Chapter 10 Adjectives; Analogy; Possessive Pronouns

 10.1. In common with the Gmc languages generally, OE has a twofold classification of adjectives: the Strong or Indefinite declension (in this chapter), and the Weak or Definite declension (in Chap 12). The Strong declension is used except when conditions calling for use of the Weak declension are present (see 12.1, 2).

10.2. Adjectives (and nouns) are classified by their stem vowels. This system of classification rests on the forms they had during the Gmc stage, when they were composed of base + stem + inflectional suffix: Those which had the same stem vowel are now classified together. Because it is convenient for comparative grammar this system is used even when (as frequently happens in OE) this distinctive stem has been lost through phonological change. Thus Gmc *stainaz, stone, composed of stain + a + z is classified as an "a-stem"; and so also is its descendant OE stān, even though in this word both stem and inflectional suffix have been lost.

Strong Declension of Adjectives

MASC. NEUT. FEM.
S. N.goodtiltiltil u,-o
G.~ es~ es~re
D.~ um~ um~re
A.~ ne~~ e
I.~ e~ e~ re
P.N.A.~ e~ u,-o~ a
G.~ ra~ ra~ ra
D.I.~ um~ um~ um
S. N.goodgōdgōdgōd
G.~ es~ es~ re
D.~ um~ um~ re
A.~ ne~~ e
I.~ e~ e~ re
P.N.A.~ e~~ a,-e
G.~ ra~ ra~ ra
D.I.~ um~ um~ um

Note 1: Some variations of form within the paradigm were the following: Bases having PrehOE a were of course subject to the change of a ˃ æ (5.4); hence such a paradigm contains æ forms, e.g. hræd, hrædes, hræde etc., as well as a forms, e.g. hrada, hradu, etc.

Note 2: In bases ending in -h [x], the h changes according to its phonetic environment. Thus it may disappear: hēah, high, fem.hēa, masc. gen. hēas. It may be assimilated to the following consonant: fem. gen. hēahre, hēarre, higher. It may be voiced ˃ g [ɣ]: wōh, wrong, gen. wōges. Or it may be vocalized, replaced by w rūh, rough, gen. rūwes.

10.3.

MASC. NEUT. FEM.
S. N.greengrēnegrēnegrēnu,-o
G.~ es~ es~ re
D.~ um~ um~ re
A.~ ne~ e~ e
I.~ e~ e~ re
P.N.A.~ e~ u, -o~ a, -e
G.~ ra~ ra~ ra
D.I.~ um~ um~ um
S. N.readygearu,-ogearu,-ogearu,-o
G.~ wes~ wes~ (o)re
D.~ wum~ wum~ (o)re
A.~ one~ u, -o~ we
I.~ we~ we~ (o)re
P.N.A.~ we~ u, -we~ wa, -e
G.~ (o)ra~ (o)ra~ (o)ra
D.I.~ wum~ wum~ wum

Note 3: The wa-stems often exibit a parasitic vowel before w: gear(o)wes, gear(e)wes, gear(u)we, etc. Phonetically these spellings no doubt represent the same sound: a weak, centralized vowel, [ə] or the like, induced by the transition from [r] to [w].

Effects of Analogy

10.4. In any language, the more frequent structural patterns or those having a larger number of members constantly exert pressure upon the less frequent to conform by analogy, and thus to reduce irregularity. Examples are numerous. From ME to MnE, the regular pattern for forming the plural of nouns is gradually substituted for irregular ones: ME goot, geet MnE goat, goats. (Children generally say ƒoot, ƒoots following this pattern until they learn the correct, though less common, pattern ƒoot, ƒeet.)

10.5. The most conspicuous example of this kind of analogical force in English is the slow changeover of strong (irregular) verbs to weak (regular) verbs which began in the OE period and is still in progress. Burn, chew, glide, grip, help, lock, reek, seethe, shove, sigh, slip, smoke, suck, yawn are only a few of the verbs, strong in OE, which are now weak. Thus the OE principal parts helpan, healp, hulpon, holpen have yielded to MnE help, helped, helped. (The U.S. dialectical holp, sometimes spelled "hope": He holp|hope me when I was sick, is a relic of the older strong verb form.) Though phonological change frequently introduces inconsistencies into paradigms (see Note 1 above on the forms of hræd), analogy tends to level them out again, making the base the same for all members of the paradigm. Similarly with dæg-, dagas, etc. (see 5.4. Note) the dag- forms disappeared, the dæg- forms survived, though now spelled with a (MnE day, days).

10.6. Another phonological change ( see Appendix I, Verner's Law) split some verb bases in another way, as ƒrēosan(freeze), ƒrēas, ƒruron, ƒroren, with s in the first two, r in the other principal parts. But later, by analogy, the r forms were changed to s [z], restoring consistency: MnE ƒreeze, ƒroze, ƒrozen.

10.7. As regards OE adjective classes (our immediate concern), analogy was responsible for reducing their number to three, when there had been five distinct classes in Gmc: the Gmc i-stems became ja-stems in OE, and the Gmc u-stems became either ā- or ja-stems.

Possessive Pronouns

10.8. The Possessive Pronouns, when used adjectivally, are declined like gōd (except ūre, which is declined like grēne): mīn, mine; ðīn, thine; sīn, his, hers, its; ūre, ours; ēower, yours; uncer, of us two; incer, of you two.

Translation: A Dialog (concluded)

Lār.: Ēalā1, geong mann, sege mē nū: ðæt ðæt is nīwe,2 is hit eall gōd?
L-cniht: Nā, hlāford, nis hit eall gōd.
Lār.: And sōð is swā same:3 ðæt ðæt is eald, nis hit eall yfel.4
L-cniht: Ðēahhwæþere5 ne magon wē hīeran ūre ealdfæderas.
Lār.: Leorningmægden, hwæt sægst þū þærtō?
L-mægden: Ic sege þæt ðēah þe6 wē ne mægen hīeran ūssera ealdfædera stefna,7 þēahhwæðere magon wē rǣden heora word, þā þe ðā bōceras8 gewriten habbað.
Lār.: Gēa sōðlīce, leorneras ealle. On ūssera ealdfædera dagum lifdon mihtige cyningas, bealde rincas.9 Hīe begēaton10 ðis land and hit gesetton.11 Fela gēara ðǣræfter wǣron hīe gefulwode12 and gehwurfon13 Crīstnan. Ðā wunnon14 hīe wið ðā hǣðnan.15 Manige bōceras brōhton wīsdōm in on land. Swēte songas sungon þā scopas16 on healle. Nū sindon wē hīera ierfan.17 Gif wē nyllað dolu bēon, uton18 leornian ðā Westseaxna ðēode.

VOCABULARY
  1. ēalā, lo! look here!
  2. nīwe, new
  3. swā same, likewise
  4. yfel, evil, bad
  5. ðēahhwæðere, nevertheless
  6. þēah þe, although
  7. stefna, voices
  8. bōceras, writers
  9. rincas, warriors

  10. begēaton, took, won
  11. gesetton, settled
  12. gefulwode, baptized
  13. gehwurfon, turned
  14. wunnon, fought
  15. hǣðnan, heathens
  16. scopas, poets, singers
  17. ierfan, heirs, inheritors
  18. uton, let us
part 1

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