- •Module 6 old english vocabulary
- •1. Etymological survey of the Old English vocabulary
- •Etymological layers of the Old English vocabulary
- •1.2. Foreign element in the Old English vocabulary
- •1.2.1. Borrowings from Celtic
- •1.2.2. Latin influence on the Old English vocabulary
- •The first layer of Latin borrowings in Old English
- •The second layer of Latin borrowings in Old English
- •2.1. Word structure
- •2.2. Ways of word-formation
- •Word-derivation
- •2.2.1.1. Suffixation
- •Substantive Suffixes
- •Word-formation in oe
- •Adjective Suffixes
- •Verb Suffixes
- •2.2.1.2. Prefixation
- •Prefixes
- •2.2.2. Composition
- •3. Stylistic stratification of the Old English vocabulary
- •4. Conclusions
Adjective Suffixes
The suffix -ede derives adjectives from the group ”adjective stem + substantive stem”, as in micelhēafdede ‘largeheaded’, sometimes from a single substantive stem: hōcede 'hooked', healede ’broken’. It is productive.
The suffix -ihte derives adjectives from substantive stems, usually accompanied by mutation: stænihte 'stony' from stān 'stone',ðyrnihte ’thorny’ from ðorn 'thorn' (< *ðurn).
The suffix -i also derives adjectives from substantive stems, sometimes accompanied by mutation: hāli ‘holy’ (from hāl 'whole'), mōdi 'proud' (from mōd 'feeling'), misti ‘misty’ (from mist 'mist'), isi ‘icy’ (from īs ‘ice’), bysi 'busy', dysi ‘foolish’. It is productive.
The suffix -en (from -in) accompanied by mutation derives adjectives from substantives: ylden 'golden' from old 'gold' (< *uld), wyllen 'woollen' (from wulle 'wool'), stænen made of stone (from stān 'stone'), līnen 'flaxen' (from lin 'flax').
The suffix -isc, usually accompanied by mutation, derives adjectives, mostly denoting nationality: Enlisc 'English', Frencisc ’French’, Welisc 'Welsh', mennisc ‘human’, folcisc ‘popular’. A productive suffix.
The suffix -sum derives adjectives from substantive, adjective, and verb stems: sibbsum 'peaceful' (from sibb 'peace'), lansum 'dreary' (from lan 'long'), hīersum 'obedient' (from hīeran 'hear', 'obey'). A productive suffix.
The suffix -feald (cf. the verb fealdan 'fold') derives adjectives from numeral and adjective stems: þriefeald 'threefold', seofonfeald’'sevenfold’, manifeald 'manifold'.
The suffix -full (from the adjective full 'full') derives adjectives from abstract substantive stems: sorfull 'sorrowful', synnfull 'sinful', carfull 'full of care'.
The suffix -leas (from the adjective lēas 'deprived') derives adjectives from verb and substantive stems: slæplēas 'sleepless', elēaflēas 'unbelieving', ārlēas 'deprived of honour', reccelēas 'reckless'.
The suffix -līc (from the substantive līc 'body') derived adjectives from substantive and adjective stems: eorþlīc 'earthly', frēondlīc 'friendly', luflīc 'full of love', earlic 'yearly', ōdlīc 'pleasant', dēadtīc 'deadly', ænlic 'unique'.
The suffix -weard derives adjectives from substantive, adjective, and adverb stems: hāmweard 'homeward', middeweard 'middle', inneweard 'internal'.
Verb Suffixes
Verb suffixes were few and non-productive. They can be illustrated by -s in clænsian, a verb derived from the adjective clæne (NE clean) and -læc in nēalæcan 'come near, approach' and æfenlæcan, an impersonal verb meaning 'the approach of evening’ (R вечереть).
The suffix -s- accompanied by mutation derives verbs from substantive and adjective stems: blētsian 'bless' < *blēdsian (from blōd 'blood'; the original meaning was ‘sprinkle with blood'); clænsian 'cleanse' (from clæne 'clean'), mærsian 'announce' (from mære 'famous'); rimsian 'rage'.
The suffix -læc- (with mutation front -lāc-) also derives verbs: nealæcan ‘approach', erihtlæcan 'acquit'.
The suffix -ett- derives verbs: bliccettan 'sparkle', sporettan ‘spur’, cohhettan 'cough', ceahhettan 'croak'.