Yoko Iyieri PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText - University ...

period of ME and especially outstanding in late ME, where ne ... not
and not are common elsewhere. 28 One of the reasons why never, no,
etc. are common in existential clauses is that the employment of
before the noun involved in existential clauses is almost established,
although as the table shows, it is not obligatory.29
3.2.16. General remarks
From the above discussion, the following conclusions may be drawn.
Clauses with never, no, etc. rarely supply the adverb while
never, no, etc. freely occur together with the adverb ne. This seems
to be a feature which overrides all the other syntactic conditions
discussed above. Since not itself is in origin an element to
strengthen the negative force, clauses with never, no, etc. need not
employ not in addition.
Outside this fairly prevailing rule, the strength of the negative
proposition should be considered. Negative imperative clauses, which
is almost equivalent to a prohibition, commonly present ne ... not and
not as opposed to ne throughout the ME period. Never, no, etc. are
28 The point is noted by myself at least about Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales. Never, no, etc. are common in existential clauses,
but if they are not involved, ne alone rather than ne ... not or not
is predominant even in this late text (Iyeiri 1989a: 14).
29 Apart from existential clauses, the use of no(n) is almost
established before nouns with such meanings as 'wonder', 'need',
'help', and 'doubt' as well. Examples include:
Bot 1a3 Je ende be heuy haf 3e no wonder (GGK 496)
"There-of no wondir thinkith me" (SMA 635)
"Ne drede 3e no3t, myn leue frende : 3e ne schulle} haue
no nede" (Ferumbras 3320)
Of ojur hous 1'an her arne haue we no nede (A&D 62)
Bot for al that yit dar I say,
I finde unto miseif no bote (CA 185/2050-1)
Agayne }e wyles of wemen to wer is no bote (PT 448)
173
He prechede hom of Godes sone . he ne bileuede for no
doute (SEL 166/68).