Seminar 2. Old English phonetics.

Questions and assignments:

1. Did word stress in OE always fall on the first syllable? Recall some regular shifts of stress in word-building and give similar examples fron present-day English.

2. Account for the difference between the vowels in OE þǽt, eal, monn, all going back to PG words with[a] (Gt: þata, manna, alls). Account for the interchange of vowels in OE dǽģe - dagas (NE day – Dat. Sg and Nom. Pl.); bǽđ - bađian (NE bath,bathe).

3. Explain the term “mutation” and innumeratr the changes referred to the mutations in Late PG and in Early OE. What do they all have in common?

4. Define the sound values of the letters f, đ, s and comment on the system of OE consonant phonemes: OE heofon, faran, ge-faran, hǽfde, offrung, ofer (NE heaven, fare, had, offering, over); ođđe, ođer, Norđ, đanne (‘ or’, other, North, then); sæ, wisse, cēosan, cēas (NE sea, ‘knew’, choose, chose).

5. What consonant and vowel changes are illustrated by the following pairs of words:

Gt maiza	- ОЕ māra (NE more)
Gt kunþian	- ОE cyđan ('inform')
Gt dauþs	- OE dēad (NE dead)
Gt saljan	- OE sellan (NE sell)
OE þyncan	- OE þūhte (NE think.-thought)
OE mæġden	- mǽden (NE maiden)
Gt kinnus	- OE cinn (NS chin)
OHG isarn	- OE īren (NE iron)
Gt hausjan	- OE hīeren (NE hear)
O.Scand. skaft	- OE sceaft (NE shaft)

 

Text for analysis: “Cura Pastoralis”

Ælfred kyning hāteđ grētan Wærfeđ biscep his wordum luflīce ond freondlīce ond đe cỳđan hāte đæt mē com swīđe oft on gemynd, hwelce wiotan īu wǽron giond Angelcynn ǽgđer gē godcundra hāda gē worulgcundra; ond hū gesæliglīca tīda đā wǽron giond Angelcynn; … (But now there are very few learned men in England).

(Words in bold type are for phonetic analysis).

Литература:

1. Иванова И.П., Чахоян Л.П., История английского языка. Учебник. Хрестоматия. Словарь. – СПб., 1998.

2. Расторгуева Т.А. A History of English. М., 1983.

3. Ильиш Б.А. История английского языка (на английском языке). М., 1973.

4. Иванова И.П., Беляева Т.М. Хрестоматия по истории английского языка. М. 1980 (М. 1973)

 

Seminar 3. Old English grammar.

Questions and assignments:

1.Explain why OE can be called a “synthetic” or “inflected” language. What form-building means were used in OE?

2. Why are noun declensions in OE referred to as “stems”? Point out relics of the stem-suffixes in the forms of nouns.

3. Explain the difference between the grouping of nouns into declensions and the two declensions of adjectives.Which forms of adjectives, weak or strong, should be used in the following contexts? Fill in the blanks with the appropriate endings: and Þā Þone hālğ__ mann atuğon ūt of his hūse ‘ and they drove that holy man out of his house ’; ic eom gōd__ hierde ‘I am a good shepherd’.

4. Prove that suppletion is an ancient way of form-building that can be traced to PIE.

5. Build the principal forms of the verbs drīfan (str.1), weorpan (str.3), forlēosan (str.2) and explain the interchange of vowels and consonants (NE drive, ‘throw”, lose). Speak on the classification of strong verbs.

6. What traces of palatal mutation can be found in weak verbs? Speak on the classification if weak verbs.

 

Text for analysis: “Beowulf” (837-841. 863-868)

 

837-841: þā wæs on morgen, mīne gefrǽge,

ymb đā gif-healle gūđ-rinc monig;

fērdon folc-togan feorran ond nēa(ha)n

geond wīd - wegas wundor scēawian,

lāþes lastas.

 

863-368: Nē hīe hūru wine-drihten wiht nē lōgon,

glædne Hrōđgar, ac þæt wæs gōd cyning.

Hwīllum heaþo-rōfe hleapan lēton,

On geflit faran fealwe mēaras,

đǽr him fold-wegas fægere þūhton,

cystum cūđe; hwīllum cyninges þegn,

guma gilp-hlæden, gidda gemyndig.

(Words in bold type are for phonetic analysis).

Литература:

1. Иванова И.П., Чахоян Л.П., История английского языка. Учебник. Хрестоматия. Словарь. – СПб., 1998.

2. Расторгуева Т.А. A History of English. М., 1983.

3. Ильиш Б.А. История английского языка (на английском языке). М., 1973.

4. Иванова И.П., Беляева Т.М. Хрестоматия по истории английского языка. М. 1980 (М. 1973)