ME verb systemME verb systemIts changes and Its changes and

developmentdevelopment

Finite forms. Number, Person, Finite forms. Number, Person, Mood and TenseMood and Tense

NumberNumber in the 13-14thin the 13-14th c. the ending c. the ending –en - –en - the main the main

marker of the plural forms of the verb (past tense), marker of the plural forms of the verb (past tense), strong verbs in the Past had also root vowel strong verbs in the Past had also root vowel

interchange to distinguish between Sg. and Pl.interchange to distinguish between Sg. and Pl. But both these markers became unstable in the But both these markers became unstable in the late late

14th c.:14th c.: the ending the ending –en–en was often missed out in the 14th was often missed out in the 14th

c. and was dropped completely in the 15th cc. and was dropped completely in the 15th c Pl. and Sg. Past forms merged into onePl. and Sg. Past forms merged into one

PersonPerson

For the 3rd Pr. Sg. different OE endings (-For the 3rd Pr. Sg. different OE endings (-þ, -eþ, -iaþþ, -eþ, -iaþ) merged into a single ending ) merged into a single ending – – (e)th(e)th . .

Then the ending -(e)s becomes a new Then the ending -(e)s becomes a new marker which came from the North (more marker which came from the North (more widely used in the NE period). widely used in the NE period).

The distinction of the 2nd person Sg. The distinction of the 2nd person Sg. existed as long as the pronoun existed as long as the pronoun thou thou (OE (OE þūþū) was used ) was used

Beginning with the 15th c. the plural forms Beginning with the 15th c. the plural forms of the 2nd person – ye/you, your – were of the 2nd person – ye/you, your – were applied more and more often to applied more and more often to individuals. individuals.

In Shakespeare’s time the plural forms of In Shakespeare’s time the plural forms of the 2nd person were widely used as the 2nd person were widely used as equivalents of equivalents of thou, thee, thinethou, thee, thine. Later . Later thouthou became obsolete in Standard became obsolete in Standard English.English.

MoodMood

Synthetic forms are still used for the Synthetic forms are still used for the Subjunctive Mood (although there was a Subjunctive Mood (although there was a growth of homonymy between the growth of homonymy between the Subjunctive and the Indicative forms)Subjunctive and the Indicative forms)

There appear new, analytical forms There appear new, analytical forms consisting of: the modal verbs ‘should’ and consisting of: the modal verbs ‘should’ and ‘might’, which lost their lexical meaning, ‘might’, which lost their lexical meaning, and the infinitiveand the infinitive

TenseTense

As before there were two means of As before there were two means of building Past forms: building Past forms:

1) 1) root vowel interchangeroot vowel interchange for strong for strong verbs. verbs.

2) dental suffix 2) dental suffix –ed,–ed, which was used by which was used by weak verbs weak verbs

TenseTense

The only exception was a small group of The only exception was a small group of verbs (weak verbs cl.1) verbs (weak verbs cl.1)

The dental suffix fused with the last The dental suffix fused with the last consonant of the root /t/, and after the loss consonant of the root /t/, and after the loss of endings, three principal forms of endings, three principal forms coincided: OE coincided: OE settan – settesettan – sette – – geset(ed)geset(ed), , ME ME seten –sette – setseten –sette – set, NE , NE set – set – setset – set – set

TenseTense

A new grammatical tense appears in MEA new grammatical tense appears in ME It is caused by the development of It is caused by the development of

analytical forms of the verb.analytical forms of the verb. The Future: The Future: a) “shall”+ Infinitive, b) a) “shall”+ Infinitive, b)

“willen” + Infinitive.“willen” + Infinitive.

aa) was a principal means of indicating ) was a principal means of indicating future action in any context, but at the future action in any context, but at the same time “shall” remained a modal verb same time “shall” remained a modal verb with the meaning of necessity. Sometimes with the meaning of necessity. Sometimes its meaning was weakened. In Late ME its meaning was weakened. In Late ME “shall” was used both as a modal verb and “shall” was used both as a modal verb and as a Future auxiliary. as a Future auxiliary.

In In bb) the modal meaning of volition in ) the modal meaning of volition in “willen” was more obvious than the modal “willen” was more obvious than the modal meaning of “shall”.meaning of “shall”.

VoiceVoice

In the OE period the finite verb had no In the OE period the finite verb had no category of Voice. category of Voice.

It appeared in ME and developed from OE It appeared in ME and developed from OE verb phrase consisting of OE “beon” and verb phrase consisting of OE “beon” and “weordan” + Participle II of transitive “weordan” + Participle II of transitive verbs. It expressed not only states, but verbs. It expressed not only states, but also actions. also actions.

AspectAspect

Perfect FormsPerfect Forms The The main sourcemain source of these forms was the of these forms was the

OE “possessive” construction (OE “possessive” construction (have have something done)something done) with the verb “habban” + with the verb “habban” + a direct object + Participle II of a transitive a direct object + Participle II of a transitive verb. verb.

AspectAspect

Gradually the verb “habban” started to be Gradually the verb “habban” started to be used with other verbs (intransitive), which used with other verbs (intransitive), which shows that it was developing into an shows that it was developing into an auxiliary. auxiliary.

AspectAspect

The other source of the Perfect formsThe other source of the Perfect forms the OE phrase: link verb “beon” + the OE phrase: link verb “beon” +

Participle II of an intransitive verb.Participle II of an intransitive verb. In ME the two verb phrases turned into In ME the two verb phrases turned into

analytical forms of “perfect”, where analytical forms of “perfect”, where Participle II did not agree with the subject. Participle II did not agree with the subject.

AspectAspect

The phrase like “have something done” The phrase like “have something done” changed into “have done something” with changed into “have done something” with the object following Participle IIthe object following Participle II

AspectAspect

The verb phrase “beon + Participle I” was The verb phrase “beon + Participle I” was used in OE prose to denote a quality, or a used in OE prose to denote a quality, or a lasting state characterizing the subject.lasting state characterizing the subject.

In early ME this phrase stopped to be In early ME this phrase stopped to be used with the exception of some dialects used with the exception of some dialects in Kent and in the North. in Kent and in the North.

In Late ME it extended to other dialects In Late ME it extended to other dialects and its frequency grew again. and its frequency grew again.

Changes in the morphological Changes in the morphological classes of verbsclasses of verbs

Rearrangement of classesRearrangement of classes the OE endings were all reduced to ME the OE endings were all reduced to ME

––enen the root-vowel interchange became less the root-vowel interchange became less

consistentconsistent

The most important change in the strong The most important change in the strong verb system - the reduction of stems from verb system - the reduction of stems from 4 to 34 to 3

Another important event of that period was Another important event of that period was the transition of some strong verbs into the transition of some strong verbs into weak onesweak ones

Out of 195 OE strong verbs preserved in the Out of 195 OE strong verbs preserved in the language, only 67 remained strong. 128 strong language, only 67 remained strong. 128 strong verbs acquired weak forms. (e.g.: verbs acquired weak forms. (e.g.: gripgrip – from – from class 1; class 1; locklock - from class 2; - from class 2; climb, helpclimb, help – from – from class 3). class 3).

The number of new verbs which joined the The number of new verbs which joined the strong verbs was very small: a) several former strong verbs was very small: a) several former weak verbs (weak verbs (wear, dig, stickwear, dig, stick); b) three ); b) three borrowings (take, thrive – Scandinavian; strive – borrowings (take, thrive – Scandinavian; strive – O.Fr.)O.Fr.)

The development of The development of WEAK WEAK VERBSVERBS

In ME there were 2 classes of weak verbs (from In ME there were 2 classes of weak verbs (from OE three classes): OE three classes):

Class 1 used Class 1 used -de-de for the Past and for the Past and –ed–ed for for Participle IIParticiple II

Class 2: -Class 2: -edeede for the Past and for the Past and

– –eded for Participle II for Participle II

(which are the weakened forms for –(which are the weakened forms for –ode,-odode,-od in OE) . in OE) .

In Late ME the final In Late ME the final //ǝǝ / / in in –(e)de–(e)de became became unstable and gradually was lost, which unstable and gradually was lost, which made the forms of Past and Participle II made the forms of Past and Participle II homonymous.homonymous.

Changes in non-finite forms of Changes in non-finite forms of the verbthe verb

The main trend - gradual loss of most The main trend - gradual loss of most nominal features and growth of verbal nominal features and growth of verbal features.features.

Participle IParticiple I

The form of Participle I in Early ME displayed The form of Participle I in Early ME displayed considerable dialectal differences: considerable dialectal differences:

the Southern and Midland forms were derived the Southern and Midland forms were derived from the present tense stem with the help of from the present tense stem with the help of ––ing(e), ing(e), while other dialects had forms in while other dialects had forms in –inde, -–inde, -endeende, and , and –ande. –ande.

The first of these variants became the dominant The first of these variants became the dominant form in the literary language. form in the literary language.

Participle IParticiple I

Participle I coincided with the verbal noun, Participle I coincided with the verbal noun, which was formed in OE with the help of which was formed in OE with the help of the suffixes the suffixes –ung–ung and and –in–ing, but preserved g, but preserved only one suffix, only one suffix, -ing-ing, in ME. , in ME.

The fusion of Participle I with the verbal The fusion of Participle I with the verbal noun was an important factor of the growth noun was an important factor of the growth of a new verbid, the of a new verbid, the Gerund.Gerund.

GerundGerund

The Late ME period witnessed the growth The Late ME period witnessed the growth of the gerund. of the gerund.

The gerund can be traced to three The gerund can be traced to three sources: 1) the OE verbal noun in –ung sources: 1) the OE verbal noun in –ung and and –ing–ing, 2) the Present participle and 3) , 2) the Present participle and 3) the Infinitive.the Infinitive.

GerundGerund

In OE the syntactic functions of the verbal In OE the syntactic functions of the verbal noun, the infinitive and the participle partly noun, the infinitive and the participle partly overlapped.overlapped.

In ME the Present Participle and the In ME the Present Participle and the verbal noun became identical: they both verbal noun became identical: they both ended in ended in –ing–ing. .

This led to the confusion of some of their This led to the confusion of some of their features: verbal nouns began to take the direct features: verbal nouns began to take the direct objects, like participles and infinitives objects, like participles and infinitives

This verbal feature – This verbal feature – a direct objecta direct object – as well – as well as the frequent absence of article before as the frequent absence of article before

the –the –inging-form functioning as a noun transformed -form functioning as a noun transformed the verbal noun into a gerund in the modern the verbal noun into a gerund in the modern understanding of the term. understanding of the term.

Questions on ME grammar Questions on ME grammar (noun, adjective, pronoun)(noun, adjective, pronoun)

Variant 1Variant 1

1.1. Which grammatical categories did the ME Which grammatical categories did the ME adjective lose, which did it preserve?adjective lose, which did it preserve?

Variant 2Variant 2

1.1. How did the case system of the OE noun change How did the case system of the OE noun change in ME?in ME?

Variant 3Variant 3

1.1. Which nouns preserved the means of building Which nouns preserved the means of building their plural form according to the OE declension their plural form according to the OE declension types?types?

Variant 1Variant 1

2.2. Which forms of personal pronouns were Which forms of personal pronouns were borrowed from Scandinavian during ME?borrowed from Scandinavian during ME?

Variant 2Variant 2

2.2. What was the new means of forming the What was the new means of forming the degrees of comparison of adjectives?degrees of comparison of adjectives?

Variant 3Variant 3

2.2. From which parts of speech did the articles From which parts of speech did the articles derive?derive?