Abstract
This paper commences by characterizing the exceptionality of the Old English double paradigm of s L and b Lforms of the verb ‘to be’ in the present tense among the (West) Germanic languages, followed by an analysis of the use of beon and wesan in the Old English section of the Helsinki Corpus with a focus on the linguistic contexts of these verbs in their indicative, subjunctive and imperative forms and on their dialectal distribution. A comparison of my findings with parallel forms and their uses in the Celtic languages supports the assumption that the emergence of the double paradigm in Old English, with wesan expressing current relevance and beon referring to habitual or future events, can only be assigned to Insular Celtic influence.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.