Stephen Laker | Kyushu University (original) (raw)

Books by Stephen Laker

Guest-edited volume of Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik, nr. 77.

Old Frisian is the youngest among the Old Germanic languages and has perhaps not always attracted... more Old Frisian is the youngest among the Old Germanic languages and has perhaps not always attracted the attention it deserves. The present volume testifies to the many challenges which the language, literature and culture of the medieval Frisians pose to the modern researcher. Reading the contributions of the twenty-plus authors, it becomes clear that approaches range from traditional to modern, from practical to theoretical, from syntax to etymology, from diachronic to synchronic, from orality to Latinity – in short, all of them aspects that can be subsumed under the term ‘philology’. Like its three predecessors, this special volume brings together veterans and newcomers, Frisians and scholars from all over the world, together reflecting the enthusiasm and learning they bring to the subject. Innovative, explorative, provocative – whatever qualification the reader wants to apply, what the authors above all show are directions for Old Frisian philology which future students in the field may take with profit.

This thematic issue arose from a one-day symposium carrying the same title held at Manchester Uni... more This thematic issue arose from a one-day symposium carrying the same title held at Manchester University on 21 May 2009. Papers by Paul Russell and Katrin Thier stem from the event, while those of Michael Benskin and David Parsons were later offered on invitation. 1 With such a vast theme, the four papers can offer just a sample of current research into the languages and the linguistic situation in Britain in the first millennium. Nonetheless, we believe the papers are representative of current research trends and together, with their varied yet interrelated themes, manage to cover considerable ground. The contributions focus especially on the linguistic impacts of the Roman and Anglo-Saxon invasions and settlements, though later contacts involving Irish and Old Norse also come up for discussion in the final paper. All papers therefore bear a resemblance, in that they each deal with issues relating to language contact and multilingualism in early Britain; however, the fields explored and the questions addressed by the authors differ considerably. The following topics are explored: the use of Latin in Roman Britain as viewed from the place-name evidence (Parsons), the influence of Latin on Brittonic morphology (Russell), Brittonic influence on verb-subject agreement in English dialects (Benksin), and how loanwords reflect the technological transfer at different periods (Thier).

Like its two predecessors, Aspects of Old Frisian Philology (1990) and Approaches to Old Frisian ... more Like its two predecessors, Aspects of Old Frisian Philology (1990) and Approaches to Old Frisian Philology (1998), Advances in Old Frisian Philology combines contributions by specialists of medieval Frisian studies with papers by international specialists from adjacent fields who have been invited for the occasion to bring their expertise to the discipline of Old Frisian. Together, the diverse approaches advance our knowledge of and insight into various aspects of Old Frisian philology.

Papers by Stephen Laker

Dental fricatives [θ ð] develop along similar lines in English and Frisian throughout most of the... more Dental fricatives [θ ð] develop along similar lines in English and Frisian throughout most of the Middle Ages. The consonants were retained in about equal measure, but alterations occurred when next to other consonants. A way of explaining the changes in both languages is by invoking complexity of articulation, a notion that finds empirical support. The parallel developments of English and Frisian undermine the idea that
Old English evolved differently from other Old Germanic languages during its earliest stages. However, from the late fourteenth century, Frisian took on a different trajectory of change due to new social circumstances connected with increased language contact and bilingualism, especially with Dutch and Low German.

Anglia - Zeitschrift für englische Philologie, 2000

WFris: WFris (now extinct) weard (these days wurdich is used; also Skierm wezzich, illustrating t... more WFris: WFris (now extinct) weard (these days wurdich is used; also Skierm wezzich, illustrating the change mentioned in note 93), hurd /høt/, heard /hwct/; Hind /hect/; Schierm /he+d/; Tersch /hed/ (< OFris herth 'hearth') Abbreviations: Bök = Bökingharde, Da = Danish, Du = Dutch, EFöhr = East Föhr, EFRis = East Frisian, E = English, = Faroese, G = German, Hall = Halligen, Helg = Helgolandic, Hind = Hindeloopen, INFris = Island North Frisian, Kar = Karrharde, LG = Low German, MFris = Middle Frisian, MNFris = Mainland North Frisian, MDu = Middle Dutch, Mod = Modern, NFris = North Frisian, Nw = Norwegian, OE = Old English, OEFris = Old East Frisian, OFris = Old Frisian, OIce = Old Icelandic, ON = Old Norse, OWFris = Old West Frisian, PGmc = Proto-Germanic, PIE = Proto-Indo-European, Sat = Saterlandic, Schierm = Schiermonnikoog, (S)(C)(N)Goes = (South)(Central) (North) Goesharde, Sw = Swedish, Tersch = Terschelling, Wang = Wangeroogic, WFöhr = West Föhr, WFris = West Frisian, Wied = Wiedingharde. Other abbreviations: C = any consonant, f = feminine, ind. = indicative, m = masculine, n = neuter, N/A = No relevant data available, part. = participle, past. = past, Pl. = Plural, pres. = present, sbj. = subjunctive, Sg. = Singular, V = any vowel.

Most handbooks and grammars contend that in Old English the voiced fricatives [v, ð, z] were mere... more Most handbooks and grammars contend that in Old English the voiced fricatives [v, ð, z] were merely allophones of /f, θ, s/ in sonorous environments. How these voiced fricatives became phonemes is debated among scholars. In this article, all previous accounts are critically reviewed. A new proposal is then presented, which explains the facts in a more direct way than previous theses. I argue that phonemicisation of a previous allophonic voice alternation in fricatives had already taken place in many areas of Anglo-Saxon England through language contact with Brittonic. Voiceless as well as voiced fricative phonemes existed in Brittonic at the time of contact, and language shift would have led directly to the phonemicisation of the previous allophonic variation found in early Old English.

"The most common dialectal alternative to the Modern English comparative particle _than_ is a ne... more "The most common dialectal alternative to the Modern
English comparative particle _than_ is a negative form with
variants such as ne, na, and nor, e.g. You’re my son – more
to me nor any son (Dickens, Great Expectations II. xx). This
paper presents a detailed historical survey of this dialectal
usage in varieties of British and Irish English, and offers an
assessment of its regional distribution since the medieval
period. The paper also investigates the possible origins of the
form, first highlighting some problems of previous analyses,
before comparing and contrasting the use of negation in
comparative constructions in French and Insular Celtic. The
evidence strongly suggests that the negative comparative
particle in English should be seen as an areal feature of the
British Isles, and that language contact with Celtic lies at the
root of it."

In the Bavarian dialect the neuter interrogative pronoun was 'what' is also used as a comparative... more In the Bavarian dialect the neuter interrogative pronoun was 'what' is also used as a comparative particle, e.g. was frischers sichst nie was a Pfersibaamblüh 'you will never see anything fresher than peach blossom'. Previous attempts to explain the origin of this usage have proven unsuccessful. While being unknown to other German dialects, it mirrors the general comparative particle construction found in Romance languages. This remarkable typological affinity is assessed. In particular, attention is drawn towards the areal linguistic convergence of Bavarian and neighbouring Rhaeto-Romance dialects. Finally, it is asked whether the Bavarian construction may have arisen through language contact with Romance. Because the Old Bavarian territory was for centuries part of the Roman Empire and was Germanised relatively late, this thesis gains a certain degree of plausibility. It is further strengthened by the fact that numerous other structural correspondences exist between Bavarian and the Romance languages.

Book Reviews by Stephen Laker

Guest-edited volume of Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik, nr. 77.

Old Frisian is the youngest among the Old Germanic languages and has perhaps not always attracted... more Old Frisian is the youngest among the Old Germanic languages and has perhaps not always attracted the attention it deserves. The present volume testifies to the many challenges which the language, literature and culture of the medieval Frisians pose to the modern researcher. Reading the contributions of the twenty-plus authors, it becomes clear that approaches range from traditional to modern, from practical to theoretical, from syntax to etymology, from diachronic to synchronic, from orality to Latinity – in short, all of them aspects that can be subsumed under the term ‘philology’. Like its three predecessors, this special volume brings together veterans and newcomers, Frisians and scholars from all over the world, together reflecting the enthusiasm and learning they bring to the subject. Innovative, explorative, provocative – whatever qualification the reader wants to apply, what the authors above all show are directions for Old Frisian philology which future students in the field may take with profit.

This thematic issue arose from a one-day symposium carrying the same title held at Manchester Uni... more This thematic issue arose from a one-day symposium carrying the same title held at Manchester University on 21 May 2009. Papers by Paul Russell and Katrin Thier stem from the event, while those of Michael Benskin and David Parsons were later offered on invitation. 1 With such a vast theme, the four papers can offer just a sample of current research into the languages and the linguistic situation in Britain in the first millennium. Nonetheless, we believe the papers are representative of current research trends and together, with their varied yet interrelated themes, manage to cover considerable ground. The contributions focus especially on the linguistic impacts of the Roman and Anglo-Saxon invasions and settlements, though later contacts involving Irish and Old Norse also come up for discussion in the final paper. All papers therefore bear a resemblance, in that they each deal with issues relating to language contact and multilingualism in early Britain; however, the fields explored and the questions addressed by the authors differ considerably. The following topics are explored: the use of Latin in Roman Britain as viewed from the place-name evidence (Parsons), the influence of Latin on Brittonic morphology (Russell), Brittonic influence on verb-subject agreement in English dialects (Benksin), and how loanwords reflect the technological transfer at different periods (Thier).

Like its two predecessors, Aspects of Old Frisian Philology (1990) and Approaches to Old Frisian ... more Like its two predecessors, Aspects of Old Frisian Philology (1990) and Approaches to Old Frisian Philology (1998), Advances in Old Frisian Philology combines contributions by specialists of medieval Frisian studies with papers by international specialists from adjacent fields who have been invited for the occasion to bring their expertise to the discipline of Old Frisian. Together, the diverse approaches advance our knowledge of and insight into various aspects of Old Frisian philology.

Dental fricatives [θ ð] develop along similar lines in English and Frisian throughout most of the... more Dental fricatives [θ ð] develop along similar lines in English and Frisian throughout most of the Middle Ages. The consonants were retained in about equal measure, but alterations occurred when next to other consonants. A way of explaining the changes in both languages is by invoking complexity of articulation, a notion that finds empirical support. The parallel developments of English and Frisian undermine the idea that
Old English evolved differently from other Old Germanic languages during its earliest stages. However, from the late fourteenth century, Frisian took on a different trajectory of change due to new social circumstances connected with increased language contact and bilingualism, especially with Dutch and Low German.

Anglia - Zeitschrift für englische Philologie, 2000

WFris: WFris (now extinct) weard (these days wurdich is used; also Skierm wezzich, illustrating t... more WFris: WFris (now extinct) weard (these days wurdich is used; also Skierm wezzich, illustrating the change mentioned in note 93), hurd /høt/, heard /hwct/; Hind /hect/; Schierm /he+d/; Tersch /hed/ (< OFris herth 'hearth') Abbreviations: Bök = Bökingharde, Da = Danish, Du = Dutch, EFöhr = East Föhr, EFRis = East Frisian, E = English, = Faroese, G = German, Hall = Halligen, Helg = Helgolandic, Hind = Hindeloopen, INFris = Island North Frisian, Kar = Karrharde, LG = Low German, MFris = Middle Frisian, MNFris = Mainland North Frisian, MDu = Middle Dutch, Mod = Modern, NFris = North Frisian, Nw = Norwegian, OE = Old English, OEFris = Old East Frisian, OFris = Old Frisian, OIce = Old Icelandic, ON = Old Norse, OWFris = Old West Frisian, PGmc = Proto-Germanic, PIE = Proto-Indo-European, Sat = Saterlandic, Schierm = Schiermonnikoog, (S)(C)(N)Goes = (South)(Central) (North) Goesharde, Sw = Swedish, Tersch = Terschelling, Wang = Wangeroogic, WFöhr = West Föhr, WFris = West Frisian, Wied = Wiedingharde. Other abbreviations: C = any consonant, f = feminine, ind. = indicative, m = masculine, n = neuter, N/A = No relevant data available, part. = participle, past. = past, Pl. = Plural, pres. = present, sbj. = subjunctive, Sg. = Singular, V = any vowel.

Most handbooks and grammars contend that in Old English the voiced fricatives [v, ð, z] were mere... more Most handbooks and grammars contend that in Old English the voiced fricatives [v, ð, z] were merely allophones of /f, θ, s/ in sonorous environments. How these voiced fricatives became phonemes is debated among scholars. In this article, all previous accounts are critically reviewed. A new proposal is then presented, which explains the facts in a more direct way than previous theses. I argue that phonemicisation of a previous allophonic voice alternation in fricatives had already taken place in many areas of Anglo-Saxon England through language contact with Brittonic. Voiceless as well as voiced fricative phonemes existed in Brittonic at the time of contact, and language shift would have led directly to the phonemicisation of the previous allophonic variation found in early Old English.

"The most common dialectal alternative to the Modern English comparative particle _than_ is a ne... more "The most common dialectal alternative to the Modern
English comparative particle _than_ is a negative form with
variants such as ne, na, and nor, e.g. You’re my son – more
to me nor any son (Dickens, Great Expectations II. xx). This
paper presents a detailed historical survey of this dialectal
usage in varieties of British and Irish English, and offers an
assessment of its regional distribution since the medieval
period. The paper also investigates the possible origins of the
form, first highlighting some problems of previous analyses,
before comparing and contrasting the use of negation in
comparative constructions in French and Insular Celtic. The
evidence strongly suggests that the negative comparative
particle in English should be seen as an areal feature of the
British Isles, and that language contact with Celtic lies at the
root of it."

In the Bavarian dialect the neuter interrogative pronoun was 'what' is also used as a comparative... more In the Bavarian dialect the neuter interrogative pronoun was 'what' is also used as a comparative particle, e.g. was frischers sichst nie was a Pfersibaamblüh 'you will never see anything fresher than peach blossom'. Previous attempts to explain the origin of this usage have proven unsuccessful. While being unknown to other German dialects, it mirrors the general comparative particle construction found in Romance languages. This remarkable typological affinity is assessed. In particular, attention is drawn towards the areal linguistic convergence of Bavarian and neighbouring Rhaeto-Romance dialects. Finally, it is asked whether the Bavarian construction may have arisen through language contact with Romance. Because the Old Bavarian territory was for centuries part of the Roman Empire and was Germanised relatively late, this thesis gains a certain degree of plausibility. It is further strengthened by the fact that numerous other structural correspondences exist between Bavarian and the Romance languages.