Chapter 9 Demonstrative Pronouns

 

Chapter 9

Demonstrative Pronouns

9.1. The Demonstative Pronouns of OE are sē, that, and its forms, and þēs, this, and its forms. The first is by far the more important since it serves also as the Definite Article. In demonstrative use these pronouns are stressed, hence the two forms þæt and þis come down to MnE virtually unchanged (though other case forms are lost). In definite article use, however, being but weakly stressed, sē and its forms were worn down phonetically in ME to produce MnE the, now used without distinction of number, gender, or case.

9.2. The OE paradigm formally distinguishes 2 numbers, 3 genders, and 5 cases:

_____ Masc. _____ Neut. _____ Fem.
S.N.sēðætsēo
G.ðæsðæsðǣra
D.ðǣm,ðāmðǣm,ðāmðǣra
A.ðonneðætðā
I.ðȳ,ðē,ðonðȳ,ðē,ðon
ALL GENDERS
P.N.A.ðā
G.ðāra,ðǣra
D.I.ðǣm,ðām

9.3. The second demonstrative, þēs, with an equally elaborate paradigm, was similarly reduced in ME. The resultant MnE forms are this and these.

Masc. _____ Neut. _____ Fem. _____
S.N.ðēsðisðēos
G.ðis(s)esðis(s)esðisse,ðeosse
D.ðis(s)um,ðis(s)umðisse,ðeosse
A.ðisneðisðās
I.ðȳs,ðīsðȳs,ðīs
ALL GENDERS
P.N.A.ðās
G.ðissa,ðeossa
D.I.ðis(s)um,ðeos(s)um

Exercise. Read the following sentences aloud. Translate them. Identify the number, gender, and case of each demonstrative (or definite article):

  1. Þes monn is mīn fæder.
  2. Ic rīde tō þǣre healle.
  3. þis līf is sceort.
  4. Ealle þā stānas sind hēr.
  5. Lufiað gē þās cildru?
  6. Hē blissiað þӯs songe.
  7. Hīe cwealdon þone fēond þӯ spere.
  8. Hēo is sēo mōdor þisses lӯtlinges.
  9. Ðæs hūses weallas sindon gōde.
  10. Se hūsbond þǣre cwēne is se cyning.

The Relative Pronoun.

9.4. OE has no paradigm of inflected relative pronouns. This function is expressed in three ways: (1) most frequently, by use of the relative particle þe, which serves for all cases and numbers; (2) often by forms of the demonstrative sē (or sometimes a personal pronoun) + the particle þe; (3) sometimes by use of sē and its forms alone.

Example:Hē ceas þone monnþe
þone þe
þone		ic lufie,He chose the man whom I love.

Translation: A Dialog

Lārēow:1 Gōdne dæg, leorneras.2
Leorneras: Gōdne dæg, lārēow.
Lār.: Tōdæg sculon wē specan Weastseaxna þēode.3 Bēoð gē gearwe?4
Leorn.: Gēa, lēof,5 wē sindon gearwe.
Lār.: Ðū, leorningcniht,6 and þū, leorningmægden7 ̶ secgað8 mē nū ̶ hwæt is Westseaxna þēod?
L-mægden: Ðæt is sēo þēod ūserra ealdfædera.9
Lār.: Ðæt is sōð.10 Ūre ealdfæderas spǣcon Westseaxna þēode þūsend gēara ǣr ðissum.11
L-cniht: Ðūsend gēara ǣr þissum! Ðæt is fela12 gēara. Lēof, sæg mē, for ic nylle dol13 bēon
Lār.: Hwæt wilt þū cnāwan?14
L-cniht: Ūre ealdfæderas sindon dēade þūsend gēara?
Lār.: Gēa, þæt is sōþ. Heora līc15 sindon dēade.
L-cniht: Hīe ne specað nū þonne is heora þēod dēad ealswā16 swā hīe. Hwæt is ūs nīed17 Westseaxna ðēode tō leornienne?

VOCABULARY
  1. lārēow, teacher
  2. leorneras, students
  3. þēod, language
  4. gearwe, ready, (Shaks. yare)
  5. lēof, (dear) sir
  6. leorningcniht, young man student
  7. leorningmægden, young woman student
  8. secgað, say, tell

  9. ealdfæderas, ancestors'
  10. sōþ, true
  11. ǣr ðissum, ago (lit. before this)
  12. fela, many
  13. dol, foolish
  14. cnāwan, to know
  15. līc, body, corpse; also plural
  16. ealswā, also
  17. nīed, necessity

part 2

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