English is (still) a West Germanic language

Bech, Kristin; Walkden, George

English is (still) a West Germanic language

Files

Bech_0-405443.pdf(276.31 KB)

Date

2016

Authors

Bech, Kristin

Walkden, George

Publication type

Journal article

Publication status

Published

Published in

Nordic Journal of Linguistics ; 39 (2016), 1. - pp. 65-100. - ISSN 0332-5865. - eISSN 1502-4717

Abstract

In their recent book, English: The Language of the Vikings, Joseph Embley Emonds and Jan Terje Faarlund attempt to make the case that from its Middle period onwards, English is a North Germanic language, descended from the Norse varieties spoken in Medieval England, rather than a West Germanic language, as traditionally assumed. In this review article we critique Emonds & Faarlund's proposal, focusing particularly on the syntactic evidence that forms the basis of their argumentation. A closer look at a number of constructions for which the authors suggest a Norse origin reveals that the situation is not as they present it: in many cases, the syntactic properties of Old and Middle English are not given careful enough consideration, and/or the chronology of the developments is not compatible with a Norse origin. Moreover, the authors do not engage with the large body of sound changes that constitute the strongest evidence for a West Germanic origin. We conclude that Emonds & Faarlund fail to make a convincing case either for a North Germanic origin or against a West Germanic origin.

Subject (DDC)

400 Philology, Linguistics

Keywords

Anglicized Norse, language classification, language contact, Middle English, Old English, syntactic change

Cite This

ISO 690

BECH, Kristin, George WALKDEN, 2016. English is (still) a West Germanic language. In: Nordic Journal of Linguistics. 39(1), pp. 65-100. ISSN 0332-5865. eISSN 1502-4717. Available under: doi: 10.1017/S0332586515000219

BibTex

@article{Bech2016-05Engli-38536,
  year={2016},
  doi={10.1017/S0332586515000219},
  title={English is (still) a West Germanic language},
  number={1},
  volume={39},
  issn={0332-5865},
  journal={Nordic Journal of Linguistics},
  pages={65--100},
  author={Bech, Kristin and Walkden, George}
}

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