ON THE HISTORY OF THE DEFINITE TENSES IN ENGLISH
FOREIGN
UC-NRLF
161
2636278
B
2
b3b
E7fl
ON THE HISTORY
OF
THE DEFINITE TENSES
IN
ENGLISH
BY
ALFRED AKERLUND
A.-B.
PH. LINDSTEDTS UNIV.-BOKH.
LUND
1911
W. HEFFER ft SONS, LTD.
CAMBRIDGE
F?^v'^
ON THE HISTORY
OF
THE DEFINITE TENSES
ENGLISH
IN
BY
ALFRED AKERLUND
Lie.
HB.
PHIL,,
BY DUE PERMISSION OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL FACULTY OF LUND
TO BE PUBLICLY DISCUSSED
SEPTEMBER
23, 1911,
AT
IN
4
LECTURE HALL
O'CLOCK
P.
VI
M.
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
LUND
1911
PRINTED BY BERLINGSKA BOKTRYCKERIET
PREFACE.
following
The
investigation,
in
an abridged form, was
originally meant to appear as part of a more comprehensive work, announced in the 'Englische Studien', band
40 (IQOQ), under the title: 'The Origin and Development of
the Definite Tenses in English'.
My
interest in the subject
was
at first
roused by the
diverging views on the origin of the definite tenses
dern English.
in
Mo-
Thus much may suffice to say here concerning these
some scholars recognize in the -ing-iorm the pres-
views:
ent
participle
that they
with
the
new
and are of opinion
ending,
have developed directly from corresponding periin Old English, where we have to do with
phrastic forms
the
old
participle
—
which
is
also the case in texts be-
longing to northern dialects in Middle English; other schol-
on the contrary, hold that their origin is to be sought
such expressions as *he is a-going', a standing for the
preposition on, and the form in -ing being not the participle
ars,
in
proper but the verbal noun.
Later on,
when working
out
my
material,
I
grew more
and more
interested in the various uses of the periphrastic
forms, be
their origin
what
while to deal with them
while
I
was about
it
in a
may, and
I
thought
it
worth
comparatively exhaustive way,
it.
In the present treatise, therefore,
back on the verbal noun question.
1
altogether turn
my
PREFACE
iv
from the
start
I
fact that the construction
'be
-f-
ing*
Modern English is morphologically, if not historically,
the same as that occurring in Old English, and follow it
from this period through Middle and Early Modern Engin
lish,
the end a section
at
adding
on the compound
definite
tenses.
In
short, the treatise
is
intended to give,
in
the
first
place, a history of the periphrasis (in the active voice) from
an exclusively syntactical point of view, and secondly, to
so
contribute,
far
as
the
may
investigation
furnish con-
clusions on this point, towards the formation of an opinion
on its origin, by comparing its functions during the different stages of the language.
In
a
later
essay
I
shall take
up
this
question from
the point of view of the verbal-noun expressions, by giving
an account of their origin and their relations to the definite
words: a history of the 'a-phrases' —
in standard English,
as the one quoted above
in
tenses,
such
dialects,
other
and vulgar speech,
the rise and
I
desire
Professor
this
account also comprising
of the passive definite tenses.
growth
Finally,
teacher,
—
to
Eilert
hearty thanks to
record
my
Ekwall,
of Lund, University, for
my
and encouragement he has given me
during the progress of my work; to Mr. Charles Scott
the
valuable
Fearenside,
Lund,
who
advice
formerly English Lector in the University of
has read through the treatise in manuscript and
English; and lastly
in
proof with a view to normalizing
to
the officials of the University Library at
unfailing courtesy
and help
my
in facilitating
Lund
my
for their
researches.
Landskrona, September IQIL
Alfred Akerlund.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
I.
Main Uses
A.
1.
2.
3.
B.
C.
D.
II.
;
The Present Tense
The Past Tense
The Imperative and
25
Survey
30
27
Examples
Examples
2.
Examples
The
The
5.
IV.
The Present Tense
The Past Tense
4.
of the Periphrastic Infinitive
Adjectival
Meaning
Periphrasis Expressing a Subjective Feeling
THE COMPOUND TENSES
1.
2.
39
45
47
49
51
58
EARLY MODERN ENGLISH
3.
35
58
Survey
1.
34
34
58
of the Periphrastic Imperative
of Cases where the Participle is of an Adjectival
Nature
IIL
23
Futurity
The Inchoative
Midland and Southern Dialects
1.
The Present Tense
2.
The Past Tense
3.
The Imperative and the Infinitive
B.
Northern Dialects
The Present Tense
1.
2.
The Past Tense
C.
7
12
the Infinitive
A.
4.
6
7
LATE MIDDLE ENGLISH
3.
1
The
Perfect and the Pluperfect
Examples of the Future and the Preterite Future
CONCLUDING SURVEY
61
62
75
80
80
82
85
85
92
96
WORKS CONSULTED.
Bain,
A
Higher English Grammar, 1896.
Einenkel, Streifziige durch die mittelenglische syntax, Miinster 1887.
Syntax, p. 100 ff. Pauls Or. ^
—
Erdmann, Essay on the
history
and modern use of the verbal forms
in -ing in the English language,
Stockholm 1871.
Franz, Shakespeare-Grammatik, Zweite Auflage, Heidelberg 1909.
Growth and Structure
of the English Language, Leipzig 1905.
des
Kriiger, Schwierigkeiten
Englischen, 1897 ff.
Morris, Historical Outlines of English Accidence, 1872.
Jespersen,
Murray, The Dialect of the Southern
Counties
of Scotland [Trans-
actions of the Philological Society, 1870—21.
An Advanced
Onions,
English Syntax,
The present and
Pessels,
past
London
1905.
tenses
periphrastic
in
Anglo-Saxon,
Strassburg 1896.
Piittman,
Die Syntax der sogenannten Progressiven Form im Alt-und
Marburg 1908
Frfihmittelenglischen,
405
Sweet,
—
in
[also
Anglia, 31, 3; p.
ff.].
New English Grammar, Oxford 1900, 1903.
A Primer of Spoken English, Oxford 1906.
Ten Brink, Chaucer's Sprache und Verskunst, Leipzig
Western,
Om
med
de
verbalformer
i
hjaelpeverbet be
engelsk
og nutids
[Forhandlinger
i
1899.
particip
omskrevne
Videnskabsselskabet
i
Christiania aar 1895] ^
'
See
also
Grammatiken,
own work was
p.
Grenville
53
ff.
—
Grove, Modern Engelsk Larobok, Del II
This book came into my hands when my
just finished.
TEXTS.
Old and Early Middle English.
1.
= Beowulf,
Chr. = Earle and
Beow.
ed. Holthausen,
Plummer,
Heidelberg 1905.
Chronicles Parallel, Oxford
Two Saxon
1892, 1899.
= Aelfric's Lives of Saints, ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S. 76, 82, 94, 114.
= Old English Homilies, ed. Morris, E. E. T. 29, 34, 53.
89.
V. a V. = Vices and Virtues, ed. Holthausen, E. E. T.
A. Pr. = The Proverbs of Alfred, ed. Borgstrom, Lund 1908.
L. o
K. = Life of Saint Katherine, ed. Einenkel, E. E. T. S. 80.
O. a E. = Genesis and Exodus, ed. Morris, E. E. T.
Ae. L.
O.
E.
H.
S.
S.
St.
S. 7.
Late Middle English.
2.
Midland and Southern Dialects.
(i)
= Havelok the Dane, ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S.
=
44.
Jos.
Joseph of Arimathie, ed. Skeat, E. E. T.
Oaw. = Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight, ed. Morris, E. E. T.
A. P. = Early English Alliterative Poems, ed. Morris, E. E. T.
Hav.
e.
s.
4.
S.
S. 4.
S. 1.
CI.
Piers
PL
= Cleanness.
= Piers
the
The English Works
Per.
= Sir
Plowman,
ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S. 38.
of Wyclif, ed.
Matthew,
Ferumbras, ed. Herrtage E.
Chaucer, The Complete
Works
E. E. T. S. 74.
E. T. S. e.
s.
34.
of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Skeat,
ford 1894.
= The Canterbury Tales
= The Clerkes Tale
C Y. Pro!, = The Canon's Yeoman's
C. T.
CL
T.
Prologue
Ox-
TEXTS
Viii
= The Knightes Tale
= The Milleres Tale
P. Prol. = The Parson's Prologue
Prol. = The Prologue
Sh. T. = The Shipmannes Tale
Sq. T. = The Squieres Tale
Troil. = Troilus and Criseyde
Kn, T.
M.
T.
=
The Romaunt of The Rose
Rom. R.
Gower, The English Works of John Gower,
e.
Macaulay, E. E. T.
S.
= Confessio Amantis.
Gl. = Lydgate's Temple
Am.
o
T.
e.
ed.
81.
s.
C.
Lydg.
^
s.
George Ashby's Poems,
D &
of Glas, ed. Schick, E. E. T. S.
60.
= Dicta
ed. Bateson, E. E. T. S.
e.
s.
76.
opiniones diversorum philosophorum
P. Pr. := Active Policy of a Prince
o.
et
Pr. R. = A Prisoner's Reflections
= Generydes, ed. Wright, E. E. T. 55, 70.
= Blanchardyn and Eglantine, ed. Kellner, E. E.
Gen.
Bl.
God.
S.
—
Godeffroy of Boloyne,
(ii)
T. S.
ed. Colvin, E. E. T. S. e.
e.
s.
58.
s.
64.
Northern Dialects.
= The Bruce, ed. Skeat, E. E. T.
21, 29, 55.
= The Kingis Quair, ed. Skeat, T. 1884.
T.
W. Wa. = Schir William Wallace, ed. Moir,
1889.
T.
Du. = The Poems of William Dunbar, ed. Small,
1893.
Ly. Mon. = The Monarche and other poems of Sir David Lyndesay,
B. Br.
S.
K. Qu.
S.
e.
s.
11,
S.
S.
S.
S.
S.
ed. Small, E. E. T. S. 11, 19.
C. o Sc.
3.
= Complaynt
of Scotlande, ed. Murray, E. E. T. S.
e. s.
17, 18.
Early Modern English.
Stephen Hawes, The Passetyme of Pleasure [Skeat's Specimens of English Literature, A. D. 1394— A. D. 1579]
The English Works
*
Kellner,
of
John
Historical
Fisher, ed.
Mayor,
E. E. T. S. e.
s.
27.
Outlines of English Syntax, London 1905,
A. D. ab. 1408'.
p. 322: 'falsely attributed to Chaucer
TEXTS
the reign of King
in
England
J,
Cowper,
Heywood, The Four
Vol.
Lat.
Henry the Eighth, by Thomas Starkey,
E. E. T. S. e.
ed.
Serm.
Latimer;
Spec] Sev. Serm.
London
s.
12, 32.
P's [The Ancient British
I]
= Hugh
ix
PI.
= Seven
= Sermon
Drama, London 1810,
on the Ploughers
Sermons before Edward
[Skeat's
VI, ed. Arber,
1869.
= Roger Ascham; Scholem. = The Scholemaster [Skeat's Spec]
Tox. = Toxophilus, ed. Arber, London 1868.
R. D. = Nicholas Udall, Roister Doister, ed. Arber, London.
Asch.
Ud.
Thomas
Sackville, Induction to 'The Mirrour for Magistrates' [Skeat's
Spec]
Sackv.
&
Nort. Ferr. and Porr.
= Sackville
[and Norton], Ferrex and
Porrex [The Ancient British Drama, Vol.
I]
George Gascoigne, The Steele Glas, &c., ed. Arber, London 1868.
Sp. F. Q.
Spenser, The Faerie Queene [The Poetical Works of Ed-
=
John
mund
Spenser, Boston 1839, Vol. VI]
Lyly;
Alex.
= Alexander
Drama, Vol.
Anat.
and Campaspe
[The Ancient British
I]
= Euphues.
The Anatomy
of Wit, ed. Arber,
London
1868.
Marlowe, The Works of Christopher Marlowe, ed. Cunningham, London.
= Edward the Second
=
Faust
The Tragical History of Doctor
Tamb. = Tamburlaine The Great
Ed.
Peele,
II
Faustus
David And Bethsabe
The Old Wive's Tale
Greene, Friar Bacon And Friar Bungay
A Looking-Glass For London And England
A Maiden's Dream [The Dramatic And Poetical Works Of Robert
Greene
&
George
Shakespeare, The Complete
Peele, ed. Dyce,
London]
William Shakespeare
Folio, ed. Porter and Clarke, London.
Works
of
Reprinted from the First
Anth.
The Tragedie Of Anthonie,
As
As You Like It
=
And Cleopatra
=
Cor. = The Tragedy Of Coriolanus
Haml. = The Tragedie Of Hamlet
Hy. V = The Life Of Henry The Fift
Hy. Vni = The Life Of Henry The Eight
= The Tragedie Of Julius Caesar
Jul. C.
.'
vol. 12
vol.
4
vol.
9
vol. 11
voL
7
vol.
8
voL 10
X
TEXTS
= The Tragedie Of King Lear
= Loves Labour's Lost
Macb. = The Tragedie Of Macbeth
Me Wives = The Merry Wives Of Windsor
King
L.
vol. 11
L. L. L.
Mids. ^=
A Midsommer
=
Nights
=
Modern
Mass.
= Massinger,
London
11
vol.
1
voK
3
voK
2
vol. 12
=
=
=
4.
3
voL
Dreame
Mu. Adoe
Much Adoe About Nothing
The Tragedie Of Othello
The Taming Of The Shrew
Taming
The Tempest
Temp.
Tw. N.
Twelfe Night, Or What You Will
Oth.
vol,
vol.
4
vol.
1
voL
5
English.
The
Plays
of Philip Massinger, ed.
Cunningham,
1870.
=
A New Way to Pay Old Debts.
L.== Milton, Paradise Lost, London 1903. J. M. Dent & Co.
The Diary of Samuel Pepys, ed. Morley, Cassells' National
O. D.
Milt. P.
Pep.
=
Library.
Bun. Pilgr.
= Bunyan,
The
Pilgrim's
Progress,
ed. Venables,
Oxford
1900.
= The Mermaid Series William Congreve, ed.
Bach. = The Old Bachelor
D.-D. = The Double-Dealer
W. W. = The Way of the World
=
The Spectator Selected Essays, ed. Ewald,
Spect.
Congr.
Ewald,
New
York.
London and New
York.
= Addison Budg. = Budgell.
= Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, ed. Clark, London 1899.
Sw. Gull. = Swift, Gulliver's Travels, London,
M. Dent & Co.
Mont. = The Letters and Works of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu,
Add.
;
Def. Rob.
J.
Wharncliffe, 2nd ed.
London
=
Samuel Johnson, Rasselas
London 1906]
Joh. Rass.
St. S. J.
Sher.
L.
[Classic Tales, ed. Fearenside,
= Sterne, A Sentimental Journey [Classic Tales]
= Sheridan, The Rivals [The British Classical
Riv.
Herrig, Brunswick 1894].
ed.
1837.
Authors,
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
General Character of the Definite Tenses
in Recent English.
1.
existence of the periphrastic and simple forms side
Theby
furnishes
side
means
mirable
of
the English language with an ad-
expressing even very subtle shades of
may indeed represent
meaning: the use of a definite tense
a stylistic nicety of an exquisite effect, just strong
and appreciated, but too
to
be
to
say, to allow of
felt
delicate,
I
enough
am tempted
being properly analyzed. They prove,
then, frequently enough, rather hard to judge; and on the
at the intrinsic character of the definite ten
whole, to get
eral
perhaps no easy task.
Most authors agree, however,
meaning of duration which is
their
main
ses
is
characteristic.
who
Western,
explains
have a gento be looked upon as
that they
the
has treated this subject somewhat
fully,
between the simple and the
peri-
difference
phrastic forms thus:
As a
one can only say that, whereas the simple
tenses express the infinite and the unlimited, as: 'the church
stands on a hill', *! have never seen him', or the momentary,
rule,
as: *he fell dead', or a series of events, as:
gone,
imply
1
sat
that
down and
the
action
wepf,
or
the
—
'when he had
the periphrastic tenses
state
of
things
is
limited
1
I
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
within a certain space of time, either directly expressed or
to be understood, as: 'he has been sleeping for six hours',
simultaneous with another action, as: *he was
dressing when I entered the room'. (Indledning, 2).
This pronouncement is not intended to stand as an
or that
is
it
exhaustive
udtommende og
the definite tenses ('At g\
of
definition
noiagtig
definition af
balformers brug
engelsk er neppe muHgt'.
it
covers the main uses.
1.), but
i
Taking
it,
nogen
de omskrevne ver-
—
Indledning,
therefore, as the starting-point for forming
more general and comprehensive definition, we may sum
up the different statements by saying that the indefinite
tenses are used where no special time is thought of, whilst
a
the
tenses
definite
Thus
put,
are
employed when
venture to say that
I
explanation of the other uses
^
different
periphrasis
the
verb,
functions
gives,
makes
so
it
of
the
gives us the key to an
it
as well, and
following view of the matter:
The fundamental principle,
the
this is the case.
that
I
arrive at the
which underlies
definite tenses,
is
all
that the
to speak, a stronger inner stress to
more
sentence-stressed, by calling the
interest directly to the idea of time: the indefinite tense is
more
neutral
and apt
to act in a
way more
as a copula
than as a tense, properly taken, whereas the definite tense
is
more pregnant
the action, as such,
2.
in
is
this
respect and
is
preferred
where
to be emphasized.
Views of Previous Investigators Concerning the Old English Periphrasis.
Old English possesses an equivalent
to the
Modern
English definite tenses in a periphrasis formed by the verbs
'wesan' or 'beon' with the present participle.
^
See Concluding Survey.
3
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
occurs already
It
remarkably
in the oldest texts
by grammarians; but
early
investigation as to
rough
has been undertaken.
and was noticed
until lately
no tho-
character and syntactical uses
its
Most of the authors concerned agree in attributing to
the Old English periphrasis about the same meaning and
functions
grammatical
modern forms,
e.
g.
as
the
characterize
Matzner, Einenkel,
corresponding
Miiller,
and others.
somewhat
Several scholars, however, are of a
different
opinion.
Thus Sweet,
in
New
Engl. Or.
11,
§ 2203, remarks
Old English are 'only vaguely
the simple forms'.
In § 2205 he sup-
the extended forms in
that
from
differentiated
poses the fundamental difference to be that the periphrastic
tenses 'are associated with the idea of incompletion', and
then
admits
often
occur
that,
in
as
a
natural
constructions
result
which
of this, they very
involve
—
the
idea of
or progression (§ 2206).
Thus far,
think.
Sweet's remarks will hold good, but then he ventures the
following restriction: 'But that this idea is only a second-
continuity
ary
one
is
shown by those
I
instances in which the con-
text excludes the idea of duration, as
when
the periphrase
accompanied by the adverb sona 'immediately', as in pa
sona on anginne pees gefeohtes wees se munt Garganus
That the periphrasis
bifigende mid orm^tre cwacunge ^'.
is
—
in this instance, as
indeed
in
some
others as well, admits
of an inchoative meaning in no wise excludes the idea of
continuity: on the contrary, it must always be understood
that the action in question
that
ple
it
we
'
continues for
some
might very well
This
is
is
not only beginning, but also
time.
infer that
Thus in the above examMount Garganus 'started
Aelfric's translation of the Latin:
tremore concutitur.
Herrig's Archiv 91,
—
Se
p. 194.
Max
Forster,
Zu den
Garganus immenso
Blickling Homilies,
4
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
which
trembling' \
one
justified in
is
tive
element
that
Old English
certainly
implies duration.
that, in
saying
Moreover,
these instances, the dura-
not only admissible but, as a rule, predominant, the inchoative meaning being only the secondary one.
Jespersen holds (Growth and Structure etc., p. 205)
ern
is
English
used to
'he
some
'he waes feohtende' corresponds to
fight'.
—
It
will
Mod-
not be denied
Old English periphrasis involves
that,
such an idea; but if Jespersen's interpretation should be
taken to mean that the main use of the extended tenses
in Old
English is that they denote a habit, it must be
in
downright
of
It
would seem
as
if
Jespersen had
support his conject-
different origin of the Old English
modern counterpart, by thus assuming
functions for the two extreme stages of the lan-
the
altogether
periphrasis and
different
guage
—
rejected.
this interpretation in order to
adopted
ure
cases, the
its
2.
Old English has been treated, on a larger scale, by no fewer than three scholars,
namely, Erdmann and Pessels, and lastly by Piittman, who
Lately the periphrasis in
brought some specimens of the Early English
period under his investigation.
Without entering into details in this place I confine
has
also
myself
to
stating
that
the results arrived at agree
main points, and especially
tion
or
progression
as
in
on
all
recognizing the idea of dura-
the general character of the peri-
phrasis.
Sweet has (§ 2207): 'began to tremble'.
The passage referred to runs as follows: 'The periphrastic
tenses / am reading, I was reading, J have been reading, I shall be
reading, etc. were not fully developed even in Shakespeare's time and
seem to have little, if anything, to do with the Old English he was
'
-
used to fight'; the modern forms are aphetic for / am
a-reading, where a represents the preposition on and the form in -ing
is not the participle, but the noun'.
feohtende 'he
5
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Only
very
is
I
think
to
form,
which
the
It
in
progress
differs
is
that
it
from
the
take,
verb,
the
Part.
or past.
corresponding simple forms,
which represent the action merely as a
or has taken place.
and
denotes an action as
at a certain time, present, future,
this
in
'The Participle Present
called the Progressive form,
which
of
characteristic
being
Erdmann's
entirety,
with the various parts of the
together
commonly
is
12):
(p.
its
wesan and beon, that periphrastic conjuga-
auxiliary verbs
tion
to quote, in
definition
interesting
used
fit
fact, that takes, will
Being the adjective form of the
Present
naturally
has
in
character a
its
shade of permanence and durability, that does not belong
to
the rest of the verb.
in
the
passage,
and
time
there will
distinction
ceptible
the
of
the
two forms may not
unfre-
be interchanged,
quently
the
forms
simple
some space
Accordingly, though actions put
also must be considered to occupy
same
particular
idea.
without infringing the sense of
however be found to exist a per-
between
their
This distinction
cases, but
it
is
several
may be
seldom quite
ways
of giving
greater or less in
effaced.
By using
a tense of this periphrastic conjugation, the speaker, mentally entering into the very time of events, describes the
action
the
as
going on, as continuing; whereas,
simple form, he would take no notice of
point of view, but mention
it
as a fact only'.
if
it
choosing
from that
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH.
I.
Both
Occurrence.
the
periphrasis
is
in
Old and
in Early
very sparingly used, as
Middle English
compared with
modern usage.
Beowulf musters only 3 examples, and
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
of the
we
in
the
whole
have only about 24.
In
Aelfric's Lives of Saints the number of instances seems at
first sight fairly large — about 100; but when we take into
consideration the great length of this work, one must say
that, even here, the frequency is, comparatively, small. Also^
it
is
a
forms
striking
is
exhibit
here
no
fact
very
instances
that
the occurrence of the extended
uneven:
at
all,
while
e.
g.
some
II,
of the legends
IV, IX, X, XI,
XIV^
XV, XVII, XIX, etc., we find them in comparatively great
numbers in others, especially in XXIII with 13 instances^
and, even more, in XXIII B, where some two dozen are
on record. This might partly depend on the more or less
free use Aelfric made of the Latin sources which were at
In the works translated from the Latin, in
his disposal.
fact, the periphrasis is much more frequently used than in
the works that are original or partly original.
Thus in the
shown
Homilies
which
been
as
has
by Max
Blickling
are,
Forster \
'
a
Zu den
very
close
translation
from
the
Blickling Homilies, Herrig's Archiv 91.
Latin, there
PRESENT TENSE
no fewer than about 130
are
ber of which occur
in
I
instances, a considerable
Horn.
where we
XIII,
num-
find the peri-
phrasis on almost every line. In the Old English Homilies
there are 26, which is certainly no great number for a book
of
that
As regards
size.
of the glossary, with the
The
meagre
instances
have
and Exodus
itself and the whole
I
part of the text
gone through the greater
examples.
the Genesis
result of finding only
likewise
are
two
very few in other
The Life of Saint Katherine
and Alfreds Proverbs have only two or three each. These
An exception from the
texts, however, are rather short.
is afforded in the Vices and Virtues, with
scantiness
general
texts belonging to this period:
36 instances of the periphrastic form.
The tense which
owing
while,
to the narrative nature of
concerned, the present
(i)
Defined.
quite clear,
which,
number
It
of the texts
Main Uses.
The function
unless
however,
then
definitions
are
strengthened by time-defini-
moment.
other
actual
'nu'
Occasionally
cases
the
present
in
some cases
(Ae. L. XVI, 217), or *nu
the
and A.
definitions
lies
in a
employed show
'that
complement
Pr. 40.
the periphrasis implies duration, as in O. E. H.
('eure'),
sel-
which even more emphasizes the
clause, as in V. a V. 47, 14
In
is
the case in only a very limited
the
expresses
(Ae. L. XXIII, 452),
present
is
it
is
the periphrasis
of
of instances.
where the
gyt'
the past,
The Present Tense.
1.
tions,
most
is
comparatively scarce.
is
A.
dom
most often met with
is
V. a V. 137, 31 ('niht and
daig').
II,
175, 18
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENOUSH
examples.
Ae. L.
—
—
Symble he bid gyfende. And he ne wanad swanan J)ing his.
XVI, 217. and da synd nu ealle on {)am ecan wuldre
45.
I,
})aeh
for heora claennysse mid criste
wunigende.
XXIII, 452, and decius se casere is nu gyt smeagende
hwaet we gefaran habban.
O. E. H.
—
De
175, 18.
II,
21.
stede to stede
is
'.
To
alle do halgen de hier on Hue waren iboand nu mid ure lauerde gode wunigende bied, ic
V. a V. 21, 12.
ren,
—
eure wagiende.
J)at eure is wagiende noht fra
ac fro time to time.
se
wrecche woreld.
pis
clepie
ic de beseche and bidde dat tu dese halwende
on write sette, for dan ic am michel penchinde dar
hwile de ic on dese wrecche lichame am wuniende,
47, 14.
lore
—
—
Godd is haure fastinde.
For dan de gode mann is niht and daig Jjeinkinde
hu he muge gode icwemen, and him betst hersumen;
alswa is dies beswikene mann niht and daig peinkinde
hwu he muge fellen [hjis ungesali beli mid swete metes
137, 17.
31.
and drenches.
A. Pr. p. 40.
If
hit
so bi-tyde}),
pzt pu bern ibidest,
J)e
ler
hwile
hit is Intel,
him mon-pewes;
|)anne hit is wexynde,
hit schal wende par-to;
J)e
betere hit schal iwurj>e
euer buuen eorpe.
Remarks.
Ae. L.
I,
Here the expression involves an idea
45.
of
recurrence.
O. E. H.
11,
semper
(ii)
175, 18.
Translated from the Latin 'Mare
est in motu'.
Undefined.
In the majority of the
examples found
the tense occurs by itself, and the function of the periphrasis in many cases scarcely differs from that of the simple
PRESENT TENSE
form, as, for instance,
Ae. L.
in
I,
9
.
49 and
in
O. E. H.
175, 25.
Here the extended tense seems to be
existence
chiefly
and
virtue of the durative or rather pro-
by
character
gressive
II,
called into
the
of
verbs
in
question ('creopende'
'fleonde' respectively).
Rather
an adjective
meaning: Ae. L. I, 131; Ae. L. XVI, 293; Ae. L. XXXIV,
114; V. a V. 15, 23; V. a V. 137, 6; here the periphrasis
seems to denote absolute duration. In the last example
often
the
approaches
participle
in
one might also say
that
present, according to
much'
the
is
correct
it
stands instead of the indefinite
modern notions: the translation
one to render the meaning
Middle English expression Ms
— —
'helps
of the
swiSe helpinde'.
Thus, on the whole, one must say that where it
stands undefined, the present periphrastic very seldom denotes the actual present in the same strict sense as we
have
it
Modern English;
in
might be singled out as
V, 417; O. E. H. I, 43;
V. a V. 107,
8.
examples, however,
good specimens:
fairly
V. a V. 21, 3;
Ae. L.
V. a V. 95, 3;
however, that the verbs employed
Note,
here, 'eardigende'
few
a
and 'wunigende', are by nature durative.
Examples.
Ae.
L.
I,
Da
49.
den
gesceafta
maenig-fealde.
pe
paes
and
an scyppend gesceop syn-
misiices
and
hiwes.
Sume syndan creopende on
lingeltce
mid
swa swa wurmas dod. Sume gad on
twam fotum. sume on feower fotum. — — Sume fleod
mid fyderum. sume orp flodum svimmad.
And swa styrigende is seo sawul. t>aet — —
131.
farad.
.
eallum
eordan.
lichoman.
.
—
—
—
—
176.
Heo
is
unge-saewenlic. and un-lichomlic. butari haefe
and butan bleo. mid pam
eallum limuni wunigende.
V, 417.
Ic
me gebidde
to
lichaman befangen. and on
dam
gode.
|>e
bid eardigende
on heofonum.
XVI, 293.
Twa
unrot-nyssa synd. an
is
|>eos yfele.
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
10
and Oder
his
Ae.
—
L.
XXIII B, 244.
is
halwende
paet is
synnum geunrotsige.
god sy gebletsod se de
tiligende;
227.
gedafenad
De
abbud Zosimus
to
t>aet
is
se
man
for
sawla haelu
biddenne and to
bletsigenne. forpan pu eart underwreded mid {)aere sacerdlican lare. and j>u eart tellende cristes gerynu mid |)am
—
gyfum
|)aera
XXXIV,
114.
godcundlican
We habbad cyne-helmas halige mid us
scinende swa swa rose, and snaw-hwite
swa swa
{)a {)U
lilie.
ne miht geseon peah
[)e
hi scinende
beon.
O. E. H.
—
ah prud heo wes swide and modi, and ligere and
and wredful and ontful. and fordi heo bid wuniende
43.
I,
swikel.
inne pisse pine.
On
and on fures heowe wes godes
he ded pa pe beod bilehwite.
and wid-utan ufelnesse. and birnende on godes willan.
He is fleonde alse shadewe and ne stont neure
II, 175, 25.
on one stede.
V. a V. 15, 23. de deade man[n]es Jjruh, pe is widuten ihwited,
and wid-inne stinkende and full of wernies.
To §eu ic clepige iec de bied wuni^ende mid
21, 3.
95.
culfre onlicnesse
isceawed. fordon
gast
{)et
—
—
—
—
gemaneliche hlauerde gode,
He wissed des mannes idang[c] de he to-cumd,
35, 28.
Oder durh halige writes oder durh hali sermuns, pe he
him durh sume wise manne de he is inne wuniende, sant.
37, 32.
§if du wilt sikerliche wunigen on karite and on
panne do du alswa
is,
—
—
—
we
boke finden iwriten,
mid faste hope and
and
J)at
mid sode luue bie werchinde dat god de du iliefst.
To sume menu hie cumd and fard, and mid
57, 11.
sume men hie is wunende, and on swide feawe menu hie
On da manne de hie is rixende, J)is [is]
is rixende.
de tacne: al swo de woreld-mann lihtliche lei[c]hed of
ydelnesse de he isiedt)der iherd, al swa de gastliche mann
de hie on rixed, lihtliche wepd oder sobbed,
59, 14. godes milsce last aeuremo (to) alle do mannen de
gode,
dat tu
mid
hit a
rihte geleaue
him bied dradinde,
75, 16. and wite du te sode, bute du him bie hier teidinde hwat swa hit de ratt to donne: danne du cumst
danne du art itwamd fram dine lichame, hit te
,
wile betachen
——
PRESENT TENSE
V. a V. 75, 22. Diuicie
des eihte, gif hie
95, 3.
—
95, 11.
—
—
—
affluant, nolite cor
apponere, *Worl-
swide rixinde to deward, ne do du
ende;
For di he bitt dat pais bie aider on licame and
on saule, and dat pies hali mihte sibsumnesse bie rixende
on geu bade;
95, 23. ic am on muchele aruednesses, on hungre and on
durste(s), on wacches and on swinkes, and on mani5e(s)
kennes wrecchades, sori and sorhfull, woninde and we-
pinde.
cum|) and bri[nlg|j tidinges of idelne(s)spekende sotwordes de aroered up hleitres,
none wunienge ne haue he mid de,
Dies ilche hali§e mihte, hie is tur and strengpe
107, 8.
to alle do mihte(s) de dar inne bied wuni^ende,
f>at is, dat he wordliche him loki mid alle hise
133, 24.
lemes of his likame. Hise ei§ene, {)at hie ne bien to
§if ani
101, 14.
and
ses,
—
is
naht dine herte derto,
Carited arist up fram de grundwalle, and beclepd
all
de wouh, (and) alle de bied in do hali huse wuni-
—
—
si
II
is
swide gawrinde hider and geond; }jo earen, dat hie blideliche ne hlesten ydelnesses,
To alle do nedes de mann hafd to donne {)anne
137, 6.
is ([)es)e hali mihte swide helpinde.
— —
Remarks.
Ae. L.
49.
I,
is
It
scarcely possible to perceive any
meaning between the periphrastic
tense 'syndan creopende' and the simple forms
'ga6', 'fleoQ' and 'swimmad'.
difference
—
176.
O. E. H.
It
is
the
lent
in
'Heo' applies to *seo sawul'.
11,
not
second
to
'.
'Qui fugit velut umbra et
impossible that the adverb 'neure' in
175, 25.
an
clause
'eure'
has been
in
the
felt
first,
brought the periphrasis into use
Here the periphrasis
V. a V. 57, 11.
chosen,
the
according
to
intensive-durative
modern
idea
as an equiva-
and
thus
there.
is
very happily
notions, to
in
has
Ms
mark
wunende',
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
12
—
Ms
rixende'
as
opposed
it
to
may have been
however,
nicety,
concerning God's grace —
'curnd and far5'.
This stylistic
is
far
from the
author's
mind we
xed'
the side of one another and under the
:
find Ms rixende'
and 'on
ri-
by
same conditions,
e. without any difference of
meaning being perceptible. Thus the appearance
of the periphrasis would seem to be rather arbii.
trary.
V.
a
V.
The extended
14.
59,
tense
might here,
be considered to imply a constancy, a
frame of mind.
perhaps,
—
75, 22.
felt
to
racter,
also
It
is
possible
that
'affluant'
has been
be a verb of a marked progressive chaperhaps with some nuance of intensity
(note
the
addition
'swide'),
and thus the
extended form has been considered as the most
apt to convey this idea.
—
Here
consider the participles to be of
an adjectival nature (note also that they are coordinated with real adjectives): the periphrasis
95, 23.
I
denotes a habit, almost verging on a quality.
Observe the alternating occurrence of
133, 24.
—
periphrastic
and simple forms:
'bien
— —
gaw-
rinde', 'hlesten'.
2.
(i)
The Past Tense.
Defined.
This tense occurs more often with defini-
These may consist of tempoadverbs or adverbial expressions, indicating either point
tions of time than without.
ral
or length of time.
As examples
be termed
of
actuality,
the
former
we may
take
category, which might
Chr.
D.
1052
('l)a').
15
PAST TENSE
O.
H.
E.
225 Cl^a
I,
O. E. H.
),
3 ('on elche of })ese
11,
times').
|)rie
For the latter, which rather represents an action or
a state of things as going on for a certain time, and might
be
called qualified duration,
of
which
on
fMange
we
have many more examples^
('oj) niht'), Chr. C. 1066
mention Chr. A. 871
1
Chr.
dseg'),
1100
E.
Ae. L. XX, 125
('aefre'),
C3rittig geara'), Ae. L. XXIII, 493 ('aefre'), Ae. L. XXlll B,
577 (Mange'), V. a V. 51, 5 ('})rie and j)rihti wintre and an
The complements, as may be seen above, maydenote perpetuity ('aefre'), or limited duration \ either in more
general terms (Mange on daeg'. Mange') or else by distinct
half).
statements
geara',
('drittig
'prie
and
Jjrihti
wintre and an
half).
according to the nature of the complehardly possible to decide whether point or
Occasionally,
ments,
is
it
length of time
where
is
may be rendered
Jjysan timan'
'to
as, for instance, in
meant,
Chr. E. 1104,
either
'at
by
this
time' or 'during this time'.
Often enough the definition lies in a separate clause,,
more or less connected with the clause where we have the
between
guish
category
Chr.
represented
A. 755; Ae. L.
these
all
'forte
cases,
The terms
XXXVII,
we have
1
employ
these:
1,
gyt smeagende
hwaet
we
2.
we
can distin-
The former
Ae. L. XVIII, 421
;
Ae. L.
89; V. a V. 149, 12; the latter in
I,
are
tenses
in
4;
to
O. E. H.
II,
do with an
and here the action
J^at'-clause,
1
nite
cases,
and limited duration.
actuality
find
584; O. E. H.
XXIII,
In
I
many
least in
at
Here,
periphrasis.
is
33 and 131.
'oddaet'-or
sometimes, as in
main uses of the
and decius se casere
to designate the
actuality,
gefaran
e.
g.
habban.
a
(Ae.
L.
XXIII,
defiis
nu
452.).
qualified duration, comprising: (a) perpetuity, e. g. Godd is haure
(V. a V. 137, 17.); (b) limited duration, e. g. fa waes he
fastinde.
seofon
mondas wunigende swa
blind.
(Ae.
L.
XXI,
270.).
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
14
Chr. A. 755, represented as going on
is
until a certain result
reached.
some
In
and clause
in
instances
we
combination of adverbial
find a
strengthen the force of the periphrasis, as
to
Chr. A. 755
48, 9); Chr. A. 855; Ae. L. XXI, 270;
(p.
Ae. L. XXIII B, 45 and 803.
On
tion
is
the whole,
the
clause,
are
on
said that,
where the
defini-
an adverb or an adverbial expression, the periphra-
sis implies qualified
of
may be
it
duration in by far the greatest
instances found, but that,
the
two
categories
when
the definition
and
actuality
number
is
a
limited duration
a balance with each other.
Examples.
Chr.
A.
755
48,
(p.
4).
and hie
on pone Cyning wcerun
alle
—
hine ofslaegenne haefdon;
[E: and he ealle on done cining feohtende wceron. o6 pet
hig hine ofslaegen haefdon.]
A. 755 (p. 48, 9). Ac hie simle feohtende waeran of) hie
—
A.
—
waeron op paet hie paer inne fulgon,
A. 855 (p. 66, 8). and py ilcan geare ferde to
feohtende
o[)
alle laegon
755
(p.
paet hie
butan anuni Bryttiscum gisle,
48, 26). and hie pa ymb pa gatu feohtende
micelre weorpnesse, and paer
and pa him ham weard
IE:
And
py
ilcan
was
.Xii.
Rome mid
monap wuniende,
for,
geare
ferde
to
Rome mid mycclum
—
wurdscipe. and paer wunade .Xii. monad, and he feng to
Karles dohter Francna cining pa he hamweard waes.]
A. 871 (p. 70, 28). and onfeohtende waeron op niht."
C. 918 (p. 105, 25). Ac swide hraedlice paes de hi paes geworden haefde heo gefor .Xii. nihtun ser middan sumera.
binnan Tama weorpige dy eahtopan geare paes de heo
Myrcna anweald mid riht hlaforddome healdende waes.
C. 1066 (p. 198, 23). and hi paer togaedere fengon. and
—
swyde heardiice lange on daeg feohtende waei-on.
D. 1052 (p. 175, 15). t>a waes Eadward cyng on Oleaw-
—
—
—
cestre sittende.
1085 (p. 215, 33). Da Willelm Englalandes cyng pe
pa waes sittende on Normandige. fordig he ahte aegder ge
E.
15
PAST TENSE
Chr.
—
geaxode. he ferde into
Englalande
Toforan see Michaeles maessan aetywde seo heofon
swilce heo for neah ealle j»a niht byrnende waere.
1100
E.
he
(p.
235, 21). and
waeran.
Imrh
yfelra
manna
raedas pe
and j)urh his agene gitsunga.
pas leode mid here and mid ungylde tyrwigende
gecweme
aefre
aefre
waes.
E. 1104 (p. 239, 21).
earmda pe
Ae.
I)is
E, 1098.
him
—
Normandige.
ge
Englaland
L.
147.
XIII,
Nis eade to asecgenne |)ises landes
timan dreogende waes.
hit to |)ysan
Wei we magon gedencan hu wel
mid
hit ferde
lis.
igland waes wunigende on sibbe.
witega waes awaeg farande.
ac god hine gecyrde pus him eft secgende.
Gecyr to ezechian
buta
pry suna he gestrynde. and hi siddan
|)a(Ja |)is
—
XVIII, 421.
—
XX,
125.
Isaias se
drittig
and
geara waeron wunigende butan haemede.
aelmyssan worhton. od pact se wer
fela
ferde
—
to
XXI,
1.
munuclicere drohtnunge.
ON EADGARES DAOUM D^S ^DELAN
CYNINCGES.
i)ADA se cristendom
waes wei deonde purh
god
on angel-cynne
—
|)a
270.
pa.
——
— —
geswutelode god
waes he seofon
and
—
—
—
—
—
to j>am halgan
— —
swydune.
he
XXIII, 220. and swa oft swa he into daere byrig code,
hine on waedlan hywe aeteowde. and dearnunga waes
smeagende hu hit on daes caseres hirede ferde.
and aefre he him waes onsittende paet hine sum man
493.
gecneowe.
Da he pus waes to heom sprecende. and swa hre584.
owlice his ceap gedrifan haefde. hi sona ealle up stodon.
and aefre waes his uneadnys wexende.
621.
Da
717.
swa
—
mondas wunigende swa blind.
he mid geleafan ferde
his hlyst naefde. oppaet
malchus pas word gehyrde pe se portgerefa him
he ofdraed sloh adun paer-
hetelice waes tosprcecende.
rihte.
he aras pa of paere flora, and of pam wacan saecce
pe he lange on-uppan dreorig waes sittende. and he pancode gode aelmihtigum.
801.
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
16
Ae.
L.
XXIII B, 45. swa he
sylf saede
Zosimus.
\ixt
he
sylf
waere
modorlicum beordrum on {>3et mynster befaest.
o\) [)aet |>reo and fiftigde gear he waes \tXT on |>am
regole drohtnigende. and aefter |)ysum he waes gecnyssed
fram
and
|>am
sumum gepancum.
and he waes |)us sprecende. hwaeder aenig munuc on
eordan sy.
f)as and pysum gelicum him {)encendum,
him aet-stod sum engel. and him to cwaed.
415.
Ac swilce me hwilc Strang meniu ongean stode.
fram
—
50.
— —
—
J)aet
me pone
wracu
ingang beluce. swa
duru bewerede; Odde ic
J)a
and pus ic seofontyne geare rynum on maenig-fealdum
frecednyssum swa swa ic aer cwaed. winnende waes on
eallum pingum op pisne andweardan daeg and me on
fultunie waes. and mine wisan reccende seo halige godes
562.
cennestre.
—
pus ic waes lange on maenig-fealdum. and mislicum
nydpearfnyssum. and on unmaetum costnungum winnende.
and wraxligende.
577.
—
803. and ] Zosimus on pam mynstre waes drohtnigende.
an hund wintra. and pa to drihtne hleorde.
XXV, 728. lonathas wunode on wurdmynte da lange.
and cynegas hine wurdodon mid wordum
—
—
XXXI,
—
XXXVII,
and gifum.
and he sige geferde on manegum gefeohtum.
and aefre waes winnende embe godes willan.
His mod waes swa-peah aefre embe mynstru
28.
smeagende.
4.
& he on cristes lare
wel peonde waes. oddaet he weard ge-hadod
to
—
—
—
—
seo faerh"ce godes
standende on paes
temples cafertune waes.
—
O.
me
eft
E,
halgum diacone.
weren wuniende
ane
on
ibeoden
on
heore
edmodliche
pa
upflore
com ferliche muchel swei of heofne
on })isse deie
Adam pa wes wniende on peses life mid geswince.
225.
Men pe waren wunende on elche of pese prie times
II, 3.
wisten gerne after ure lauerd ihesu cristes tocume alse
H.
we
1,
89.
Bat
halie hired cristes apostles
——
dod.
On pe niht and on pe time. l>e ure lafdi seinte marie
kennede of holie lichame ure louerd ihesu crist. were
herdes wakiende bi side pe buregh and wittende here
31.
oref.
33.
AI
mankin was wunende on muchele wowe.
PAST TENSE
forte pat ilke time
'.
I?
pat ure louerd ihesu crist
hem
t)arof
aredde.
II, 51. J)at israelisshe folc was walkende toward ierusalem
on swinche. and on drede. and on wanrede and |)o wile
was hersum godes hese.
51.
Ac efter |>an |)e hie weren wuniende in ierusa-
O. E. H.
—
—
lem.
— —
131.
for
|)0 hie forleten godes lore.
he nolde noht turnen ut of J)e hege weie. ne of
and was |)er-one werchende. and
|)e rihte pades.
to
for
he
p^^.
farende.
[com] to de ende pat is eche lif.
147, and on pis reuliche wei hie weren walkinde forte
pat hie
.
— —
comen
to
.
pe lichamh'che deade.
hlauerd lesus Crist, he was her on
Hue wuni^ende prie and prihti wintre and an half
mang senfulle mannen,
On da time de hie was hier on Hue libbende,
55, 1.
hit was iwriten: Maledicta sterilis,
67, 25. an riche iungman cam to Crist be do daigen de
he hier lichamliche was wuniende, and seide: Quid
V. a V.
Dies
51, 5.
ilke
dese
—
—
—
faciam,
— —
Hit seid in Vitas patrum dat at sume sal waren
149, 12.
de hali faderes to-gedere igadered, and waren spekinde
bitwen hem on (h)williche wise me mihte rihtist and
Sum sade Da sade on
sikerest to gode cumen.
of da eldest
—
:
— —
Remarks.
Ae. L. XXIII, 220.
was
actually
the
town.
smeagende' marks what he
*waes
engaged in at each of his visits
Here the sense of incompletion
especially prominent:
of.
The
no
definite result
is
to
is
thought
periphrasis might also be considered to
involve a slight shade of iteration: a comprehen-
sion of several single acts.
form
—
'aeteowde',
which
completed.
801. 'waes sittende'
Compare
denotes
a
the simple
single
act
= Modern English 'had been
sitting'.
—
XXIII B, 415. 'standende waes'
may perhaps be
2
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
18
rendered
correctly
by 'found myself standing'.
The extended tense seems
idea
of
result
should
to indicate that the
be linked together with
that of duration.
This example might, in some way,
compared with Ae. L. XXIII, 220: 'waren
V. a V. 140, 12.
be
comprehends the utterances of each
speaker ('Sum sade: — — which appears more
than once.) The discussion is represented as
spekinde'
',
to a kind of close
brought
(ii)
some
When
Undefined.
cases
very
vague
in
by 'Da sade
— —
undefined, the periphrasis
meaning
according to
'.
is in
modern
we
should here sooner expect the
indefinite tense nowadays: Chr. E. 1086; Ae. L. Ill, 566;
Ae. L. VI, 131; Ae. L. XXV, 276; V. a V. 41, 17; L. o
notions: that
K.
St.
verb
is
G.
64;
to say,
a
E.
2741.
in all these instances is
It
may be observed
that the
'wunigende'.
In other cases the participle partakes of
an adjectival
nature, as in Ae. L. XXIII, 702; Ae. L. XXIII B, 90; O. E.
H.
119 and
II,
L.
o
St.
K. 1353.
Apart from these two groups, however, one may
certainly hold that the past periphrastic, even when it
occurs
without
definitions,
has, to a considerable extent,
Modern English: it expresses that
an action or a state of things was going on under special circumstances, these
being indicated, more or less
The following may be considered
directly, in the context.
the
same functions as
as especially
L. XXIII B,
in
good examples: Ae. L. VII, 67 and 421,
41 and
187; Ae. L. XXV, 423; O. E. H.
I,
Examples.
Beow.
159.
(ac se) jegl«ca ehtende waes,
deorc deat>-scua dugupe ond geogope;
Ae.
93.
PAST TENSE
Beow.
Swa
3028.
se secg hwata
ladra spella;
19
secggende waes
and aet nyxtan naman heom hors. and ridon swa
wide swa hi woldon. and unasecgendlice yfel wircende
Chr, E. 994.
—
waeron.
Eala reowlic and wependlic tid waes
E. 1086,
swa manig ungelimp waes fordbringende.
AN ae{)ele laece waes wunigende on
Ill, 566.
{)aes
geares.
{)e
Ae. L.
byrig.
{laere
lOSEP
gehaten.
Se [)egn waes wunigende butan wifes neawiste.
^a cunnodan laecas hwi he licgende waere.
—
VI, 131.
—
421.
and cristen-dom waes peonde. and pa halgan wurdon
—
XVI,
161.
—
VII, 67.
fordan
gecydde.
|)e he mid sodfaestnysse ne sohte pone
haelend.
—
ac foxunga waeron wunigende on him.
se tima waes gesaelig
— —
XXI, 444.
and wynsum on angel-cynne. pa da eadgar
cynincg
pone cristen-dom ge-fyrdrode. and
fela
munuclifa araerde.
—
—
—
—
—
and
XXIII, 702.
and for j)aere micelan biysse synderlice he weop
and his heorte waes fcegnigende.
XXIII B, 32. Das wisan he ealle on him hcebbende waes.
and he naefre fram pam smeagungum haligra gewrita his
ofer aelcne.
mod awenda
90.
ac
paet
heora
paet
an
aelc
waes
waere
heom eailum
swidost fram
geefst.
on lichaman dead, and on gaste
libbende;
141.
aeghwilc
wyrcende
177.
187.
—
XXV,
—
423.
—
dyllic feoh waes
823.
habbende
—
—
wunigende on sibbe.
farende on eordan.
his cynerice waes
syddan
on
his
agenum ingehyde mid him sylfum
waes. his agenes geswinces gewitnysse hwaet
waes. and hwiicra geswinca saede sawende.
he
i)a wisan Zosimus georne behealdende waes.
He witodUce hire W3ds ehtende. and heo wxs fleonde;
276.
and his feower gebrodra him fylston anraedlice
and ealle da pe waeron wunigende mid his
faeder.
XXX,
and sloh da haedenan
od paet hi oncneowon
8.
paet se
him wid-feohtende waes.
Nacode he scrydde. and swa
nyd-behaefnysse he waes dcelende.
ic
pam
cena iudas
sodlice secge. ealle
pe paes behofodon.
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
20
—
XXX, 445. forpam ge waeron winnende on godan life,
and ge waeron for-pyldiende maenig-fealde cos[t]nunga.
and swa-peah naeron ofer-swi|)de. Cumad nu on sybbe.
XXXI, 622. cwaed eac paet nan man naere fram him
—
buton pam anum pe him onfeohtende waeron.
ac he ne ablan na swa-peah.
Ae.
L.
ofslagen
— —
1283.
mid seofon-nihte
faestene
him fore to-pingi-
ende.
od-paet he beget paes pe he biddende waes.
and heo pa daeghwamlice hire speda pearfendum daelde. and gelomlice heo cyrcan sohte. and mid
halsungum god waes biddende paet
XXXIV, 76. ^a cyne-helmas waeron wundorlice scinende
on rosan readnysse. and on lilian hwitnysse.
XXXV, 84. Polemius pa sona sende his frynd
to pam maedene darian and micclum waes
biddende
—
XXXIII,
7.
— —
—
paet
Mihhal eode bi-foren
and pa scawede mihhal
to sancte paul pa wrecche sunfulle pe per were wuniende
Nu eft on pisse deie purh pes halie gastes to-cume 1
93.
weren alle ispechen agein inumen. and isome fordon pet
cristes apostlas weren specende mid alle spechen.
95.
fordon pet he wes dreihninde on pissere worlde mid
for he ne remde ne of bitere
bilehwitnesse. and
O. E. H.
1,
41.
i
—
— —
.
speche nes.
—
\>t he dude pet heo weren birnende on godes
and bodiende umbe godes riche.
ec hie him segen on fures hewe al ich er seide.
II, 119.
and weren perof wallinde on sodere luue godes and
mannen.
V. a V. 41, 17. du aust te folgin dane riht[t]wise and onfald
lob, de was wuni^ende on dare woreld mid wiue and
95.
fordon
willan.
mid
L.
o
—
St.
children,
In pis ilke burh
K. 64,
wes
wuniende a meiden
1353.
't
berninde as he wes
of
grome
't
of teone,
bed bringen o brune
an ad amidden pe burh;
G. a
E. 2741.
Raguel
letro flat riche
Was wuniende in
He hadde seuene
man.
madian,
dowtres bi-geten;
^i
PAST TENSE
Remarks.
Beow. 3028.
occurs
This
rangue, and it
be ascribed to
with
view
a
may
lengthy habe that the periphrasis can
after a rather
certain idea of duration, viz.
a
the warrior took to
time
the
to
deliver his speech.
The
Ae. L. XXI, 444.
'and
used,
translation given in the edition
kingdom continued
his
in
peace'
exactly renders the meaning.
The
XXHI, 702.
—
—
money was
XXIIl
'haebbende waes'
by
XXX,
8.
de'
in the
'naefre'
several
to
edition
on the
current
is
earth'.
indirectly de-
is
next clause.
The context shows
applies
— —
—
B, 32.
fined
the
of
translation
'since the like
that 'waes daelen-
occasions:
*he
used to
was his habit to — —
XXXI, 622. The translation given here: *— —
no man had been slain by him save those only
*it
',
who
'.
were fighting against him' is not quite
The context leads me to prefer: 'who
accurate.
had been
—
The
certain
occasion
or
seems to imply a
note
the complement
intensity:
'mid halsungum', and the coordination with the
XXXIII,
7.
certain
idea
XXXV,
O. E. H.
eft
95.
I,
on
periphrasis
of
expressions 'daeghwamlice
and 'gelomlice
seems
—
a
perhaps rather on several different occasions during his former lifej.
iterative
—
(on
fighting'
84.
to
Q3.
— —
— —
daelde'
sohte'.
Here also an
intensive
meaning
be intended: 'micclum'.
There
is
an indirect definition
in
'Nu
})isse deie' in the first clause.
'dreihninde'.
The complement
'on J>issere
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
22
worlde'
is
here equivalent to an adverbial of time:
'during his whole
O. E. H.
I.
ticiple
life'.
The
95. 'birnende', 'bodiende'.
here
is
and
'bodiende'
this
idea
adjectival
so
in
(^=:
first
par-
burning, zealo
UC-NRLF
161
2636278
B
2
b3b
E7fl
ON THE HISTORY
OF
THE DEFINITE TENSES
IN
ENGLISH
BY
ALFRED AKERLUND
A.-B.
PH. LINDSTEDTS UNIV.-BOKH.
LUND
1911
W. HEFFER ft SONS, LTD.
CAMBRIDGE
F?^v'^
ON THE HISTORY
OF
THE DEFINITE TENSES
ENGLISH
IN
BY
ALFRED AKERLUND
Lie.
HB.
PHIL,,
BY DUE PERMISSION OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL FACULTY OF LUND
TO BE PUBLICLY DISCUSSED
SEPTEMBER
23, 1911,
AT
IN
4
LECTURE HALL
O'CLOCK
P.
VI
M.
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
LUND
1911
PRINTED BY BERLINGSKA BOKTRYCKERIET
PREFACE.
following
The
investigation,
in
an abridged form, was
originally meant to appear as part of a more comprehensive work, announced in the 'Englische Studien', band
40 (IQOQ), under the title: 'The Origin and Development of
the Definite Tenses in English'.
My
interest in the subject
was
at first
roused by the
diverging views on the origin of the definite tenses
dern English.
in
Mo-
Thus much may suffice to say here concerning these
some scholars recognize in the -ing-iorm the pres-
views:
ent
participle
that they
with
the
new
and are of opinion
ending,
have developed directly from corresponding periin Old English, where we have to do with
phrastic forms
the
old
participle
—
which
is
also the case in texts be-
longing to northern dialects in Middle English; other schol-
on the contrary, hold that their origin is to be sought
such expressions as *he is a-going', a standing for the
preposition on, and the form in -ing being not the participle
ars,
in
proper but the verbal noun.
Later on,
when working
out
my
material,
I
grew more
and more
interested in the various uses of the periphrastic
forms, be
their origin
what
while to deal with them
while
I
was about
it
in a
may, and
I
thought
it
worth
comparatively exhaustive way,
it.
In the present treatise, therefore,
back on the verbal noun question.
1
altogether turn
my
PREFACE
iv
from the
start
I
fact that the construction
'be
-f-
ing*
Modern English is morphologically, if not historically,
the same as that occurring in Old English, and follow it
from this period through Middle and Early Modern Engin
lish,
the end a section
at
adding
on the compound
definite
tenses.
In
short, the treatise
is
intended to give,
in
the
first
place, a history of the periphrasis (in the active voice) from
an exclusively syntactical point of view, and secondly, to
so
contribute,
far
as
the
may
investigation
furnish con-
clusions on this point, towards the formation of an opinion
on its origin, by comparing its functions during the different stages of the language.
In
a
later
essay
I
shall take
up
this
question from
the point of view of the verbal-noun expressions, by giving
an account of their origin and their relations to the definite
words: a history of the 'a-phrases' —
in standard English,
as the one quoted above
in
tenses,
such
dialects,
other
and vulgar speech,
the rise and
I
desire
Professor
this
account also comprising
of the passive definite tenses.
growth
Finally,
teacher,
—
to
Eilert
hearty thanks to
record
my
Ekwall,
of Lund, University, for
my
and encouragement he has given me
during the progress of my work; to Mr. Charles Scott
the
valuable
Fearenside,
Lund,
who
advice
formerly English Lector in the University of
has read through the treatise in manuscript and
English; and lastly
in
proof with a view to normalizing
to
the officials of the University Library at
unfailing courtesy
and help
my
in facilitating
Lund
my
for their
researches.
Landskrona, September IQIL
Alfred Akerlund.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
I.
Main Uses
A.
1.
2.
3.
B.
C.
D.
II.
;
The Present Tense
The Past Tense
The Imperative and
25
Survey
30
27
Examples
Examples
2.
Examples
The
The
5.
IV.
The Present Tense
The Past Tense
4.
of the Periphrastic Infinitive
Adjectival
Meaning
Periphrasis Expressing a Subjective Feeling
THE COMPOUND TENSES
1.
2.
39
45
47
49
51
58
EARLY MODERN ENGLISH
3.
35
58
Survey
1.
34
34
58
of the Periphrastic Imperative
of Cases where the Participle is of an Adjectival
Nature
IIL
23
Futurity
The Inchoative
Midland and Southern Dialects
1.
The Present Tense
2.
The Past Tense
3.
The Imperative and the Infinitive
B.
Northern Dialects
The Present Tense
1.
2.
The Past Tense
C.
7
12
the Infinitive
A.
4.
6
7
LATE MIDDLE ENGLISH
3.
1
The
Perfect and the Pluperfect
Examples of the Future and the Preterite Future
CONCLUDING SURVEY
61
62
75
80
80
82
85
85
92
96
WORKS CONSULTED.
Bain,
A
Higher English Grammar, 1896.
Einenkel, Streifziige durch die mittelenglische syntax, Miinster 1887.
Syntax, p. 100 ff. Pauls Or. ^
—
Erdmann, Essay on the
history
and modern use of the verbal forms
in -ing in the English language,
Stockholm 1871.
Franz, Shakespeare-Grammatik, Zweite Auflage, Heidelberg 1909.
Growth and Structure
of the English Language, Leipzig 1905.
des
Kriiger, Schwierigkeiten
Englischen, 1897 ff.
Morris, Historical Outlines of English Accidence, 1872.
Jespersen,
Murray, The Dialect of the Southern
Counties
of Scotland [Trans-
actions of the Philological Society, 1870—21.
An Advanced
Onions,
English Syntax,
The present and
Pessels,
past
London
1905.
tenses
periphrastic
in
Anglo-Saxon,
Strassburg 1896.
Piittman,
Die Syntax der sogenannten Progressiven Form im Alt-und
Marburg 1908
Frfihmittelenglischen,
405
Sweet,
—
in
[also
Anglia, 31, 3; p.
ff.].
New English Grammar, Oxford 1900, 1903.
A Primer of Spoken English, Oxford 1906.
Ten Brink, Chaucer's Sprache und Verskunst, Leipzig
Western,
Om
med
de
verbalformer
i
hjaelpeverbet be
engelsk
og nutids
[Forhandlinger
i
1899.
particip
omskrevne
Videnskabsselskabet
i
Christiania aar 1895] ^
'
See
also
Grammatiken,
own work was
p.
Grenville
53
ff.
—
Grove, Modern Engelsk Larobok, Del II
This book came into my hands when my
just finished.
TEXTS.
Old and Early Middle English.
1.
= Beowulf,
Chr. = Earle and
Beow.
ed. Holthausen,
Plummer,
Heidelberg 1905.
Chronicles Parallel, Oxford
Two Saxon
1892, 1899.
= Aelfric's Lives of Saints, ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S. 76, 82, 94, 114.
= Old English Homilies, ed. Morris, E. E. T. 29, 34, 53.
89.
V. a V. = Vices and Virtues, ed. Holthausen, E. E. T.
A. Pr. = The Proverbs of Alfred, ed. Borgstrom, Lund 1908.
L. o
K. = Life of Saint Katherine, ed. Einenkel, E. E. T. S. 80.
O. a E. = Genesis and Exodus, ed. Morris, E. E. T.
Ae. L.
O.
E.
H.
S.
S.
St.
S. 7.
Late Middle English.
2.
Midland and Southern Dialects.
(i)
= Havelok the Dane, ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S.
=
44.
Jos.
Joseph of Arimathie, ed. Skeat, E. E. T.
Oaw. = Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight, ed. Morris, E. E. T.
A. P. = Early English Alliterative Poems, ed. Morris, E. E. T.
Hav.
e.
s.
4.
S.
S. 4.
S. 1.
CI.
Piers
PL
= Cleanness.
= Piers
the
The English Works
Per.
= Sir
Plowman,
ed. Skeat, E. E. T. S. 38.
of Wyclif, ed.
Matthew,
Ferumbras, ed. Herrtage E.
Chaucer, The Complete
Works
E. E. T. S. 74.
E. T. S. e.
s.
34.
of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. Skeat,
ford 1894.
= The Canterbury Tales
= The Clerkes Tale
C Y. Pro!, = The Canon's Yeoman's
C. T.
CL
T.
Prologue
Ox-
TEXTS
Viii
= The Knightes Tale
= The Milleres Tale
P. Prol. = The Parson's Prologue
Prol. = The Prologue
Sh. T. = The Shipmannes Tale
Sq. T. = The Squieres Tale
Troil. = Troilus and Criseyde
Kn, T.
M.
T.
=
The Romaunt of The Rose
Rom. R.
Gower, The English Works of John Gower,
e.
Macaulay, E. E. T.
S.
= Confessio Amantis.
Gl. = Lydgate's Temple
Am.
o
T.
e.
ed.
81.
s.
C.
Lydg.
^
s.
George Ashby's Poems,
D &
of Glas, ed. Schick, E. E. T. S.
60.
= Dicta
ed. Bateson, E. E. T. S.
e.
s.
76.
opiniones diversorum philosophorum
P. Pr. := Active Policy of a Prince
o.
et
Pr. R. = A Prisoner's Reflections
= Generydes, ed. Wright, E. E. T. 55, 70.
= Blanchardyn and Eglantine, ed. Kellner, E. E.
Gen.
Bl.
God.
S.
—
Godeffroy of Boloyne,
(ii)
T. S.
ed. Colvin, E. E. T. S. e.
e.
s.
58.
s.
64.
Northern Dialects.
= The Bruce, ed. Skeat, E. E. T.
21, 29, 55.
= The Kingis Quair, ed. Skeat, T. 1884.
T.
W. Wa. = Schir William Wallace, ed. Moir,
1889.
T.
Du. = The Poems of William Dunbar, ed. Small,
1893.
Ly. Mon. = The Monarche and other poems of Sir David Lyndesay,
B. Br.
S.
K. Qu.
S.
e.
s.
11,
S.
S.
S.
S.
S.
ed. Small, E. E. T. S. 11, 19.
C. o Sc.
3.
= Complaynt
of Scotlande, ed. Murray, E. E. T. S.
e. s.
17, 18.
Early Modern English.
Stephen Hawes, The Passetyme of Pleasure [Skeat's Specimens of English Literature, A. D. 1394— A. D. 1579]
The English Works
*
Kellner,
of
John
Historical
Fisher, ed.
Mayor,
E. E. T. S. e.
s.
27.
Outlines of English Syntax, London 1905,
A. D. ab. 1408'.
p. 322: 'falsely attributed to Chaucer
TEXTS
the reign of King
in
England
J,
Cowper,
Heywood, The Four
Vol.
Lat.
Henry the Eighth, by Thomas Starkey,
E. E. T. S. e.
ed.
Serm.
Latimer;
Spec] Sev. Serm.
London
s.
12, 32.
P's [The Ancient British
I]
= Hugh
ix
PI.
= Seven
= Sermon
Drama, London 1810,
on the Ploughers
Sermons before Edward
[Skeat's
VI, ed. Arber,
1869.
= Roger Ascham; Scholem. = The Scholemaster [Skeat's Spec]
Tox. = Toxophilus, ed. Arber, London 1868.
R. D. = Nicholas Udall, Roister Doister, ed. Arber, London.
Asch.
Ud.
Thomas
Sackville, Induction to 'The Mirrour for Magistrates' [Skeat's
Spec]
Sackv.
&
Nort. Ferr. and Porr.
= Sackville
[and Norton], Ferrex and
Porrex [The Ancient British Drama, Vol.
I]
George Gascoigne, The Steele Glas, &c., ed. Arber, London 1868.
Sp. F. Q.
Spenser, The Faerie Queene [The Poetical Works of Ed-
=
John
mund
Spenser, Boston 1839, Vol. VI]
Lyly;
Alex.
= Alexander
Drama, Vol.
Anat.
and Campaspe
[The Ancient British
I]
= Euphues.
The Anatomy
of Wit, ed. Arber,
London
1868.
Marlowe, The Works of Christopher Marlowe, ed. Cunningham, London.
= Edward the Second
=
Faust
The Tragical History of Doctor
Tamb. = Tamburlaine The Great
Ed.
Peele,
II
Faustus
David And Bethsabe
The Old Wive's Tale
Greene, Friar Bacon And Friar Bungay
A Looking-Glass For London And England
A Maiden's Dream [The Dramatic And Poetical Works Of Robert
Greene
&
George
Shakespeare, The Complete
Peele, ed. Dyce,
London]
William Shakespeare
Folio, ed. Porter and Clarke, London.
Works
of
Reprinted from the First
Anth.
The Tragedie Of Anthonie,
As
As You Like It
=
And Cleopatra
=
Cor. = The Tragedy Of Coriolanus
Haml. = The Tragedie Of Hamlet
Hy. V = The Life Of Henry The Fift
Hy. Vni = The Life Of Henry The Eight
= The Tragedie Of Julius Caesar
Jul. C.
.'
vol. 12
vol.
4
vol.
9
vol. 11
voL
7
vol.
8
voL 10
X
TEXTS
= The Tragedie Of King Lear
= Loves Labour's Lost
Macb. = The Tragedie Of Macbeth
Me Wives = The Merry Wives Of Windsor
King
L.
vol. 11
L. L. L.
Mids. ^=
A Midsommer
=
Nights
=
Modern
Mass.
= Massinger,
London
11
vol.
1
voK
3
voK
2
vol. 12
=
=
=
4.
3
voL
Dreame
Mu. Adoe
Much Adoe About Nothing
The Tragedie Of Othello
The Taming Of The Shrew
Taming
The Tempest
Temp.
Tw. N.
Twelfe Night, Or What You Will
Oth.
vol,
vol.
4
vol.
1
voL
5
English.
The
Plays
of Philip Massinger, ed.
Cunningham,
1870.
=
A New Way to Pay Old Debts.
L.== Milton, Paradise Lost, London 1903. J. M. Dent & Co.
The Diary of Samuel Pepys, ed. Morley, Cassells' National
O. D.
Milt. P.
Pep.
=
Library.
Bun. Pilgr.
= Bunyan,
The
Pilgrim's
Progress,
ed. Venables,
Oxford
1900.
= The Mermaid Series William Congreve, ed.
Bach. = The Old Bachelor
D.-D. = The Double-Dealer
W. W. = The Way of the World
=
The Spectator Selected Essays, ed. Ewald,
Spect.
Congr.
Ewald,
New
York.
London and New
York.
= Addison Budg. = Budgell.
= Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, ed. Clark, London 1899.
Sw. Gull. = Swift, Gulliver's Travels, London,
M. Dent & Co.
Mont. = The Letters and Works of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu,
Add.
;
Def. Rob.
J.
Wharncliffe, 2nd ed.
London
=
Samuel Johnson, Rasselas
London 1906]
Joh. Rass.
St. S. J.
Sher.
L.
[Classic Tales, ed. Fearenside,
= Sterne, A Sentimental Journey [Classic Tales]
= Sheridan, The Rivals [The British Classical
Riv.
Herrig, Brunswick 1894].
ed.
1837.
Authors,
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
General Character of the Definite Tenses
in Recent English.
1.
existence of the periphrastic and simple forms side
Theby
furnishes
side
means
mirable
of
the English language with an ad-
expressing even very subtle shades of
may indeed represent
meaning: the use of a definite tense
a stylistic nicety of an exquisite effect, just strong
and appreciated, but too
to
be
to
say, to allow of
felt
delicate,
I
enough
am tempted
being properly analyzed. They prove,
then, frequently enough, rather hard to judge; and on the
at the intrinsic character of the definite ten
whole, to get
eral
perhaps no easy task.
Most authors agree, however,
meaning of duration which is
their
main
ses
is
characteristic.
who
Western,
explains
have a gento be looked upon as
that they
the
has treated this subject somewhat
fully,
between the simple and the
peri-
difference
phrastic forms thus:
As a
one can only say that, whereas the simple
tenses express the infinite and the unlimited, as: 'the church
stands on a hill', *! have never seen him', or the momentary,
rule,
as: *he fell dead', or a series of events, as:
gone,
imply
1
sat
that
down and
the
action
wepf,
or
the
—
'when he had
the periphrastic tenses
state
of
things
is
limited
1
I
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
within a certain space of time, either directly expressed or
to be understood, as: 'he has been sleeping for six hours',
simultaneous with another action, as: *he was
dressing when I entered the room'. (Indledning, 2).
This pronouncement is not intended to stand as an
or that
is
it
exhaustive
udtommende og
the definite tenses ('At g\
of
definition
noiagtig
definition af
balformers brug
engelsk er neppe muHgt'.
it
covers the main uses.
1.), but
i
Taking
it,
nogen
de omskrevne ver-
—
Indledning,
therefore, as the starting-point for forming
more general and comprehensive definition, we may sum
up the different statements by saying that the indefinite
tenses are used where no special time is thought of, whilst
a
the
tenses
definite
Thus
put,
are
employed when
venture to say that
I
explanation of the other uses
^
different
periphrasis
the
verb,
functions
gives,
makes
so
it
of
the
gives us the key to an
it
as well, and
following view of the matter:
The fundamental principle,
the
this is the case.
that
I
arrive at the
which underlies
definite tenses,
is
all
that the
to speak, a stronger inner stress to
more
sentence-stressed, by calling the
interest directly to the idea of time: the indefinite tense is
more
neutral
and apt
to act in a
way more
as a copula
than as a tense, properly taken, whereas the definite tense
is
more pregnant
the action, as such,
2.
in
is
this
respect and
is
preferred
where
to be emphasized.
Views of Previous Investigators Concerning the Old English Periphrasis.
Old English possesses an equivalent
to the
Modern
English definite tenses in a periphrasis formed by the verbs
'wesan' or 'beon' with the present participle.
^
See Concluding Survey.
3
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
occurs already
It
remarkably
in the oldest texts
by grammarians; but
early
investigation as to
rough
has been undertaken.
and was noticed
until lately
no tho-
character and syntactical uses
its
Most of the authors concerned agree in attributing to
the Old English periphrasis about the same meaning and
functions
grammatical
modern forms,
e.
g.
as
the
characterize
Matzner, Einenkel,
corresponding
Miiller,
and others.
somewhat
Several scholars, however, are of a
different
opinion.
Thus Sweet,
in
New
Engl. Or.
11,
§ 2203, remarks
Old English are 'only vaguely
the simple forms'.
In § 2205 he sup-
the extended forms in
that
from
differentiated
poses the fundamental difference to be that the periphrastic
tenses 'are associated with the idea of incompletion', and
then
admits
often
occur
that,
in
as
a
natural
constructions
result
which
of this, they very
involve
—
the
idea of
or progression (§ 2206).
Thus far,
think.
Sweet's remarks will hold good, but then he ventures the
following restriction: 'But that this idea is only a second-
continuity
ary
one
is
shown by those
I
instances in which the con-
text excludes the idea of duration, as
when
the periphrase
accompanied by the adverb sona 'immediately', as in pa
sona on anginne pees gefeohtes wees se munt Garganus
That the periphrasis
bifigende mid orm^tre cwacunge ^'.
is
—
in this instance, as
indeed
in
some
others as well, admits
of an inchoative meaning in no wise excludes the idea of
continuity: on the contrary, it must always be understood
that the action in question
that
ple
it
we
'
continues for
some
might very well
This
is
is
not only beginning, but also
time.
infer that
Thus in the above examMount Garganus 'started
Aelfric's translation of the Latin:
tremore concutitur.
Herrig's Archiv 91,
—
Se
p. 194.
Max
Forster,
Zu den
Garganus immenso
Blickling Homilies,
4
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
which
trembling' \
one
justified in
is
tive
element
that
Old English
certainly
implies duration.
that, in
saying
Moreover,
these instances, the dura-
not only admissible but, as a rule, predominant, the inchoative meaning being only the secondary one.
Jespersen holds (Growth and Structure etc., p. 205)
ern
is
English
used to
'he
some
'he waes feohtende' corresponds to
fight'.
—
It
will
Mod-
not be denied
Old English periphrasis involves
that,
such an idea; but if Jespersen's interpretation should be
taken to mean that the main use of the extended tenses
in Old
English is that they denote a habit, it must be
in
downright
of
It
would seem
as
if
Jespersen had
support his conject-
different origin of the Old English
modern counterpart, by thus assuming
functions for the two extreme stages of the lan-
the
altogether
periphrasis and
different
guage
—
rejected.
this interpretation in order to
adopted
ure
cases, the
its
2.
Old English has been treated, on a larger scale, by no fewer than three scholars,
namely, Erdmann and Pessels, and lastly by Piittman, who
Lately the periphrasis in
brought some specimens of the Early English
period under his investigation.
Without entering into details in this place I confine
has
also
myself
to
stating
that
the results arrived at agree
main points, and especially
tion
or
progression
as
in
on
all
recognizing the idea of dura-
the general character of the peri-
phrasis.
Sweet has (§ 2207): 'began to tremble'.
The passage referred to runs as follows: 'The periphrastic
tenses / am reading, I was reading, J have been reading, I shall be
reading, etc. were not fully developed even in Shakespeare's time and
seem to have little, if anything, to do with the Old English he was
'
-
used to fight'; the modern forms are aphetic for / am
a-reading, where a represents the preposition on and the form in -ing
is not the participle, but the noun'.
feohtende 'he
5
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Only
very
is
I
think
to
form,
which
the
It
in
progress
differs
is
that
it
from
the
take,
verb,
the
Part.
or past.
corresponding simple forms,
which represent the action merely as a
or has taken place.
and
denotes an action as
at a certain time, present, future,
this
in
'The Participle Present
called the Progressive form,
which
of
characteristic
being
Erdmann's
entirety,
with the various parts of the
together
commonly
is
12):
(p.
its
wesan and beon, that periphrastic conjuga-
auxiliary verbs
tion
to quote, in
definition
interesting
used
fit
fact, that takes, will
Being the adjective form of the
Present
naturally
has
in
character a
its
shade of permanence and durability, that does not belong
to
the rest of the verb.
in
the
passage,
and
time
there will
distinction
ceptible
the
of
the
two forms may not
unfre-
be interchanged,
quently
the
forms
simple
some space
Accordingly, though actions put
also must be considered to occupy
same
particular
idea.
without infringing the sense of
however be found to exist a per-
between
their
This distinction
cases, but
it
is
several
may be
seldom quite
ways
of giving
greater or less in
effaced.
By using
a tense of this periphrastic conjugation, the speaker, mentally entering into the very time of events, describes the
action
the
as
going on, as continuing; whereas,
simple form, he would take no notice of
point of view, but mention
it
as a fact only'.
if
it
choosing
from that
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH.
I.
Both
Occurrence.
the
periphrasis
is
in
Old and
in Early
very sparingly used, as
Middle English
compared with
modern usage.
Beowulf musters only 3 examples, and
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
of the
we
in
the
whole
have only about 24.
In
Aelfric's Lives of Saints the number of instances seems at
first sight fairly large — about 100; but when we take into
consideration the great length of this work, one must say
that, even here, the frequency is, comparatively, small. Also^
it
is
a
forms
striking
is
exhibit
here
no
fact
very
instances
that
the occurrence of the extended
uneven:
at
all,
while
e.
g.
some
II,
of the legends
IV, IX, X, XI,
XIV^
XV, XVII, XIX, etc., we find them in comparatively great
numbers in others, especially in XXIII with 13 instances^
and, even more, in XXIII B, where some two dozen are
on record. This might partly depend on the more or less
free use Aelfric made of the Latin sources which were at
In the works translated from the Latin, in
his disposal.
fact, the periphrasis is much more frequently used than in
the works that are original or partly original.
Thus in the
shown
Homilies
which
been
as
has
by Max
Blickling
are,
Forster \
'
a
Zu den
very
close
translation
from
the
Blickling Homilies, Herrig's Archiv 91.
Latin, there
PRESENT TENSE
no fewer than about 130
are
ber of which occur
in
I
instances, a considerable
Horn.
where we
XIII,
num-
find the peri-
phrasis on almost every line. In the Old English Homilies
there are 26, which is certainly no great number for a book
of
that
As regards
size.
of the glossary, with the
The
meagre
instances
have
and Exodus
itself and the whole
I
part of the text
gone through the greater
examples.
the Genesis
result of finding only
likewise
are
two
very few in other
The Life of Saint Katherine
and Alfreds Proverbs have only two or three each. These
An exception from the
texts, however, are rather short.
is afforded in the Vices and Virtues, with
scantiness
general
texts belonging to this period:
36 instances of the periphrastic form.
The tense which
owing
while,
to the narrative nature of
concerned, the present
(i)
Defined.
quite clear,
which,
number
It
of the texts
Main Uses.
The function
unless
however,
then
definitions
are
strengthened by time-defini-
moment.
other
actual
'nu'
Occasionally
cases
the
present
in
some cases
(Ae. L. XVI, 217), or *nu
the
and A.
definitions
lies
in a
employed show
'that
complement
Pr. 40.
the periphrasis implies duration, as in O. E. H.
('eure'),
sel-
which even more emphasizes the
clause, as in V. a V. 47, 14
In
is
the case in only a very limited
the
expresses
(Ae. L. XXIII, 452),
present
is
it
is
the periphrasis
of
of instances.
where the
gyt'
the past,
The Present Tense.
1.
tions,
most
is
comparatively scarce.
is
A.
dom
most often met with
is
V. a V. 137, 31 ('niht and
daig').
II,
175, 18
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENOUSH
examples.
Ae. L.
—
—
Symble he bid gyfende. And he ne wanad swanan J)ing his.
XVI, 217. and da synd nu ealle on {)am ecan wuldre
45.
I,
})aeh
for heora claennysse mid criste
wunigende.
XXIII, 452, and decius se casere is nu gyt smeagende
hwaet we gefaran habban.
O. E. H.
—
De
175, 18.
II,
21.
stede to stede
is
'.
To
alle do halgen de hier on Hue waren iboand nu mid ure lauerde gode wunigende bied, ic
V. a V. 21, 12.
ren,
—
eure wagiende.
J)at eure is wagiende noht fra
ac fro time to time.
se
wrecche woreld.
pis
clepie
ic de beseche and bidde dat tu dese halwende
on write sette, for dan ic am michel penchinde dar
hwile de ic on dese wrecche lichame am wuniende,
47, 14.
lore
—
—
Godd is haure fastinde.
For dan de gode mann is niht and daig Jjeinkinde
hu he muge gode icwemen, and him betst hersumen;
alswa is dies beswikene mann niht and daig peinkinde
hwu he muge fellen [hjis ungesali beli mid swete metes
137, 17.
31.
and drenches.
A. Pr. p. 40.
If
hit
so bi-tyde}),
pzt pu bern ibidest,
J)e
ler
hwile
hit is Intel,
him mon-pewes;
|)anne hit is wexynde,
hit schal wende par-to;
J)e
betere hit schal iwurj>e
euer buuen eorpe.
Remarks.
Ae. L.
I,
Here the expression involves an idea
45.
of
recurrence.
O. E. H.
11,
semper
(ii)
175, 18.
Translated from the Latin 'Mare
est in motu'.
Undefined.
In the majority of the
examples found
the tense occurs by itself, and the function of the periphrasis in many cases scarcely differs from that of the simple
PRESENT TENSE
form, as, for instance,
Ae. L.
in
I,
9
.
49 and
in
O. E. H.
175, 25.
Here the extended tense seems to be
existence
chiefly
and
virtue of the durative or rather pro-
by
character
gressive
II,
called into
the
of
verbs
in
question ('creopende'
'fleonde' respectively).
Rather
an adjective
meaning: Ae. L. I, 131; Ae. L. XVI, 293; Ae. L. XXXIV,
114; V. a V. 15, 23; V. a V. 137, 6; here the periphrasis
seems to denote absolute duration. In the last example
often
the
approaches
participle
in
one might also say
that
present, according to
much'
the
is
correct
it
stands instead of the indefinite
modern notions: the translation
one to render the meaning
Middle English expression Ms
— —
'helps
of the
swiSe helpinde'.
Thus, on the whole, one must say that where it
stands undefined, the present periphrastic very seldom denotes the actual present in the same strict sense as we
have
it
Modern English;
in
might be singled out as
V, 417; O. E. H. I, 43;
V. a V. 107,
8.
examples, however,
good specimens:
fairly
V. a V. 21, 3;
Ae. L.
V. a V. 95, 3;
however, that the verbs employed
Note,
here, 'eardigende'
few
a
and 'wunigende', are by nature durative.
Examples.
Ae.
L.
I,
Da
49.
den
gesceafta
maenig-fealde.
pe
paes
and
an scyppend gesceop syn-
misiices
and
hiwes.
Sume syndan creopende on
lingeltce
mid
swa swa wurmas dod. Sume gad on
twam fotum. sume on feower fotum. — — Sume fleod
mid fyderum. sume orp flodum svimmad.
And swa styrigende is seo sawul. t>aet — —
131.
farad.
.
eallum
eordan.
lichoman.
.
—
—
—
—
176.
Heo
is
unge-saewenlic. and un-lichomlic. butari haefe
and butan bleo. mid pam
eallum limuni wunigende.
V, 417.
Ic
me gebidde
to
lichaman befangen. and on
dam
gode.
|>e
bid eardigende
on heofonum.
XVI, 293.
Twa
unrot-nyssa synd. an
is
|>eos yfele.
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
10
and Oder
his
Ae.
—
L.
XXIII B, 244.
is
halwende
paet is
synnum geunrotsige.
god sy gebletsod se de
tiligende;
227.
gedafenad
De
abbud Zosimus
to
t>aet
is
se
man
for
sawla haelu
biddenne and to
bletsigenne. forpan pu eart underwreded mid {)aere sacerdlican lare. and j>u eart tellende cristes gerynu mid |)am
—
gyfum
|)aera
XXXIV,
114.
godcundlican
We habbad cyne-helmas halige mid us
scinende swa swa rose, and snaw-hwite
swa swa
{)a {)U
lilie.
ne miht geseon peah
[)e
hi scinende
beon.
O. E. H.
—
ah prud heo wes swide and modi, and ligere and
and wredful and ontful. and fordi heo bid wuniende
43.
I,
swikel.
inne pisse pine.
On
and on fures heowe wes godes
he ded pa pe beod bilehwite.
and wid-utan ufelnesse. and birnende on godes willan.
He is fleonde alse shadewe and ne stont neure
II, 175, 25.
on one stede.
V. a V. 15, 23. de deade man[n]es Jjruh, pe is widuten ihwited,
and wid-inne stinkende and full of wernies.
To §eu ic clepige iec de bied wuni^ende mid
21, 3.
95.
culfre onlicnesse
isceawed. fordon
gast
{)et
—
—
—
—
gemaneliche hlauerde gode,
He wissed des mannes idang[c] de he to-cumd,
35, 28.
Oder durh halige writes oder durh hali sermuns, pe he
him durh sume wise manne de he is inne wuniende, sant.
37, 32.
§if du wilt sikerliche wunigen on karite and on
panne do du alswa
is,
—
—
—
we
boke finden iwriten,
mid faste hope and
and
J)at
mid sode luue bie werchinde dat god de du iliefst.
To sume menu hie cumd and fard, and mid
57, 11.
sume men hie is wunende, and on swide feawe menu hie
On da manne de hie is rixende, J)is [is]
is rixende.
de tacne: al swo de woreld-mann lihtliche lei[c]hed of
ydelnesse de he isiedt)der iherd, al swa de gastliche mann
de hie on rixed, lihtliche wepd oder sobbed,
59, 14. godes milsce last aeuremo (to) alle do mannen de
gode,
dat tu
mid
hit a
rihte geleaue
him bied dradinde,
75, 16. and wite du te sode, bute du him bie hier teidinde hwat swa hit de ratt to donne: danne du cumst
danne du art itwamd fram dine lichame, hit te
,
wile betachen
——
PRESENT TENSE
V. a V. 75, 22. Diuicie
des eihte, gif hie
95, 3.
—
95, 11.
—
—
—
affluant, nolite cor
apponere, *Worl-
swide rixinde to deward, ne do du
ende;
For di he bitt dat pais bie aider on licame and
on saule, and dat pies hali mihte sibsumnesse bie rixende
on geu bade;
95, 23. ic am on muchele aruednesses, on hungre and on
durste(s), on wacches and on swinkes, and on mani5e(s)
kennes wrecchades, sori and sorhfull, woninde and we-
pinde.
cum|) and bri[nlg|j tidinges of idelne(s)spekende sotwordes de aroered up hleitres,
none wunienge ne haue he mid de,
Dies ilche hali§e mihte, hie is tur and strengpe
107, 8.
to alle do mihte(s) de dar inne bied wuni^ende,
f>at is, dat he wordliche him loki mid alle hise
133, 24.
lemes of his likame. Hise ei§ene, {)at hie ne bien to
§if ani
101, 14.
and
ses,
—
is
naht dine herte derto,
Carited arist up fram de grundwalle, and beclepd
all
de wouh, (and) alle de bied in do hali huse wuni-
—
—
si
II
is
swide gawrinde hider and geond; }jo earen, dat hie blideliche ne hlesten ydelnesses,
To alle do nedes de mann hafd to donne {)anne
137, 6.
is ([)es)e hali mihte swide helpinde.
— —
Remarks.
Ae. L.
49.
I,
is
It
scarcely possible to perceive any
meaning between the periphrastic
tense 'syndan creopende' and the simple forms
'ga6', 'fleoQ' and 'swimmad'.
difference
—
176.
O. E. H.
It
is
the
lent
in
'Heo' applies to *seo sawul'.
11,
not
second
to
'.
'Qui fugit velut umbra et
impossible that the adverb 'neure' in
175, 25.
an
clause
'eure'
has been
in
the
felt
first,
brought the periphrasis into use
Here the periphrasis
V. a V. 57, 11.
chosen,
the
according
to
intensive-durative
modern
idea
as an equiva-
and
thus
there.
is
very happily
notions, to
in
has
Ms
mark
wunende',
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
12
—
Ms
rixende'
as
opposed
it
to
may have been
however,
nicety,
concerning God's grace —
'curnd and far5'.
This stylistic
is
far
from the
author's
mind we
xed'
the side of one another and under the
:
find Ms rixende'
and 'on
ri-
by
same conditions,
e. without any difference of
meaning being perceptible. Thus the appearance
of the periphrasis would seem to be rather arbii.
trary.
V.
a
V.
The extended
14.
59,
tense
might here,
be considered to imply a constancy, a
frame of mind.
perhaps,
—
75, 22.
felt
to
racter,
also
It
is
possible
that
'affluant'
has been
be a verb of a marked progressive chaperhaps with some nuance of intensity
(note
the
addition
'swide'),
and thus the
extended form has been considered as the most
apt to convey this idea.
—
Here
consider the participles to be of
an adjectival nature (note also that they are coordinated with real adjectives): the periphrasis
95, 23.
I
denotes a habit, almost verging on a quality.
Observe the alternating occurrence of
133, 24.
—
periphrastic
and simple forms:
'bien
— —
gaw-
rinde', 'hlesten'.
2.
(i)
The Past Tense.
Defined.
This tense occurs more often with defini-
These may consist of tempoadverbs or adverbial expressions, indicating either point
tions of time than without.
ral
or length of time.
As examples
be termed
of
actuality,
the
former
we may
take
category, which might
Chr.
D.
1052
('l)a').
15
PAST TENSE
O.
H.
E.
225 Cl^a
I,
O. E. H.
),
3 ('on elche of })ese
11,
times').
|)rie
For the latter, which rather represents an action or
a state of things as going on for a certain time, and might
be
called qualified duration,
of
which
on
fMange
we
have many more examples^
('oj) niht'), Chr. C. 1066
mention Chr. A. 871
1
Chr.
dseg'),
1100
E.
Ae. L. XX, 125
('aefre'),
C3rittig geara'), Ae. L. XXIII, 493 ('aefre'), Ae. L. XXlll B,
577 (Mange'), V. a V. 51, 5 ('})rie and j)rihti wintre and an
The complements, as may be seen above, maydenote perpetuity ('aefre'), or limited duration \ either in more
general terms (Mange on daeg'. Mange') or else by distinct
half).
statements
geara',
('drittig
'prie
and
Jjrihti
wintre and an
half).
according to the nature of the complehardly possible to decide whether point or
Occasionally,
ments,
is
it
length of time
where
is
may be rendered
Jjysan timan'
'to
as, for instance, in
meant,
Chr. E. 1104,
either
'at
by
this
time' or 'during this time'.
Often enough the definition lies in a separate clause,,
more or less connected with the clause where we have the
between
guish
category
Chr.
represented
A. 755; Ae. L.
these
all
'forte
cases,
The terms
XXXVII,
we have
1
employ
these:
1,
gyt smeagende
hwaet
we
2.
we
can distin-
The former
Ae. L. XVIII, 421
;
Ae. L.
89; V. a V. 149, 12; the latter in
I,
are
tenses
in
4;
to
O. E. H.
II,
do with an
and here the action
J^at'-clause,
1
nite
cases,
and limited duration.
actuality
find
584; O. E. H.
XXIII,
In
I
many
least in
at
Here,
periphrasis.
is
33 and 131.
'oddaet'-or
sometimes, as in
main uses of the
and decius se casere
to designate the
actuality,
gefaran
e.
g.
habban.
a
(Ae.
L.
XXIII,
defiis
nu
452.).
qualified duration, comprising: (a) perpetuity, e. g. Godd is haure
(V. a V. 137, 17.); (b) limited duration, e. g. fa waes he
fastinde.
seofon
mondas wunigende swa
blind.
(Ae.
L.
XXI,
270.).
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
14
Chr. A. 755, represented as going on
is
until a certain result
reached.
some
In
and clause
in
instances
we
combination of adverbial
find a
strengthen the force of the periphrasis, as
to
Chr. A. 755
48, 9); Chr. A. 855; Ae. L. XXI, 270;
(p.
Ae. L. XXIII B, 45 and 803.
On
tion
is
the whole,
the
clause,
are
on
said that,
where the
defini-
an adverb or an adverbial expression, the periphra-
sis implies qualified
of
may be
it
duration in by far the greatest
instances found, but that,
the
two
categories
when
the definition
and
actuality
number
is
a
limited duration
a balance with each other.
Examples.
Chr.
A.
755
48,
(p.
4).
and hie
on pone Cyning wcerun
alle
—
hine ofslaegenne haefdon;
[E: and he ealle on done cining feohtende wceron. o6 pet
hig hine ofslaegen haefdon.]
A. 755 (p. 48, 9). Ac hie simle feohtende waeran of) hie
—
A.
—
waeron op paet hie paer inne fulgon,
A. 855 (p. 66, 8). and py ilcan geare ferde to
feohtende
o[)
alle laegon
755
(p.
paet hie
butan anuni Bryttiscum gisle,
48, 26). and hie pa ymb pa gatu feohtende
micelre weorpnesse, and paer
and pa him ham weard
IE:
And
py
ilcan
was
.Xii.
Rome mid
monap wuniende,
for,
geare
ferde
to
Rome mid mycclum
—
wurdscipe. and paer wunade .Xii. monad, and he feng to
Karles dohter Francna cining pa he hamweard waes.]
A. 871 (p. 70, 28). and onfeohtende waeron op niht."
C. 918 (p. 105, 25). Ac swide hraedlice paes de hi paes geworden haefde heo gefor .Xii. nihtun ser middan sumera.
binnan Tama weorpige dy eahtopan geare paes de heo
Myrcna anweald mid riht hlaforddome healdende waes.
C. 1066 (p. 198, 23). and hi paer togaedere fengon. and
—
swyde heardiice lange on daeg feohtende waei-on.
D. 1052 (p. 175, 15). t>a waes Eadward cyng on Oleaw-
—
—
—
cestre sittende.
1085 (p. 215, 33). Da Willelm Englalandes cyng pe
pa waes sittende on Normandige. fordig he ahte aegder ge
E.
15
PAST TENSE
Chr.
—
geaxode. he ferde into
Englalande
Toforan see Michaeles maessan aetywde seo heofon
swilce heo for neah ealle j»a niht byrnende waere.
1100
E.
he
(p.
235, 21). and
waeran.
Imrh
yfelra
manna
raedas pe
and j)urh his agene gitsunga.
pas leode mid here and mid ungylde tyrwigende
gecweme
aefre
aefre
waes.
E. 1104 (p. 239, 21).
earmda pe
Ae.
I)is
E, 1098.
him
—
Normandige.
ge
Englaland
L.
147.
XIII,
Nis eade to asecgenne |)ises landes
timan dreogende waes.
hit to |)ysan
Wei we magon gedencan hu wel
mid
hit ferde
lis.
igland waes wunigende on sibbe.
witega waes awaeg farande.
ac god hine gecyrde pus him eft secgende.
Gecyr to ezechian
buta
pry suna he gestrynde. and hi siddan
|)a(Ja |)is
—
XVIII, 421.
—
XX,
125.
Isaias se
drittig
and
geara waeron wunigende butan haemede.
aelmyssan worhton. od pact se wer
fela
ferde
—
to
XXI,
1.
munuclicere drohtnunge.
ON EADGARES DAOUM D^S ^DELAN
CYNINCGES.
i)ADA se cristendom
waes wei deonde purh
god
on angel-cynne
—
|)a
270.
pa.
——
— —
geswutelode god
waes he seofon
and
—
—
—
—
—
to j>am halgan
— —
swydune.
he
XXIII, 220. and swa oft swa he into daere byrig code,
hine on waedlan hywe aeteowde. and dearnunga waes
smeagende hu hit on daes caseres hirede ferde.
and aefre he him waes onsittende paet hine sum man
493.
gecneowe.
Da he pus waes to heom sprecende. and swa hre584.
owlice his ceap gedrifan haefde. hi sona ealle up stodon.
and aefre waes his uneadnys wexende.
621.
Da
717.
swa
—
mondas wunigende swa blind.
he mid geleafan ferde
his hlyst naefde. oppaet
malchus pas word gehyrde pe se portgerefa him
he ofdraed sloh adun paer-
hetelice waes tosprcecende.
rihte.
he aras pa of paere flora, and of pam wacan saecce
pe he lange on-uppan dreorig waes sittende. and he pancode gode aelmihtigum.
801.
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
16
Ae.
L.
XXIII B, 45. swa he
sylf saede
Zosimus.
\ixt
he
sylf
waere
modorlicum beordrum on {>3et mynster befaest.
o\) [)aet |>reo and fiftigde gear he waes \tXT on |>am
regole drohtnigende. and aefter |)ysum he waes gecnyssed
fram
and
|>am
sumum gepancum.
and he waes |)us sprecende. hwaeder aenig munuc on
eordan sy.
f)as and pysum gelicum him {)encendum,
him aet-stod sum engel. and him to cwaed.
415.
Ac swilce me hwilc Strang meniu ongean stode.
fram
—
50.
— —
—
J)aet
me pone
wracu
ingang beluce. swa
duru bewerede; Odde ic
J)a
and pus ic seofontyne geare rynum on maenig-fealdum
frecednyssum swa swa ic aer cwaed. winnende waes on
eallum pingum op pisne andweardan daeg and me on
fultunie waes. and mine wisan reccende seo halige godes
562.
cennestre.
—
pus ic waes lange on maenig-fealdum. and mislicum
nydpearfnyssum. and on unmaetum costnungum winnende.
and wraxligende.
577.
—
803. and ] Zosimus on pam mynstre waes drohtnigende.
an hund wintra. and pa to drihtne hleorde.
XXV, 728. lonathas wunode on wurdmynte da lange.
and cynegas hine wurdodon mid wordum
—
—
XXXI,
—
XXXVII,
and gifum.
and he sige geferde on manegum gefeohtum.
and aefre waes winnende embe godes willan.
His mod waes swa-peah aefre embe mynstru
28.
smeagende.
4.
& he on cristes lare
wel peonde waes. oddaet he weard ge-hadod
to
—
—
—
—
seo faerh"ce godes
standende on paes
temples cafertune waes.
—
O.
me
eft
E,
halgum diacone.
weren wuniende
ane
on
ibeoden
on
heore
edmodliche
pa
upflore
com ferliche muchel swei of heofne
on })isse deie
Adam pa wes wniende on peses life mid geswince.
225.
Men pe waren wunende on elche of pese prie times
II, 3.
wisten gerne after ure lauerd ihesu cristes tocume alse
H.
we
1,
89.
Bat
halie hired cristes apostles
——
dod.
On pe niht and on pe time. l>e ure lafdi seinte marie
kennede of holie lichame ure louerd ihesu crist. were
herdes wakiende bi side pe buregh and wittende here
31.
oref.
33.
AI
mankin was wunende on muchele wowe.
PAST TENSE
forte pat ilke time
'.
I?
pat ure louerd ihesu crist
hem
t)arof
aredde.
II, 51. J)at israelisshe folc was walkende toward ierusalem
on swinche. and on drede. and on wanrede and |)o wile
was hersum godes hese.
51.
Ac efter |>an |)e hie weren wuniende in ierusa-
O. E. H.
—
—
lem.
— —
131.
for
|)0 hie forleten godes lore.
he nolde noht turnen ut of J)e hege weie. ne of
and was |)er-one werchende. and
|)e rihte pades.
to
for
he
p^^.
farende.
[com] to de ende pat is eche lif.
147, and on pis reuliche wei hie weren walkinde forte
pat hie
.
— —
comen
to
.
pe lichamh'che deade.
hlauerd lesus Crist, he was her on
Hue wuni^ende prie and prihti wintre and an half
mang senfulle mannen,
On da time de hie was hier on Hue libbende,
55, 1.
hit was iwriten: Maledicta sterilis,
67, 25. an riche iungman cam to Crist be do daigen de
he hier lichamliche was wuniende, and seide: Quid
V. a V.
Dies
51, 5.
ilke
dese
—
—
—
faciam,
— —
Hit seid in Vitas patrum dat at sume sal waren
149, 12.
de hali faderes to-gedere igadered, and waren spekinde
bitwen hem on (h)williche wise me mihte rihtist and
Sum sade Da sade on
sikerest to gode cumen.
of da eldest
—
:
— —
Remarks.
Ae. L. XXIII, 220.
was
actually
the
town.
smeagende' marks what he
*waes
engaged in at each of his visits
Here the sense of incompletion
especially prominent:
of.
The
no
definite result
is
to
is
thought
periphrasis might also be considered to
involve a slight shade of iteration: a comprehen-
sion of several single acts.
form
—
'aeteowde',
which
completed.
801. 'waes sittende'
Compare
denotes
a
the simple
single
act
= Modern English 'had been
sitting'.
—
XXIII B, 415. 'standende waes'
may perhaps be
2
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
18
rendered
correctly
by 'found myself standing'.
The extended tense seems
idea
of
result
should
to indicate that the
be linked together with
that of duration.
This example might, in some way,
compared with Ae. L. XXIII, 220: 'waren
V. a V. 140, 12.
be
comprehends the utterances of each
speaker ('Sum sade: — — which appears more
than once.) The discussion is represented as
spekinde'
',
to a kind of close
brought
(ii)
some
When
Undefined.
cases
very
vague
in
by 'Da sade
— —
undefined, the periphrasis
meaning
according to
'.
is in
modern
we
should here sooner expect the
indefinite tense nowadays: Chr. E. 1086; Ae. L. Ill, 566;
Ae. L. VI, 131; Ae. L. XXV, 276; V. a V. 41, 17; L. o
notions: that
K.
St.
verb
is
G.
64;
to say,
a
E.
2741.
in all these instances is
It
may be observed
that the
'wunigende'.
In other cases the participle partakes of
an adjectival
nature, as in Ae. L. XXIII, 702; Ae. L. XXIII B, 90; O. E.
H.
119 and
II,
L.
o
St.
K. 1353.
Apart from these two groups, however, one may
certainly hold that the past periphrastic, even when it
occurs
without
definitions,
has, to a considerable extent,
Modern English: it expresses that
an action or a state of things was going on under special circumstances, these
being indicated, more or less
The following may be considered
directly, in the context.
the
same functions as
as especially
L. XXIII B,
in
good examples: Ae. L. VII, 67 and 421,
41 and
187; Ae. L. XXV, 423; O. E. H.
I,
Examples.
Beow.
159.
(ac se) jegl«ca ehtende waes,
deorc deat>-scua dugupe ond geogope;
Ae.
93.
PAST TENSE
Beow.
Swa
3028.
se secg hwata
ladra spella;
19
secggende waes
and aet nyxtan naman heom hors. and ridon swa
wide swa hi woldon. and unasecgendlice yfel wircende
Chr, E. 994.
—
waeron.
Eala reowlic and wependlic tid waes
E. 1086,
swa manig ungelimp waes fordbringende.
AN ae{)ele laece waes wunigende on
Ill, 566.
{)aes
geares.
{)e
Ae. L.
byrig.
{laere
lOSEP
gehaten.
Se [)egn waes wunigende butan wifes neawiste.
^a cunnodan laecas hwi he licgende waere.
—
VI, 131.
—
421.
and cristen-dom waes peonde. and pa halgan wurdon
—
XVI,
161.
—
VII, 67.
fordan
gecydde.
|)e he mid sodfaestnysse ne sohte pone
haelend.
—
ac foxunga waeron wunigende on him.
se tima waes gesaelig
— —
XXI, 444.
and wynsum on angel-cynne. pa da eadgar
cynincg
pone cristen-dom ge-fyrdrode. and
fela
munuclifa araerde.
—
—
—
—
—
and
XXIII, 702.
and for j)aere micelan biysse synderlice he weop
and his heorte waes fcegnigende.
XXIII B, 32. Das wisan he ealle on him hcebbende waes.
and he naefre fram pam smeagungum haligra gewrita his
ofer aelcne.
mod awenda
90.
ac
paet
heora
paet
an
aelc
waes
waere
heom eailum
swidost fram
geefst.
on lichaman dead, and on gaste
libbende;
141.
aeghwilc
wyrcende
177.
187.
—
XXV,
—
423.
—
dyllic feoh waes
823.
habbende
—
—
wunigende on sibbe.
farende on eordan.
his cynerice waes
syddan
on
his
agenum ingehyde mid him sylfum
waes. his agenes geswinces gewitnysse hwaet
waes. and hwiicra geswinca saede sawende.
he
i)a wisan Zosimus georne behealdende waes.
He witodUce hire W3ds ehtende. and heo wxs fleonde;
276.
and his feower gebrodra him fylston anraedlice
and ealle da pe waeron wunigende mid his
faeder.
XXX,
and sloh da haedenan
od paet hi oncneowon
8.
paet se
him wid-feohtende waes.
Nacode he scrydde. and swa
nyd-behaefnysse he waes dcelende.
ic
pam
cena iudas
sodlice secge. ealle
pe paes behofodon.
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
20
—
XXX, 445. forpam ge waeron winnende on godan life,
and ge waeron for-pyldiende maenig-fealde cos[t]nunga.
and swa-peah naeron ofer-swi|)de. Cumad nu on sybbe.
XXXI, 622. cwaed eac paet nan man naere fram him
—
buton pam anum pe him onfeohtende waeron.
ac he ne ablan na swa-peah.
Ae.
L.
ofslagen
— —
1283.
mid seofon-nihte
faestene
him fore to-pingi-
ende.
od-paet he beget paes pe he biddende waes.
and heo pa daeghwamlice hire speda pearfendum daelde. and gelomlice heo cyrcan sohte. and mid
halsungum god waes biddende paet
XXXIV, 76. ^a cyne-helmas waeron wundorlice scinende
on rosan readnysse. and on lilian hwitnysse.
XXXV, 84. Polemius pa sona sende his frynd
to pam maedene darian and micclum waes
biddende
—
XXXIII,
7.
— —
—
paet
Mihhal eode bi-foren
and pa scawede mihhal
to sancte paul pa wrecche sunfulle pe per were wuniende
Nu eft on pisse deie purh pes halie gastes to-cume 1
93.
weren alle ispechen agein inumen. and isome fordon pet
cristes apostlas weren specende mid alle spechen.
95.
fordon pet he wes dreihninde on pissere worlde mid
for he ne remde ne of bitere
bilehwitnesse. and
O. E. H.
1,
41.
i
—
— —
.
speche nes.
—
\>t he dude pet heo weren birnende on godes
and bodiende umbe godes riche.
ec hie him segen on fures hewe al ich er seide.
II, 119.
and weren perof wallinde on sodere luue godes and
mannen.
V. a V. 41, 17. du aust te folgin dane riht[t]wise and onfald
lob, de was wuni^ende on dare woreld mid wiue and
95.
fordon
willan.
mid
L.
o
—
St.
children,
In pis ilke burh
K. 64,
wes
wuniende a meiden
1353.
't
berninde as he wes
of
grome
't
of teone,
bed bringen o brune
an ad amidden pe burh;
G. a
E. 2741.
Raguel
letro flat riche
Was wuniende in
He hadde seuene
man.
madian,
dowtres bi-geten;
^i
PAST TENSE
Remarks.
Beow. 3028.
occurs
This
rangue, and it
be ascribed to
with
view
a
may
lengthy habe that the periphrasis can
after a rather
certain idea of duration, viz.
a
the warrior took to
time
the
to
deliver his speech.
The
Ae. L. XXI, 444.
'and
used,
translation given in the edition
kingdom continued
his
in
peace'
exactly renders the meaning.
The
XXHI, 702.
—
—
money was
XXIIl
'haebbende waes'
by
XXX,
8.
de'
in the
'naefre'
several
to
edition
on the
current
is
earth'.
indirectly de-
is
next clause.
The context shows
applies
— —
—
B, 32.
fined
the
of
translation
'since the like
that 'waes daelen-
occasions:
*he
used to
was his habit to — —
XXXI, 622. The translation given here: *— —
no man had been slain by him save those only
*it
',
who
'.
were fighting against him' is not quite
The context leads me to prefer: 'who
accurate.
had been
—
The
certain
occasion
or
seems to imply a
note
the complement
intensity:
'mid halsungum', and the coordination with the
XXXIII,
7.
certain
idea
XXXV,
O. E. H.
eft
95.
I,
on
periphrasis
of
expressions 'daeghwamlice
and 'gelomlice
seems
—
a
perhaps rather on several different occasions during his former lifej.
iterative
—
(on
fighting'
84.
to
Q3.
— —
— —
daelde'
sohte'.
Here also an
intensive
meaning
be intended: 'micclum'.
There
is
an indirect definition
in
'Nu
})isse deie' in the first clause.
'dreihninde'.
The complement
'on J>issere
OLD AND EARLY MIDDLE ENGLISH
22
worlde'
is
here equivalent to an adverbial of time:
'during his whole
O. E. H.
I.
ticiple
life'.
The
95. 'birnende', 'bodiende'.
here
is
and
'bodiende'
this
idea
adjectival
so
in
(^=:
first
par-
burning, zealo