Reanalyzing person in the history of English

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Reanalyzing person in the history of English

• Elly van Gelderen
• GLAC, Austin, TX
• 15 April 2011
• ellyvangelderen_at_asu.edu

2
Aims

• 1. To examine the distribution of pro-drop,
  pronouns, and demonstratives in Old English.
• 2. To explain this in terms of the child
  interpreting input in a particular way through
  Feature Economy
• 3. To examine internal and external factors of
  linguistic change and their interaction

3
What happens from OE gt ME?

• Loss of pro-drop
• Loss of verbal agreement
• Introduction of articles
• Change in the relation between demonstrative and
  ps pronoun
• Introduction of new ps pronouns

4
Three factors, e.g. Chomsky 2007

• (1) genetic endowment, which sets limits on the
  attainable languages, thereby making language
  acquisition possible
• (2) external data, converted to the experience
  that selects one or another language within a
  narrow range
• (3) principles not specific to the Faculty of
  Language. Some of the third factor principles
  have the flavor of the constraints that enter
  into all facets of growth and evolution, ...
  Among these are principles of efficient
  computation"

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Internal Grammar vs Prescriptive Pressure
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Reanalysis of how

• (1) How would you like to go to the game?
• Would you like to go to the game?
• (2) Dwyer told the players how he wanted to win
• D. told the players that he wanted to win.
• (from the BNC as given by Willis 2007 434)

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And possibly in
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How/why Cognitive Economy (or UG) principles

• help the learner, e.g
• Phrase gt head (minimize structure)
• Avoid too much movement
• (1) XP
• Spec X'
• X YP
• Y

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Minimalist features

• The interpretable ones are relevant at the
  Conceptual-Intentional interface.
• Uninterpretable ones act as glue so to speak to
  help out merge.
• For instance, person and number features
  (phi-features) are interpretable on nouns but
  not on verbs.

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Pronouns Agreement variation in the lexicon

• English me French je
• i-phi u-phi
• (i-ps) (u-ps)
• s/he il/elle
• i-phi i-phi
• (i-deictic) (i-deictic)

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What are some of the features?

• TP
• T'
• T vP
• u-phi DP v'
• NOM She v VP
• u-Case saw i-phi u-phi
  DP V
• ACC bears V
• u-Case
• i-phi
• Semantic, interpretable, and uninterpretable

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The Subject Cycle

• (1) demonstrative gt third person pron gt clitic gt
  agreement
• (2) oblique gt emphatic gt first/second pron gt
  clitic gt agreement

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As features

• emphatic/
• demonstrative gt personal gt agreement
• i-phi i-phi u-phi
• i-deixis u-Case
• ille il ilV

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Feature Economy

• Chomsky (1995 230 381) "formal features have
  semantic correlates and reflect semantic
  properties (accusative Case and transitivity, for
  example)."
• A language learner selects lexical items with
  fewer features.
• (1) Adjunct Specifier Head affix
• semantic gt iF gt uF
• (2) emphatic gt full pronoun gt head gt agreement
• i-phi i-phi u-1/2i-3 u-phi

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Back to the History of English

• Pro-drop theories/data Taraldsen (1978), Jaeggli
  Safir (1989), Sigurðsson (1993), van Gelderen
  (2000), Axel (2007)
• (1) Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard Now must
  praise heavenly-kingdom guard
• Now we must praise the lord of the heavenly
  kingdom.'
• (beginning of the Northumbrian version of
  Caedmons Hymn).

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Connected to V-movement as in OHG?

• (1) Sume hahet in cruci OHG
• some hang-2P to cross
• Some of them, you will crucify. (Axel 2007
  293 Monsee Fragments)
• No
• Pogatscher (1901) has 176 null subjects im
  nebensatze.

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OE subordinates with pro-drop

• (1) þæt ic gumcystum godne funde beaga bryttan
  breac þonne moste
• that I manly-virtue good found ring dispenser
  enjoyed as-long could
• that I found a noble bestower of rings and
  enjoyed it as long as I could.' (Beowulf 1486-7)
• (2) swylcum gifeþe bið þæt þone hilderæs hal
  gedigeð
• such given be that the battle-storm unhurt
  endure
• May it be that he will withstand unhurt the
  heat of the battle.' (Beowulf 299-300)

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There is also Topic-drop

• (20) Heah wæs þæt handlean and him hold frea
  high was that reward and him kind lord
• gesealde wæpna geweald wið wraðra gryre,
• gave weapens power against hostile terror
• ofercom mid þy campe cneomaga fela
• overcame with it in-fight warriors many
• (Talking about Moses), Great was the reward and
  God was gracious to him (Moses) and gave him
  weapons against hostile terror. He overcame many
  warriors with it in battle.' (Exodus 19-21)

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Pro-drop is licensedby what?

• Agreement (SV order weak verbs)
• Present S 1 -e
• 2 -(e)s(t)
• 3 -(e)ð
• P -að
• Preterite S 1 -de
• 2 -des(t)
• 3 -de
• P -dun, -don, dan

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Inflection on strong verbs in e.g. Mercian Glosses

• Þu V 5 es, 1 est, 1 ast, -2 st
• V Þu 2 es, 1 s, 2 (e)st
• V 3 est (Berndt 1956 98)
• (1) Þu bindes (Matthew 16.9)
• (2) spreces Þu (Matthew 13.10)
• (3) cymest (Matthew 3.14) (Berndt 1956 98)

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No difference for third person

• Rushworths Mercian part
• SV 16 eþ, 1 eth, 2 aþ
• VS 1 aþ
• V 10 eþ, 3 aþ, 1 æþ, 1 iþ (Berndt 103)
• (1) he findeþ (Matthew 7.8)
• (2) sti3aþ he (Matthew 24.17)
• (3) onwreoþ (Matthew 16.17) (Berndt 104)

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Person split in OE Null vs Overt Subject
Pronouns

• Rushworths Matthew
• 1S 6/191 (97)
• 1P 1/44 (98)
• 2S 12/90 (88)
• 2P 20/168 (89)
• 3S 223/246 (54)
• 3P 130/141 (52)

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Lindisfarne (Northumbrian)

• 1S 9/212 (96) 9/656 (99)
• 1P 0/53 (100) 1/120 (99)
• 2S 16/103 (87) 22/308 (93)
• 2P 10/206 (95) 21/428 (95)
• 3S 445/116 (21) 1292/225 (15)
• 3P 263/108 (29) 618/154 (20)

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Pro-drop/agreement licensing in OE

• - Not V-movement as in OHG
• - There is a relation to agreement
• - Less pro-drop in first and second person and
  less agreement here
• - T has interpretable phi-features in OE
• - Hence, pro-drop etc
• - These are first lost with first and second ps

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Overt pronouns

• (1) þæt fram ham gefrægn Higelaces þegn, god mid
  Geatum, Grendles dæda se wæs moncynnes mægenes
  strengest on þæm dæge þysses lifes, æþele ond
  eacen. Het him yðlidan godne gegyrwan, cwæð, he
  guðcyning ofer swanrade secean wolde, mærne
  þeoden, þa him wæs manna þearf. ðone siðfæt him
  snotere ceorlas lythwon logon, þeah he him leof
  wære.
• Hygelacs thane heard about Grendels deeds
  while in Geatland he (Hygelacs thane) was
  mankinds strongest man on earth, noble and
  powerful. (He) ordered himself a good boat
  prepared and said that he wanted to seek the king
  over the sea since he (the king) needed men.
  Wise men did not stop him (Hygelacs thane)
  though he was dear to them. (Beowulf 194-98)

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Traugott (1992 171)

• (2) Þa clypode an ðæra manna Zebeus gehaten and
  cwæð to ðam cyninge
• Then cried one of-the men Zebeus called and
  said to the king
• Eala ðu cyning þas fulan wuhta þu scoldest
  awurpan of ðinum rice.
• Oh you king the foul creatures you should
  throw-out of your kingdom
• ðylæs ðe hi mid heora fylðe us ealle besmiton
• in-case that they the foul creatures with
  their filth us all affect
• Hi habbað mid him awyriedne engel. mancynnes
  feond.
• They the foul creatures have with them
  corrupt angel, mankinds enemy
• and se hæfð andweald on ðam mannum ðe heora
  scyppend forseoð.
• and he the angel has power over those men that
  their creator despise
• and to deofolgyldum bugað
• and to idols bow.
• (DOE Segment 8 Ælfrics Catholic Homilies,
  second series M. Godden 1979, p. 283. 110 115)

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Cf. Dutch

• (3) Hij had Stern gesproken en aan deze enige
  woorden en zaken uitgelegd, die hij niet begreep.
  Die Stern niet begreep, meen ik.
• He had talked to Stern and explained to this
  one some words and matters which he did not
  understand. Which Stern did not understand, I
  mean'. (Multatuli, Max Havelaar, chap 4, van
  Gelderen 1998).

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Changes in C12, e.g. she

• (1) þæræfter toforan Candelmæssan on Windlesoran
  him to wife forgyfen Aðelis syððan to cwene
  gehalgod. seo wæs þæs heretogan dohtor of
  Luuaine.
• thereafter before Candlemas at Windsor was given
  him to wife Adela and after hallowed queen. She
  was the duke of Louvains daughter. (PC 1121)
• (2) He brohte his wif to Engleland. dide hire
  in þe castel on Canteberi. God wimman scæ wæs. oc
  scæ hedde litel blisse mid him.
• He brought his wife to England and put her in a
  castle in Canterbury. She was a good woman but
  she had little bliss with him. (PC 1140)
• (3) 3ho wass Elysabæþ 3ehatenn
• She was called Elisabeth. (Ormulum 115)

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Third plural, demonstrative pronouns, and
reflexives

• (1) swa þe33 leddenn heore lif Till þatt te33
  wærenn alde
• and so they led their lives until they were
  old. (Ormulum 125-6)
• (2) For he and he had samen ben, forwit selcuth
  wrath.
• Because they had together been debating.
  (Cursor Mundi, Cotton 16161)
• (3) mon forgit his selfes ... he sceal hine
  selfne geðencean
• man forgets his-GEN self-GEN ... he must him-ACC
  self-ACC remember
• man forgets himself ... he must remember
  himself.' (Alfred, Pastoral Care, 34.7)

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What happens?

• Externally a strengthening of the third person
  features in the pronoun and a shift in the
  relationship with the demonstrative.
• This reinforcement through external pronouns, she
  and they, brought about a reanalysis of the
  features of the pronoun as deictic.
• In addition

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The demonstrative

• (1) hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon
• how those nobles courage did
• 'how the nobles performed heroic acts' (Beowulf
  3)
• (2) se wæs Wine haten se wæs in Gallia rice
  gehalgod.
• he was wine called and he was in Gaul consecrated

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From Demonstrative to article

• (1) gife to þa munecas of þe mynstre
• give to the monks of the abbey (Peterborough
  Chron 1150)
• (2) gaddresst swa þe clene corn All fra þe
  chaff togeddre
• and gather-2S so the clean wheat all from the
  chaff together
• and so you gather the clear wheat from the
  chaff. (Ormulum 1484-5, Holt edition)
• (3) the (Wood 2003 69)

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Features of DP

• (1) a. That the dog loves their the toys.
• b. I saw that.
• c. I saw the.
• (2) DP DP
• that D D NP
• i-loc D NP the 3S
• i-ps 3S u-phi

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Reduction of the article and renewal

• (3) Morret's brother came out of Scoteland for
  th'acceptacion of the peax
• (The Diary of Edward VI, 1550s)
• (4) Oh they used to be ever so funny houses you
  know and in them days They used to have big
  windows, but they used to a all be them there
  little tiny ones like that. (BNC - FYD 72)

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OE pronouns and demonstratives

• He, heo, hit, hi - se, seo, etc.
• non-deictic deictic
• reflexive relative clause

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So 1200 a reanalysis

• (1) gaddresst swa þe clene corn
• and so you gather the clear wheat. (Ormulum
  1484-5, Holt edition)
• (2) 3ho wass Elysabæþ 3ehatenn
• She was called Elisabeth. (Ormulum 115)
• (3) swa þe33 leddenn heore lif Till þatt te33
  wærenn alde
• and so they led their lives until they were
  old. (Ormulum 125-6)
• (4) þin forrme win iss swiþe god, þin lattre win
  iss bettre.
• Your earlier wine is very good, your later wine
  is better. (Ormulum 15409)

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Internal External

• se --gt the seo --gt she
• that --gt that hi --gt they
• him/her --gt him/herself
• (3ps no longer only topic switch)
• a. se gt the
• i-loc/i-phi u-T/u-ps
• b. he/hi is replaced by he
• heo/ha is replaced by she (possibly via seo)
• hi/hie is replaced by they
• i-phi i-phi/i-loc

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• Demonstrative
• i-phi
• i-loc
•  
•  
• article pronoun
• u-phi i-phi
• u-T

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Conclusions

• The pronoun system undergoes a major shift around
  1200
• Pro-drop is lost
• Demonstrative gt Articles
• Personal pronouns are strengthened externally
• The former/latter are introduced

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ctd

• Internal change
• Semantic gt Interpretable gt Uninterpretable
• External change
• Renewal of the semantic features

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Some References

• Berndt, Rolf 1956. Form unde Funktion des verbums
  im nordlichen Spataltenglischen. Halle Niemeyer.
• Chomsky, Noam 2007. Approaching UG from below, in
  Uli Sauerland et al. (eds), Interfaces
  Recursion Language, 1-29. Berlin Mouton de
  Gruyter.
• Gelderen, Elly van 2004. Grammaticalization as
  Economy. Amsterdam John Benjamins.
• Gelderen, Elly van 2011. The Linguistic Cycle.
  Oxford University Press.
• Givón, Talmy 1971. Historical syntax and
  synchronic morphology. Chicago Linguistic Society
  Proceedings 7 394-415.
• Hodge, Carleton 1970. The Linguistic Cycle.
  Linguistic Sciences .
• Traugott, Elizabeth 1992. Syntax. In Richard Hogg
  (ed.), The Cambridge History of the English
  Language I Old English, 168-289. Cambridge
  Cambridge University Press.
• Wood, Johanna 2003. Definiteness and Number
  Determiner Phrase and Number Phrase in the
  History of English. ASU PhD.