Gram - SEAS

160 6 Clause-internal morphological changes
Table 6.6 Old Icelandic present
indicative reflexive verb fo rms
I
2
3
Singular
finnomk
finzk (z = [-t+s-])
finzk
Plural
finnomsk
finnezk
finnask
(a) Phonological assimilation. The pronoun and its host merge phonologi­
cally. For example, if the stem ends in an apical such as t or p the combi­
nation is pronounced [tsk] (spelled zk). The form bauzk < baup sik cited
above is an example of this.
(b) "Syncretism," the merging of different parts of a paradigm into a single
form. This occurs in two ways. One is syncretism of person/number. The
other is syncretism of case.
The third-person-reflexive sik spreads to other persons, and is found already in the
earliest texts in all forms except the first person. Thus the inflection ofjinnask 'to
find oneself' in the present indicative is in the oldest Old Icelandic manuscripts
as shown in Table 6.6. The third-person-singular/plural reflexive pronoun sik has
spread to the second-person-singular/plural. The first-person-singular reflexive mik
(> -mk) has spread to the plural. In addition, the first-person plural has assumed
the third person, yielding a complex suffix -msk. Therefore of the five potential
possibilities for autonomous reflexive pronouns only two remain.
We turn now to the second kind of syncretism, that of case. The autonomous
reflexive corresponding to -sk is the accusative sik. But -sk is found in environments
where a genitive or dative would be expected. For example, in (23a) the autonomous
pronoun ser is in the dative, but its enclitic form is -sk in (23b):
(23) a. Hann eignaOe ser rfke.
He appropriated to-himself kingdom
'He appropriated the kingdom to himself.'
b: Hann eignaOesk rfke.
he appropriated-himself kingdom
'He appropriated the kingdom to himself.'
Both kinds of syncretism are exemplified in (24a, b):
(24) a. Er hefneO yOuar Ii honom.
you revenge yourselves:GEN:PL on him
'You revenge yourselves on him.'
b. Er hefnezk Ii honom.
You revenge-yourselves on him
(Heusler 1921: 141-2)
(Heusler 1921: 141-2)