The Position of the Adjective in Old English Introduction

-an is a highly unusual ending for an adverb. In the following example, it is much more likely that micle must be interpreted adverbially because of the comparative adjective, and the –e ending in micle, (if it was an adjective , it would presumably have been micel),

(20) Sua micle hefigre wite (Cura Past.2 136.247.6, p.157)

So great heavier punishment/so much heavier punishment

I found eleven instances of micel + adjective + noun.

These examples may well show the beginning of a different system. A system where adjectives are no longer used strictly parallel, but are beginning to modify each other, and where, due to the inability to distinguish clearly between strong and weak adjectives in the later period, a determiner system begins to develop, which takes over the expression of definite/indefiniteness formerly expressed by the weak/strong distinction. The loss of that distinction may also have led to the loss of the adjunctive/predicative distinction in adjectives, which in turn may have led to the loss of a regular position for postnominal adjectives. The predicative or temporary character of a modifier may now have to be expressed differently, for instance by means of a relative clause after the headword or by special stress on prenominal adjectives. Of course, occasionally, we still find noun-adjective order in Modern English, as in the people present, where the adjective is clearly predicative, and this order is used to contrast it with the attributive the present people. Also, we find it when an adjective is followed by a PP, as noted above by Brunner (see Section 1) and Sørensen (Section 2). But indeed these postnominal adjectives are still predicative and can usually be replaced by a relative clause. The third possibility mentioned by Sørensen was the use of and + adjective as in, black spirits and grey, where the second adjective refers to another category. This indeed may also have been a reason for an adjective to follow and postnominally in Old English,
(21)a gesceop god ælmihtig ealle gesceafta gesewenlice and ungesewenlice
(Byrht.M.2 l.80.15)
created god almighty all creatures visible and unvisible
(b) ne scyle nan mon siocne monnan and gesargodne swencan
(Boeth.4 l.38.123.32)
not must no man (a) sick man and (a) wounded oppress
(c) to ðan bliðan wunenessum ðara hwittra gasta and fægra (Bede3 l.13.430.37)
to the joyful dwelling of-the white spirits and beautiful
(d) … þe wynsumlicor þa myclan byrþenne and þa hefian aberan mihton
(BlHom3 l.65)
… the more-joyfully the big burden and the heavy endure might
(e) þæs swetan wætres and þæs ferscan (Alex. l.338)
of-the sweet water and the fresh

It is clear from the examples in (21) that it is not always evident whether the adjectives refer to two different categories, or to one and the same. The entities may be different ones in (21b) to (d); they must be different in (21a) (but here both adjectives follow the noun); they are unlikely to be different in (21e). (21d) and (e) make clear that the second adjective may be used substantively (because of the repeated determiner) and in the same way the second adjective of (b) and (c) could be so interpreted. Substantive adjectives were a regular feature of Old English because adjectives could still be declined as to number, case, and gender. The loss of these endings led to the use of the propword one in Modern English. And indeed in Modern colloquial English the expression black sprits and grey would normally be followed by the (plural) propword ones. So then this change would not be one in adjective position, but rather involve the loss of substantival adjectives after the Old/Middle English period.