RAYMONDHICKEY A valencyframework for the Old Englishverb The purposeof the presentpaper is to offer tentativelya descriptionof OE verbs,as they occur in attestedsentences,l in terms of the valencies2which can be establishedfor them. The term OE verb as it occursin the title refers to the set of independentverbs which havespecific and differentiatedvalency frameworks: (t) {vl = { v,u, v<j> v,r,,} where i, j . n representone or more valenciesand wherei+ j.I specifythat the set consistsof independentverbs (notated as V1) as two further setsalso exist: that of modals,V-, and that of audliaries,Vu. lvhile thesehave com- plements(two and two only: CO, the subjectcomplement and C9, the verba- tive complement, a non-finite verb foim, i.e. an infinitive or past participle) they are not capable of forming a sentenceof their own. In dependency analysisthe sentenceis the basicunit and consistsof any syntacticsequence which contains a finite form of an independent verb (or a modal/auxiliary with a non-finite form of an independentverb) accompaniedby the comple- ments demandedby its valency framework. In elliptical circumstancessome (though neverall) of thesecomplements may not be realised.3 The effectivity of applying dependencyformalisms to (Modern) English has been shown to be considerable(see Emons, 1974; Emons, l97B; and Hickey, 1980) if the formalism is adaptedto deal specificallywith the contin- genciesof Englishsyntax. The basicprinciple of elaboratinga systemof com- plementationa categorieswhich cover the totality of possiblevalencies for the verbs of a languageis maintained although the actual valenciesmay differ considerablyfrom one languageto another. The most exhaustiveframeworks developedthus far are those for German(see Engel, 1977; Engel/Schumacher, 2 1978;and Helbig/Schenkel,1969 for typical examples). In a languagesuch as Modern English position within a syntagm is used as a cue for the recognitionof complementationcategories. With OE, how- ever, categoriescan be identified on the grounds of morphological marking and/or governmentby prepositionsand conjunctions,this last also fulfilling 200 Raymond Hickey A valencyfrantework for the Old English verb 201 an identifying function in Modern English. In the valency framework pre- quoted in the finite form in which it occurs.Adjuncts (marked simply .A') sentedhere no attempt is made to determinedeep structuress for OE verbal as will be placed outside valency brackets. If an infinitive constructions:what is of relevance(given the theoreticalbasis I affiliatemy- is quoted then the valency brackets contain the set of complementspossible with that verb. For self with) is the manifestationof actual verbal constructions.6However a reasonsof practicality these are indicated by a seriesof valencydescription goes beyond a mere taxonomy of verbalforms: in assign- dots so that if I begin with the abovesentence I may write ing valenciesto theseit attains an element of prediction:t if the valencies are correct then we know that a verb x with the valencyy will alwaysoccur (4) cwe6m<g2...> in a syntagm of a given type (in nature and number of complementation categories). which I may procede to expand on collecting attestationsof largervalencies Central to any valency description is the system of complementation such as which obtains.Most sentenceelements apart from the verb itself can be a (5) He cwep sodliceto his leorningcnihtum. cwnpag4Ty complementto the verb. With OE a tenfold 'He division of complementtypes spoketruly to his disciples'. seems appropriate. This division allows a discriminating analysis of those elements which appear in a sentencedue to the demands (or possibilities) (6) vi given by the main verb. They include not only the normal four categoriesd (cwap) of surface casein OE but also a further six divisions which rely more on a I notional interpretation of complementation.It should not, however, be J imagined that theseare casecategories in a Fillmore sensef they may coin- c4 C7 (to I cide in someinstances but that is merely coincidental.The basicorientation (he) his leorningcnihtum)r (so6lice) of the system of complementationofferecl here is towards surfaceforms. which allows me to write Thesewill of coursealso reflect semanticrelations with the verb and to that (7) cwedm<024...> extent they also betray a partial origin outsideof the requirementsof surface syntax. and so forth.r2 The ordering of complementsin the stemmausually places the complementsfrom left to right in numericalorder and is not supposedto correspondto the linear sequenceof the actual sentence;again it may I Complementationcategories do so by coincidence.A subscript, is used after a complementto denotethat it is complex,i.e. that it containsmore than one occurrenceof the elementwhich The numberingof the categoriesof complementationis in itself arbitraryro is minimally requiredto representthis category(additive complexity) or that but hasthe advantageof mirroring(in most cases)the frequencyof occurence it itself governsfurther elements(dependent complexity, for examplessee of such categories.Thus the subjectof the sentencehas the designationCO asin below). This, with an instanceof CO should it consistof two nouns,obtains (2) He cwep sodlice. cwrp197y the notation CO.. This is frequently so with disjunctedcomplements in OE 'He spoketruly'. such as (8) Petrus which can be representedstemmatically as eodeut and seober leorningcniht .odr,o", ?eter and the other disciplewent out'. (3) vt (cwaP)\., The categoryCO doesnot alwaysrequire to be realisedin OE, as for example, in coordinatedsentences. In such casesthe coordinatedsentence, seen in de- cor'/ pendencyterms, is connectedof necessitywith the first one: (he) (sodlice) (9) And hi him lustliceti36odon and him biscop sendon. ti3Ooden sendonq6l3y With each sentenceI also give a valency description of its main verb which is (o3z); A valency for the Old English verb 203 202 Raymond Hickey framework 'And they granted(it) to him willingly and sent a bishopto \ (acsode) him'. (10) Nc (and)--Vr -Nc(and) (ti36odon) (sendon) co cl cl^ c8 ,l+\ (man) (hine) (hiylcne crefthe cuile) Ou) / J\ 'complement' This fact is of importance in an attempt to define the category co c3 c7 cQ cl c3 'adjunct'. (hJl (biscop)(him) and demarcate it from that of A formal criterion which is generally - _9jyl--!:*I'l F valid (preciselywith the exceptionof a doublecl) is that a complementdoes The broken-linedarrow indicatesthe referenceidentity of the CO in the first not occur twice in the samesentence whereas an adjunct may do so at will. sentencewith the non-realisedCO3 of the secondcoordinated sentence while However,even if we had no instancesof doubleCl then this would simply be the square indicates the position at a dependencynode which the subject an incidental formal concomitant to the valency deter.minationof comple- would occupy were it realised.The direct objectis markedas Cl and is either ment categories.la morphologically or positionally recognizablein a sentence: With some verbs we encounter a particular kind of complementation where the complementis not a member of a word classbut a clausein itself: (11) Hi peahmicle fierd 3eSadrodon. 3e3adrodon<glr 'Nonetheless they gathereda greatarmy'. (14) . ; brd he prt hi him biscoponsenden' bad,s tta, 'He requestedthat they sendhim a bishop'. \ ( 3e3adrodon) This I refer to as a sentence-likecomplement (SLC)ts which can occur not / I\ only in place of C I but of a number of other complementsas well. Formally ,/ t\ we may notate the abovesentence as co Cl A (hi) (micle fierd) (peah) (15) bad.o slctbA'r, ,tbAETl onsendenlo13' In agreementwith the morphologicalform of the pronoun which they re- andrepresent it stemmaticallYas verbshave the minimal valencyCOl asin quire reflexive (16) vi (12) Hienebestrl sehere. bestal,61, (brd) 'The army stole away'. )/\ CO SLC vi (he) 0at) (bestal) + vt co +- +cl (onsenden) (sehere) (hiene) t\ )/ .t\ Furthermorea sub-groupof verbstakes two non referenceidentical C1s, co cl c3 suchas the verb ascion: (hi) (biscop) (him) (l 3) pa acsodeman hine hwylcne crnft he cu6e. acsodeqgllgy Sentence-likecomplements should be clearly differentiated from instancesof 'Then he wasasked what his trade was'. C9, the verbative complement. The former involve a shift in sentencerank, i.e. they contain an embeddedsentence which is a valencysatellite of a verb 204 Raymond Hickey A valencyframework for the Old English verb 205 which is superordinateto it. C9s are alwaysnon-finite verb forms which clo Such verbs are to be held distinct from those which take C2 and anothet not involvea shift in rank ancias such a formal connector(suchaspr.tSwith complementsimultaneously, e.g. biddan<g21>, sceamian,6211 lforwlrnanlg23l: the governingverb. pancian,g23,. The next categoryC2 is that of the genitive and is requiredby the valencyoi Even more than the genitivethe dative complementoccurs not only with a numberof OE verbsas in verbs but with prepositionsand certain adjectivesrTwhich require a relational (17) Sawlamoton lifes brucan. brucan,62, object,e.g. 'Souls areable to partakeof life'. (19) pu eart rihtwis and me Secweme. e4tr(02^) 'You vm are righteousand pleasingto me'. (moton) Wirc 6e twa stcnenetabulan 6am o6rum gelice. wirc(glc) .t 'Make two stonetablets like the others'. Vt (brucan) The notion of relation, however,is not containedin thoseoccurrences of the dative with verbswhich have only a CO as the remainingcomplement: t/\ (20) derian,63, CO C2 (sawla) (lifes) Him Pa stormasderian ne mahan. 'storms cannot harm him'. This sentenceshows