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Part of
The Determinants of Diachronic Stability
Edited by Anne Breitbarth, Miriam Bouzouita, Lieven Danckaert and Melissa Farasyn
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 254] 2019
► pp. 39–68

Chapter 3
Apparent competing agreement patterns in Middle Low German non-restrictive relative clauses with a first or second person head

| Ghent University
This paper updates Farasyn (2017), who charted the agreement patterns found in Middle Low German (non-restrictive) relative clauses with a first or second person head. In related West Germanic languages, these clauses show different types of agreement patterns. This study presents new corpus data illustrating how Middle Low German compares to these. Expanding on Farasyn (2017), it investigates the historical development and elements introducing the relative clause, showing that φ-features in older stages of the West Germanic languages are always encoded in the non-restrictive relative clause, though often in different positions. Middle Low German displays a remarkable stability in retaining a covert resumptive pronoun bearing φ-features. An apparent competing pattern with an overt resumptive is a later innovation, as are structures with third person agreement found in neighboring languages.
Article outline
  • 1.Background
  • 2.Corpus and methodology
  • 3.Syntactic distribution
    • 3.1Types of heads and agreement patterns
      • 3.1.1Relative clauses modifying a nominative/vocative (‘Anredenominativ’)
      • 3.1.2Relative clauses modifying an object
      • 3.1.3Relative clauses modifying a complement of a preposition
      • 3.1.4Relative clauses modifying a possessive
      • 3.1.5Relative clauses modifying the (unexpressed) subject/agent of an imperative
    • 3.2Elements introducing the (non-restrictive) relative clause
    • 3.3Special cases
      • 3.3.1Long distance agreement/no binding
      • 3.3.2Postcopular relative clauses
  • 4.Analysis
  • 5.Diachronic development
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Primary sources
  • References
Published online: 20 March 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.254.03far
References (33)
Primary sources
[Giovanni Boccaccio], Historie van veer Koepluden vnde eyner thuchtigen vramen Vrouwen, Print: Hamburg, Hans Borchard, 1510 [BC 470]
Agneta Willeken, Hamburg: Letters (simultaneous copies)
Älteste manuscript des Goslarer Kramerrechts, 1281 (digital manuscript from the Atlas spätmittelalterlicher Schreibsprachen des niederdeutschen Altlandes und angrenzender Gebiete (ASnA)) (Stadtarchiv Goslar)
Bordesholmer Marienklage, 1475/76, manuscript
Braunschweig (25 digital charters from ASnA)
Cronecken der sassen, Druck: Mainz, Peter Schoeffer, 1492 [BC 197]
Dre kortwilige Historien, Druck: Hamburg, Joachim Loew, 560 [BC 1785]
Eastphalian psalms, 15th c., Lateinisch-mittelniederdeutscher Psalter mit Kommentar Cod. Guelf. 81.10 Aug. 2°, Ursula Kundert & Hanne Grießmann (eds). HAB Wolfenbüttel 2015
Gandersheimer Reimchronik des Priesters Eberhard, manuscript, before 1484 (HAB Wolfenbüttel)
Göttinger Liebesbriefe (Stadtarchiv Göttingen)
Griseldis (nebst) Sigismunda und Guiscardus. Hamburg, [Drucker des Jegher], 1502 [BC 362]
Herforder Rechtsbuch,1375 (Stadtarchiv Herford) [Faksimile-Edition]
Legende des heiligen Ludgers, 1500 (HS Gertrudenberg 3, Diözesanarchiv Osnabrück)
Lübecker Urkunden (50 digital charters from ASnA)
Oldenburger Urkunden (25 digital charters from ASnA)
Oldenburger Bilderhandschrift des Sachsenspiegels, Kloster Rastede 1336
Prayer 1: Ene oeffenynge in der gheboerte vnsesleuen heren ihesu cristi
Prayer 2: Ey(n) Jnnige clage to gode
Qvatuor Evangeliorum versio Saxonica, 2nd half of the 15th century
Soest, Schrae im Statutenbuch, ca. 1367
Spieghel der leyen, manuscript, Münster 1444
Southwestphalian Psalms, 14th c., Cod. Guelf. 58.4 Aug. 8° (Herzog August Library Wolfenbüttel)
Thomas von Kempen, Dat myrren bundeken, manuscript, Fraterhaus Münster 1480 (ULB MS, Ms N.R. 1550)
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