vowel length in French loanwords have relied on the Middle English processes of Open Syllable Lengthening and Closed Syllable Shortening, but have left many exceptions unaccounted for. Recently, Vennemann (2000) and Murray (2000) have provided compelling evidence that Middle English was a syllable cut language, whereby the cut of a syllable determined vowel length. Expanding on this model, I argue that vowel length in French loanwords was determined primarily by the reanalysis of syllables within the syllable cut system of Middle English. Syllables reanalyzed as smoothly cut were assigned long vowels when stressed and short vowels when unstressed, while syllables reanalyzed as abruptly cut were always assigned short vowels. A second factor in the reanalysis of loanwords was the existence of long vowels in French, which induced smooth cuts. Consequently, the assignment of vowel length in French loanwords can be seen to have followed regular patterns.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Phonology
- Middle English vowel length in French loanwords 9
- Dental fricatives and stops in Germanic 19
- Dialect variation and the Dutch diminutive 37
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Part II. Morphology, syntax and semantics
- On the disappearance of genitive types in Middle English 49
- An asymmetric view on stage II in Jespersen’s cycle in the West Germanic languages 61
- Temporal reference and grammaticalization in the Spanish perfect(ive) 73
- (Un)-interpretable features and grammaticalization 83
- Imperative morphology in diachrony evidence from the Romance languages 99
- VO vs V(…)O en Français 109
- On the development of Recipient passives in DO languages 123
- The emergence of DP in the history of English 135
- A diachronic view of Psychological verbs with Dative Experiencers in Spanish and Romanian 149
- On the loss of the masculine genitive plural in Cypriot Greek 161
- The rise of peripheral modifiers in the noun phrase 175
- Wild variation, random patterns, and uncertain data* 185
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Part III. Sociolinguistics and dialectology
- Le changement linguistique dans la langue orale selon deux recherches sur le terrain séparées d’un siècle 197
- Patrons sociolinguistiques chez trois générations de locuteurs acadiens 211
- Change of functions of the first person pronouns in Chinese 223
- Vinderup in real time 233
- Variation in real time 245
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Part IV. Tools and methodology
- UNIDIA 259
- Visualization, validation and seriation 269
- Quantifying linguistic changes 285
- Historical core vocabulary: Spring and/or anchor 295
- Index of languages and terms 307
- Index of subjects and terms 309
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Phonology
- Middle English vowel length in French loanwords 9
- Dental fricatives and stops in Germanic 19
- Dialect variation and the Dutch diminutive 37
-
Part II. Morphology, syntax and semantics
- On the disappearance of genitive types in Middle English 49
- An asymmetric view on stage II in Jespersen’s cycle in the West Germanic languages 61
- Temporal reference and grammaticalization in the Spanish perfect(ive) 73
- (Un)-interpretable features and grammaticalization 83
- Imperative morphology in diachrony evidence from the Romance languages 99
- VO vs V(…)O en Français 109
- On the development of Recipient passives in DO languages 123
- The emergence of DP in the history of English 135
- A diachronic view of Psychological verbs with Dative Experiencers in Spanish and Romanian 149
- On the loss of the masculine genitive plural in Cypriot Greek 161
- The rise of peripheral modifiers in the noun phrase 175
- Wild variation, random patterns, and uncertain data* 185
-
Part III. Sociolinguistics and dialectology
- Le changement linguistique dans la langue orale selon deux recherches sur le terrain séparées d’un siècle 197
- Patrons sociolinguistiques chez trois générations de locuteurs acadiens 211
- Change of functions of the first person pronouns in Chinese 223
- Vinderup in real time 233
- Variation in real time 245
-
Part IV. Tools and methodology
- UNIDIA 259
- Visualization, validation and seriation 269
- Quantifying linguistic changes 285
- Historical core vocabulary: Spring and/or anchor 295
- Index of languages and terms 307
- Index of subjects and terms 309
