THE ANIMACY HIERARCHY AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE <i>NOTAE AUGENTES</i> IN OLD IRISH
2008; Royal Irish Academy; Volume: 58; Issue: -1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.3318/eriu.2008.58.55
ISSN2009-0056
Autores Tópico(s)Lexicography and Language Studies
ResumoA previously unknown restriction on the notae augentes in Old Irish is dem onstrated here: the appearance of a nota augens after a verb containing an infixed pronoun is governed by a rigid and exceptionless hierarchy that is sensitive to the person of the subject and object, as well as to whether the subject and object are human or non-human. It is further demonstrated that the notae augentes of the third person refer (almost) exclusively to humans. Apart from rather cursory descriptions in the handbooks (GOI ?403-4, VKG II.137ff) and brief discussions of the etymologies of some forms (Sims-Williams 1984,151; Schrijver 1997,17-25; McCone 2006,214^24), the notae augentes (henceforth, notalnotae) have been largely ignored, most likely because they have not appeared interesting to scholars of either diachronic or synchronic linguistics. In point of fact, the notae do have something of interest to offer, as this study aims to show. Before proceeding, however, we should review the basic facts about the function, forms and distribution of the notae (as in GOI ?403-4). Traditionally, it has been assumed that the notae served to reinforce or emphasise the pronominal element with which they were associated. The classical forms, as found in the glosses, are given below. The alternants arise based on the quality of the preceding sound: lsg. -sa I -se lpl. -nai I -ni (once -sni) 2sg. -so I -siu 2pl. -si 3sg. m. / n. -som, -sum I -seom, -slum 3pl. -som, -sum 3sg. f. -si There is also a rare form -sa, which is sometimes found for -som in archaic sources (GOI p. 694, addenda to ?403), though it will not figure in * For their comments on the oral version of this paper I would like to thank the partici pants of Tion?l 2007. For their comments and corrections on the written version I would like to thank David Stifter, Stefan Schumacher, an anonymous referee, and the editors of Eriu. I also wish to acknowledge that this work is partially supported by FWF (Austrian Science Funds) grant # P19137-G03, 'W?rterbuch der air. Glossen in der Mail?nder HS Ambr. C301 DOI: 10.3318/ERIU.2008.58.55 Eriu lviii (2008) 55-75 ? Royal Irish Academy This content downloaded from 207.46.13.77 on Tue, 17 May 2016 04:29:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
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