The Syntax of Early English - Cryptm.org

54 The syntax of early English(43) Eala, hwy is is gold adeorcad?‘Oh, why is this gold tarnished?’ (CP 18.133.10)The word order in both types of questions is the inverted order finiteverb–subject, except when the question word is itself the subject. The maindifference with the present-day language is that inversion is not restricted toauxiliaries; all lexical finite verbs take part in this, as noted above. When thequestion word is part of a PP, the preposition is fronted with its complement.There is no ‘P-stranding’ of the preposition equivalent to present-day ‘Whodid you give the book to?’:(44) To hwæm locige ic buton to æm eamodum . . . ?towhom look I except to the humble‘To whom do I look except to the humble . . . ?’ (CP 41.299.18)There are also (independent) questions introduced by hwæer, which differ inimportant ways from the yes–no and wh-questions discussed above. The whwordis always hwæer, inversion does not occur as it does in other independentquestions and the verb is in the subjunctive (almost always in thepresent tense):(45) a andsworede se Wisdom 7 cwæ: Hwæer u nu fullicethen answered the wisdom and said whether you now fullyongiteforhwy hit onne swa sie?understand (subj) why it then so is (subj)?‘Then Wisdom answered and said: Do you now understand why it is so?’(Bo 33.74.25)The subject–verb order, the use of the subjunctive and the frequency of OVword orders are all characteristics of subordinate clauses. This betrays the originof this type of question as an indirect question, with hwæer as a conjunction.2.4.2 NegationOld English is a negative concord language: any negative sentence cancontain multiple negative elements, but this results in only one single logicalnegation. An example:(46) . . . æt heora nan ne mehte nanes wæpnes gewealdan...that of-them none not could no weapon wield‘. . . that none of them could wield any weapon’ (Or 4.10.103.24)A key element in Old English negation is the negative particle ne. This is usedalmost invariably in any negative clause and always occurs on the immediateleft of the finite verb. In sentence negation, ne alone is used in the vast majorityof cases: