NOWELE. North-Western European Language Evolution - Volume 75, Issue 2, 2022

Abstract

The article addresses a selection of meanings fundamental to linguistic discourse in Icelandic. Their diverse lexical manifestations were collected from twenty-four works, produced during eight centuries: from the First Grammatical Treatise (1130–1140) to Alexander Jóhannesson’s Frumnorræn málfræði (1920), by which time current grammatical terminology had for the most part reached its “modern” state. The excerpted data is analyzed with regard to its internal organization, by exploring the nature of its systematization, the strategies employed in coining grammatical terminology, and the relationship between current Icelandic grammatical terminology and medieval and early-modern terminology. From the analysis it becomes clear that: (1) calquing (mostly structural) and autonomous word coinage are the most prolific strategies, whereas borrowing and the employment of inherited lexemes are marginal; (2) Latin is the principal direct model for terms, and Danish constitutes another important source. Direct influence of Ælfrician terminology on the Old Icelandic grammatical lexicon is questionable; (3) the terminology currently used primarily comprises terms stemming from the 19th, and to a lesser extent the 18th century, with medieval terminology still being employed only in the case of very basic terms.

Abstract

This is a study of the semantics of definiteness marking and of its applicability to the Old East Scandinavian linguistic scenario. Contrary to the Modern Continental Scandinavian languages, Old East Scandinavian varieties did not possess fully-fledged definite articles, although all three demonstrative systems (hinn, -inn, sá/þænn, and sjá/þænni) show some evidence of being used as markers of definiteness. A semantic analysis of these forms in extracts from the Scanian Law and Guta Lag reveals the differentiated intermediate stages along the cline of grammaticalisation these definiteness markers found themselves in during this linguistic period. This confirms, in turn, that despite not being employed as definite articles proper, hinn, -inn and sá/þænn show some degree of semantic bleaching.

Abstract

This article examines the limited productivity of a minimally schematic Icelandic microclass, originally containing bók ‘book’, bót ‘patch’, brók ‘trousers’, nót ‘fishing net’, and rót ‘root’ only. Productivity is betrayed by the addition of feminine blók ‘nonentity’ and forms of neuter kók ‘Coke™’. While plural nominative/accusative blækur and kækur speak to the productivity of the microclass specifically, doublet forms in both paradigms follow multiple inflection classes. Some are of the opinion that plural kækur belies real language use, as it is only used for humorous effect. The current paper applies a usage-based cognitive analysis to the relevant data with two objectives. First, to account for graded membership in the microclass as a function of limited productivity. Secondly, to demonstrate that innovative kækur and blækur are deduced by identical means. It is concluded that productivity is a property of language use, which is posited as a function of analogy.

Abstract

This article focuses on the practical problems that go along with the sequencing of older non-standardised spelling forms into consonant and vowel graphemes. The issue of segmental parsing is important in research on the development of Dutch spelling, mostly drawing from thirteenth and fourteenth century charter spellings. The research aims are introduced in part 1, and then the problems of defining graphs and then syllables are discussed in part 2. These problems stem from the theoretical graphemic level, but have a very direct impact on the practical level, as they hinder the automatic parsing of tokens in the corpus, as discussed in part 3. The goal of this article is to provide partial solutions in parsing of non-standardised language data for graphemic research.

This article reviews A Historical Morphology of English

This article reviews The Runic Inscriptions of the Isle of Man