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Chapter 13. On the development of OE swā to ModE so and related changes in an atypical group of demonstratives

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Abstract

Building on previous comparative studies and comparative reconstructions (König 2012, 2015), we trace the syntactic and semantic development of OE swā, of its adverbial counterpart swylc and of þus to Modern English so, such and thus on the basis of relevant text corpora for OE and ME. In contrast to previous studies of swā in OE (cf. Schleburg 2002) and of so in ME (Nummenmaa 1973), it is shown that swā, swelc, thus and their counterparts in ModE are not isolated particles or adverbs, but are more adequately analysed as demonstratives of manner, quality and degree. Starting from a basic exophoric (gestural) use and its typical extensions to anaphoric and cataphoric uses, these expressions develop into a wide variety of grammatical markers in ModE.

Abstract

Building on previous comparative studies and comparative reconstructions (König 2012, 2015), we trace the syntactic and semantic development of OE swā, of its adverbial counterpart swylc and of þus to Modern English so, such and thus on the basis of relevant text corpora for OE and ME. In contrast to previous studies of swā in OE (cf. Schleburg 2002) and of so in ME (Nummenmaa 1973), it is shown that swā, swelc, thus and their counterparts in ModE are not isolated particles or adverbs, but are more adequately analysed as demonstratives of manner, quality and degree. Starting from a basic exophoric (gestural) use and its typical extensions to anaphoric and cataphoric uses, these expressions develop into a wide variety of grammatical markers in ModE.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Phonology and morphology
  6. Chapter 1. Grimm’s Law and Verner’s Law 15
  7. Chapter 2. The foot in the history of English 41
  8. Chapter 3. Ambiguity resolution and the evolution of homophones in English 61
  9. Chapter 4. The threshold of productivity and the ‘irregularization’ of verbs in Early Modern English 91
  10. Part II. Syntax
  11. Chapter 5. The reanalysis of VO in the history of English 115
  12. Chapter 6. The role of (the avoidance of) centre embedding in the change from OV to VO in English 137
  13. Chapter 7. Syntactic changes in verbal clauses and noun phrases from 1500 onwards 163
  14. Chapter 8. Prepositions in Early Modern English argument structure and beyond 201
  15. Chapter 9. Should with non-past reference 225
  16. Chapter 10. Shifting responsibility in passing information 245
  17. Part III. Semantics and pragmatics
  18. Chapter 11. Theatrical practices and grammatical standardization in eighteenth-century Britain 263
  19. Chapter 12. Towards a companionate marriage in Late Modern England? 287
  20. Chapter 13. On the development of OE swā to ModE so and related changes in an atypical group of demonstratives 309
  21. Index 345
English Historical Linguistics
This chapter is in the book English Historical Linguistics
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.358.13kon

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Phonology and morphology
  6. Chapter 1. Grimm’s Law and Verner’s Law 15
  7. Chapter 2. The foot in the history of English 41
  8. Chapter 3. Ambiguity resolution and the evolution of homophones in English 61
  9. Chapter 4. The threshold of productivity and the ‘irregularization’ of verbs in Early Modern English 91
  10. Part II. Syntax
  11. Chapter 5. The reanalysis of VO in the history of English 115
  12. Chapter 6. The role of (the avoidance of) centre embedding in the change from OV to VO in English 137
  13. Chapter 7. Syntactic changes in verbal clauses and noun phrases from 1500 onwards 163
  14. Chapter 8. Prepositions in Early Modern English argument structure and beyond 201
  15. Chapter 9. Should with non-past reference 225
  16. Chapter 10. Shifting responsibility in passing information 245
  17. Part III. Semantics and pragmatics
  18. Chapter 11. Theatrical practices and grammatical standardization in eighteenth-century Britain 263
  19. Chapter 12. Towards a companionate marriage in Late Modern England? 287
  20. Chapter 13. On the development of OE swā to ModE so and related changes in an atypical group of demonstratives 309
  21. Index 345
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