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

That I meseJ.f es noht worthi
Bifor him for to sit on knes,
The binding of his scho to les (EMH 49/2-4)
Of wemen werkes wilnet ho none (DT 3996)
3yf janne jyn erend sped ne sette (HS 365).
The situation of multiple negation, which most frequently
corresponds to double negation, also reveals a stage at which the
reduction of multiple negation caused by the loss of ne has occurred
to an extensive degree. See the table below:
Multiple negation in Group 3
Group 3 the number of! ne + other I without ne I Totals
I I negatives j_ne gative(s) I
IEMH two negativesl 14 (63.6%)I 8 (36.4%)! 22
more than twoj 2 (40.0%)! 3 (60.0%)! 5
1CM Itwo negativesl 60 (43.2%)! 79 (56.8%)I 139
I Imore than two 3 (8.3%)! 33 (91.7%)I 36
ICA two negativesl 33 (44.6%)I 41 (55.4%)! 74
I more than two 8 (42.1%)! 11 (57.9%)! 19 I
IHS Itwo negatives 70 (29.3%)! 169 (70.7%)! 239 I
I bore than two 21 (30.O%)I 49 (70.0%)! 70 I
IGGK Jtwo negatives 5 (21.7%)I 18 (78.3%)! 23 I
I more than two 1 (8.3%)! 11 (91.7%)! 12 I
I&MA two ne gatives! 6 (15.0%)! 34 (85.0%)! 40
I Imore than two! 2 (9.5%)! 19 (90.5%)! 21
II)T Itwo ne gatives! 8 (6.5%)! 116 (93.5%)! 124
I Imore than two! 0 I 61 (100.0%)! 61 I
ISMA Itwo negativesl 46 (64.8%)! 25 (35.2%)! 71 I
more than two! 9 _(75.O%)I 3 (25.0%)! 12 I
Some illustrative examples follow:
Bot ye no knaw him noht, I wisse (EMH 48/24)
Wydur to wende ne wat he noght (CM 64)
Non other reson thei ne fonge (CA 256/1111)
Y ne shal skape for no nede (I-IS 4890)
And he nikked hym naye, he nolde bi no wayes (GGK 2471)
Whylls sexty ware seruede soo, ne sessede they neuer
(AMA 2132)
Ne hopis Jou noght, hend doghtur, J'at our hegh goddes
Wold be wrothe at our werkes, & wisshe vs to skathe
(PT 8145-6)
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