14.2 Grammatical and syntactical influences

Old English grammar left a lasting mark on modern English. While much has changed, traces of the old system remain in our pronouns, irregular nouns, and some word orders. These remnants offer a glimpse into the language's rich history.

The evolution from Old to Modern English saw a simplification of inflections and a shift to a more fixed word order. Yet, certain features persisted, shaping the unique character of English we use today.

Grammatical Influences of Old English on Modern English

Grammatical structures from Old English

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• Inflectional system
  • Old English had more complex inflections for nouns, adjectives, and determiners based on case (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative), number (singular, plural), and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter)
  • Modern English retains some remnants of this system in pronouns (he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs) and irregular plural nouns (man/men, foot/feet, tooth/teeth)
• Word order
  • Old English allowed more flexible word order due to its inflectional system, while modern English has a more fixed Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order
  • Traces of Old English word order persist in certain phrases (With this ring, I thee wed) and constructions (Whom did you see?)

Old vs modern English syntax

• Similarities
  • Both languages use Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) as the basic word order
  • Adjectives usually come before the nouns they modify
  • Prepositions indicate relationships between words
• Differences
  • Old English had more flexible word order because of its inflectional system
  • Old English used postpositions (words placed after the noun) more often than modern English
  • Old English had a dual number (for two people or things) in addition to singular and plural
  • Old English had grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) for nouns, while modern English does not

Old English impact on modern grammar

• Simplification of inflectional system
  • Modern English lost grammatical gender and dual number
  • Fewer cases for nouns and adjectives in modern English
  • Verb conjugations became simpler in modern English
• Retention of certain grammatical features
  • Irregular plural nouns and verb forms (mice, went)
  • Case distinctions in pronouns (I/me, he/him, she/her)
  • Use of "to" before infinitives (to go, to see)
• Influence on sentence structure
  • Predominantly Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order
  • Auxiliary verbs in questions and negatives (do, have, be)
  • Development of phrasal verbs (give up, turn off)

Evolution of English grammar

1. Middle English period (c. 1150-1500)
   • Gradual loss of inflectional endings due to language contact with Old Norse and Norman French
   • Increased use of prepositions to show grammatical relationships
   • Emergence of a more fixed Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order
2. Early Modern English period (c. 1500-1700)
   • Further simplification of inflectional system
   • Standardization of spelling and grammar
   • Expansion of vocabulary through borrowings from Latin and Greek (omnipotent, democracy)
3. Late Modern English period (c. 1700-present)
   • Relatively minor changes in grammar compared to earlier periods
   • Continued standardization of grammar and usage
   • Influence of globalization and technology on English language development (email, hashtag)