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Chapter 8: Pragmatics and Discourse

  • Ursula Lenker
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Volume 2 Old English
This chapter is in the book Volume 2 Old English

Abstract

This chapter suggests that OE pragmatics and discourse should be approached from a cross‑linguistic and cross‑cultural perspective, rather than seeing Old English as a pre-stage for the later periods of English. It is its cultural and linguistic “otherness” which makes Old English, in spite of the lack of good data, a particularly interesting area for pragmatic study. The different culture(s) of the Anglo‑Saxon world required forms for the negotiation of meaning different from those we are familiar with today. Thus the conspicuous lack of structures attesting to politeness as face work, the existence of distinct speech events such as flyting or the prominent role of silence allow cross-cultural and cross-linguistic comparison which both corroborates and challenges issues like the uniformitarian principle. Similarly, the different typological character of the morpho-syntax of Old English allows a degree of word order flexibility that is exploited by discourse strategies.

Abstract

This chapter suggests that OE pragmatics and discourse should be approached from a cross‑linguistic and cross‑cultural perspective, rather than seeing Old English as a pre-stage for the later periods of English. It is its cultural and linguistic “otherness” which makes Old English, in spite of the lack of good data, a particularly interesting area for pragmatic study. The different culture(s) of the Anglo‑Saxon world required forms for the negotiation of meaning different from those we are familiar with today. Thus the conspicuous lack of structures attesting to politeness as face work, the existence of distinct speech events such as flyting or the prominent role of silence allow cross-cultural and cross-linguistic comparison which both corroborates and challenges issues like the uniformitarian principle. Similarly, the different typological character of the morpho-syntax of Old English allows a degree of word order flexibility that is exploited by discourse strategies.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Pre-Old English 8
  6. Chapter 3: Old English: Overview 32
  7. Chapter 4: Phonology 50
  8. Chapter 5: Morphology 73
  9. Chapter 6: Syntax 100
  10. Chapter 7: Semantics and Lexicon 125
  11. Chapter 8: Pragmatics and Discourse 140
  12. Chapter 9: Dialects 160
  13. Chapter 10: Language Contact: Latin 187
  14. Chapter 11: English Contact: Norse 202
  15. Chapter 12: Standardization 220
  16. Chapter 13: Literary Language 236
  17. Chapter 14: Early Textual Resources 254
  18. Index 271
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110525304-008

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Pre-Old English 8
  6. Chapter 3: Old English: Overview 32
  7. Chapter 4: Phonology 50
  8. Chapter 5: Morphology 73
  9. Chapter 6: Syntax 100
  10. Chapter 7: Semantics and Lexicon 125
  11. Chapter 8: Pragmatics and Discourse 140
  12. Chapter 9: Dialects 160
  13. Chapter 10: Language Contact: Latin 187
  14. Chapter 11: English Contact: Norse 202
  15. Chapter 12: Standardization 220
  16. Chapter 13: Literary Language 236
  17. Chapter 14: Early Textual Resources 254
  18. Index 271
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