Word order in the history of English.

A large number of inflections in OE which showed the role of this or that word. There are a number of word patterns which were prevailing ones.

SPO1O2

SOP

PSO

SOP – generally occurred in dependent clauses or when the object was expressed by a pronoun. Eg: þa hēo þæt genisde

(S) (О) (Р)

она то услышала

PSO (inversion) – was to be found in sentences which open which adverb. modifier. Eg: þā cwæþ hēo tō him.

In Modern English has to be found existancial sentences or sentences with the construction there is/are. Eg: There are 10 people there.

It was a full adverb which took the first position. Eg: Huæt canst(P) þu(S)? (что умеешь ты?).

The fixation of word order became more strict.

Types of syntactical relations between words in the history of English.

Types: agreement; government; joining.

1. agreement mainly used in attribute groups to denote the relation between an adj/pron and the substantive: eg: sæ‾re bēc (that book) (Dat).

2. Government – substantive pron. stands in a certain case (Acc, Dat, Gen) depends on the head word: Eg: andsnare onfōn (receive answer): -subst. Acc – transitive verb. Eg: nēosian hūses (approach the houses).

3. Joining – an adj referring to a verb/adj is connected with it without any formal means.

ME:

1. agreement – was reduced < reduced morphological system. Only agreement in number survived for strong declension adj and pron. Eg: fresshe floures (fresh flowers).

2. government has no essential changes in ME;

3. joining was widened by the reduction of agreement.

NE:

1. agreement goes on decreasing. Only THIS and THAT still agree in number with their head word.

2. government – only personal pron, interrogative. and relative pron which are governed.

3. joining – old wrinkles – the adj connected with the head word by joining.