The Syntax of the Genitive Case in the Lindisfarne Gospels, Vol. 1 (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Christian Emil Bale

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0483059439 ISBN 13: 9780483059436

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Explore how the genitive case shapes meaning in early English texts.

This scholarly work examines the wide range of relations expressed by the genitive in West-Saxon prose, with particular attention to its partitive use, possessive readings, and how adjectives and verbs interact with this case. Drawing on edition notes and linguistic contrast, the study clarifies how seemingly subtle shifts in case marking affect interpretation across texts from the Lindisfarne Gospels to related West-Saxon and Northumbrian materials.

The analysis blends historical grammar with practical examples, showing how the genitive communicates possession, origin, quantity, and related ideas. It also discusses interactions with pronouns, numerals, and demonstratives, and how Latin translations influence genitive usage in translations and glosses. By mapping a broad set of verbs and adjectives to their genitive tendencies, the book offers a concrete guide to reading and understanding early medieval syntax.

• Understand the range of genitive functions beyond simple possession, including partitive and adjectival uses.
• See how verbs of activity, emotion, and description influence genitive assignment and interpretation.
• Learn how comparison across related languages and editions informs modern understanding of West-Saxon grammar.
• Explore notes on manuscript transmission and edition practices that affect linguistic analysis.

Ideal for students and researchers of historical English linguistics, lexicography, and manuscript studies, as well as readers seeking a clearer view of how early English syntax operates in practice.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0483059439
• ISBN 13: 9780483059436
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 303