Studies in Old English Element Order With Special Reference to "The Vercelli Homilies"

Hiyama, Susumu (2002) Studies in Old English Element Order With Special Reference to "The Vercelli Homilies". PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Full text available as:
[thumbnail of 13833935.pdf] PDF
Download (6MB)

Abstract

This study provides a descriptive analysis of the language of The Vercelli Homilies using Donald Scragg's 1992 EETS edition. The total of over six thousand clauses is analysed, for the first time, with particular reference to element order. The syntactic characteristics of this collection of twenty-three anonymous homilies written in the late tenth century will be addressed, and some general issues to do with Old English syntax will be discussed. Chapter 1 furnishes a background for this study. Here are provided a general description of the Vercelli Book and a brief overview of the previous studies on Old English element order. This chapter also clarifies the need for a close study of element order of The Vercelli Homilies, addressing relevant questions and providing details on the methodology adopted in the present study. Chapters 2 and 3 illustrate element order patterns in each of the fourteen clause categories with copious examples and full statistics. In addition, the examples are accompanied - where available - by the Latin sources and sigla as defined by Fontes Anglo-Saxonici: A Register of Written Sources Used by Authors in Anglo-Saxon England. Attention is paid to deviations from the 'normal' element order in each category. These chapters show that many of the exceptions may be explained in terms of grammar, context, discourse, style, and Latin influence. Chapter 4 summarizes the findings in the present study with special emphasis on the position of each element. These findings are further supplemented by the Appendix where various statistical information on syntactic characteristics in each homily is offered.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Qualification Level: Doctoral
Additional Information: Adviser: Jeremy Smith
Keywords: Medieval literature
Date of Award: 2002
Depositing User: Enlighten Team
Unique ID: glathesis:2002-76218
Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
Date Deposited: 19 Dec 2019 09:15
Last Modified: 19 Dec 2019 09:15
URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/76218

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year