Old English–Late British language contact and the English progressive
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Kristin Killie
Abstract
This chapter assesses the hypothesis that the Late British verbal noun construction influenced what was to become the English progressive. Evidence from archaeology, genetics, second language acquisition research, contact linguistics and grammaticalization studies is assessed and compared. The conclusion is that the socio-historical conditions may have been conducive to linguistic influence from Late British onto Old English. However, given the dynamic nature of progressive and imperfective forms, evidence from more recent varieties of Celtic and English cannot be used as evidence. It is also argued that what causes contact-induced influence is similarity of function, not form; thus, the Late British verbal noun construction may well have influenced not the Old English verbal noun construction, but the Old English participial progressive.
Abstract
This chapter assesses the hypothesis that the Late British verbal noun construction influenced what was to become the English progressive. Evidence from archaeology, genetics, second language acquisition research, contact linguistics and grammaticalization studies is assessed and compared. The conclusion is that the socio-historical conditions may have been conducive to linguistic influence from Late British onto Old English. However, given the dynamic nature of progressive and imperfective forms, evidence from more recent varieties of Celtic and English cannot be used as evidence. It is also argued that what causes contact-induced influence is similarity of function, not form; thus, the Late British verbal noun construction may well have influenced not the Old English verbal noun construction, but the Old English participial progressive.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface & Acknowledgments vii
- Editors’ introduction ix
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Part I. The evidence of place-names
- Celts in Scandinavian Scotland and Anglo-Saxon England 3
- The colonisation of England by Germanic tribes on the basis of place-names 23
- Ancient toponyms in south-west Norway 53
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Part II. Code selection in written texts
- On vernacular literacy in late medieval Norway 69
- Four languages, one text type 81
- On variation and change in London medieval mixed-language business documents 99
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Part III. Linguistic developments and contact situations
- Old English–Late British language contact and the English progressive 119
- The Old English origins of the Northern Subject Rule 141
- For Heaven’s sake 169
- North Sea timber trade terminology in the Early Modern period 193
- ‘Nornomania’ in the research on language in the Northern Isles 213
- Index of subjects, terms & languages 231
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface & Acknowledgments vii
- Editors’ introduction ix
-
Part I. The evidence of place-names
- Celts in Scandinavian Scotland and Anglo-Saxon England 3
- The colonisation of England by Germanic tribes on the basis of place-names 23
- Ancient toponyms in south-west Norway 53
-
Part II. Code selection in written texts
- On vernacular literacy in late medieval Norway 69
- Four languages, one text type 81
- On variation and change in London medieval mixed-language business documents 99
-
Part III. Linguistic developments and contact situations
- Old English–Late British language contact and the English progressive 119
- The Old English origins of the Northern Subject Rule 141
- For Heaven’s sake 169
- North Sea timber trade terminology in the Early Modern period 193
- ‘Nornomania’ in the research on language in the Northern Isles 213
- Index of subjects, terms & languages 231
