From Phonology to Syntax: Pronominal Cliticization in Otfrid's Evangelienbuch

This monograph is an investigation of cliticization processes attested throughout Otfrid von Weissenburg's Old High German Evangelienbuch. Its central argument may be simply stated: attestations such as meg ih (< mag ih) 'I am able to,' theiz (< thaz iz) 'that it,' and wolt er (< wolta er) 'he wanted' comprise a host and clitic and are all manifestations of one unified process of cliticization. Establishing the crucial elements of the argument, however, requires that we reach beyond a phonological and prosodic account of the cliticization process. In order to show that attested clitic groups are actively produced, as opposed to lexically listed or grammaticalized, this work examines Otfridian clause structure, an analysis that provides an alternative to the more traditional treatment of clitics within the framework of grammaticalization theory. Finally, as the Evangelienbuch is a work of poetry, the effect of the meter on cliticization patterns is also addressed.

Auteur

Katerina Somers Wicka, University of Georgia, USA.