Ordering of Words and Syntax

Ordering of Words and Syntax

In the essay "Ordering of Words and Syntax",  C. L. Wren discusses how words are put togeher and how we understand grammar, its forms, meanings and uses.

Grammar is all about words: how they look, what they mean, and how we use them.  There are two important terms to understand the ordering of words: Accidence and Syntax.

Accidence: Accidence is all about the shapes of words and how they change. For example, when we add "-ed" to the end of a word like "walk" to make it past tense, that's accidence. So, "walk" becomes "walked." Another example is when we add "-ing" to a verb to show it's happening right now, like "walk" becoming "walking."

Syntax: Syntax is about how we arrange words to make sentences and what those words mean when they are used together. For instance, in the sentence "The cat chased the mouse," we have a subject ("the cat"), a verb ("chased"), and an object ("the mouse"). The way these words are put together follows the rules of syntax to make a complete sentence with a clear meaning.

Accidence deals with how words change their forms, like adding endings, while syntax deals with how we put those words together to make meaningful sentences.

Blending of Form and Meaning in Language:

Just like how language and thought are closely connected, accidence and syntax are closely connected too. Accidence helps us understand the form of words, while syntax helps us understand how to use those words to express our thoughts effectively in language. So, understanding one helps us understand the other. Accidence and syntax seem overlapping.

Overlap:  Example: she is running.

(A) Accidence tells us that "run" changes to "running" to show it's happening now.

(B) Syntax tells us how to use "running" in a sentence to convey a clear meaning of the state /act of run.

Understanding Verb Forms in Old English

In Old English, some verb endings had double or multiple duty. For example, the endings used for wishes were also used for possibilities or assumptions. So, when we see a verb ending like -e or -en, we have to think about its meaning, not just its form. If a verb ends in -e, it could mean a wish, a reported statement, or an assumption.

Grammar teaches us the endings, but we need to look at how they're used in sentences to understand their meaning. This study of usage in sentences is called "syntax." Syntax helps us figure out if the verb is expressing a wish (optative) or a possibility (subjunctive).

In Old English, verbs ending in "-e" and "-en" were common. Here are some examples:

1. Verb ending in "-e":

   • "lufian" (to love), "singen" (to sing),"cweþen" (to say)

2. Verb ending in "-en":

   • "habben" (to have) "seon" (to see), "don" (to do)

Examples:

1. If we see the verb "love" ending in "-e" in Old English,

(A)  it might express a wish like:

 "Gif hē lufie hire." -  "May he love her" (optative)  or

(B) it might express a possibility like "He might love her" (subjunctive).

2. The form "-en" could indicate

(A) a wish like:

 "Gif hīe singen." means "May they sing" (optative) or

(B) a possibility like "They might sing" (subjunctive).

Empty Forms and full forms of Words : Kenemes and Pleremes

Kenemes: Empty Forms Words like "and," "the," or "at" in Greek are referred to as "kenemes." These words don't carry much meaning on their own.

In grammar, we analyze how they're used, but they only gain significance when placed within a sentence.

Syntax delves into their role within a sentence - whether they connect ideas (like "and"), specify something (like "the"), or indicate location (like "at"). Yet, it's challenging for a syntactician to understand their function until they encounter them in context. Before that, they remain as empty forms. Only when these words are within a sentence can their purpose be determined - whether they serve as a conjunction, definite article, or preposition.

Pleremes: Words with Meaning Contrasting with kenemes, "pleremes" are words that carry inherent meaning even without context. Examples include "dog," "hunt," or "tired." Therefore, kenemes are described as "empty words," while pleremes are termed as "words with meaning.

Dead forms and living forms of Language:

Then C. L Wren discusses the distinction between "dead forms" and "living forms" within language, using examples to illustrate their differences.

Living Forms: Living forms are those elements of language that are still actively used and can evolve over time. For instance, suffixes like "-ness" to form abstract nouns or "-ize" to create verbs are considered living forms because they can be applied to new words entering the language.

1. Examples: Suffixes like "-ment" (enjoyment, development) or "-ize" ( organize, symbolize, sovietize) or “-ness” (softness, smartness) that are actively used to create new words in English.

2. Compound words such as "smartphone" or "email" that are formed by combining existing words to represent new concepts or technologies.

3. Slang terms like "selfie" or "emoji" that emerge in response to contemporary cultural trends and are widely adopted in everyday language.

Dead Forms: Dead forms are like old things that are still around but not used much anymore. They've lost their original meaning but are still found in certain phrases or sayings. For example, in "I'd rather," the "'d" is a short way of saying "had," which used to show a certain way of thinking called the subjunctive mood. Even though we don't use the subjunctive mood much anymore, we still say things like "if I were" sometimes. These old forms are like leftovers from the past that we still see today.Top of Form

More Examples:

1. Archaic pronouns like "thou" and "thee" in English, which were once commonly used but have largely fallen out of modern usage.

2. Old-fashioned verb conjugations such as "thou goest" or "heareth" that were prevalent in Early Modern English but are no longer used in contemporary speech.

3. Phrases like "to and fro" or "beck and call" that retain their fixed word combinations and meanings, despite the individual words' origins being less understood in modern contexts.

Solitary survival of “The’ as correlative:

In earlier use, "the" in phrases like "the more, the merrier" functioned as a correlative, indicating that as one thing increased, so did another. While its original meaning has faded, the phrase remains in use today to express that having more of something increases enjoyment.

Lasly, C.L. Wren writes about two ways to study a language. Wren suggests that to fully understand a language, it's important to study it both historically and in its current form.

1. Historical Approach (Diachronic): This looks at how a language has changed over time, understanding its current state by studying its past development. By knowing its history, we can better understand why the language is the way it is today.

2. Present State Approach (Synchronic): This focuses only on how the language is used right now, without considering its past. This method might seem more objective because it avoids biases from historical knowledge. However, it's not complete because it doesn't consider how the language evolved to its current state.

Conclusion: Language is a dynamic and multifaceted phenomenon that requires a multifaceted approach to study effectively. By considering both its historical evolution and present usage, we can get a deeper understanding of language and its role in human communication and culture.