Theme: syntax in oe contents I. Introduction II. Main body. Structural relations of old english

Clauses of Manner and Comparison

These are introduced by the conjunctions swa and ponne: wearde heoldon in pam fæstenne, swa pam folce ær ʒeomormodum ludip behead 'they kept watch in the fortress, as Judith had ordered the people, before sad'; nalæs hi hine Iæssan lacum teodan, peodʒestreonum, ponne pa dydon, pe hine set frumsceafte forð onsendon ænne ofer yðe umbor-wesende 'they did not adorn him with lesser treasures, with folk-gifts, than those did who_at his birth sent him forth alone over the sea, being a baby'; næfre ic maran ʒeseah eorla ofer eorðan, ponne is eower sum cecʒ on searwum 'never did I see a greater of earls on the earth, than is one of you, warrior in arms'.We also find in OE texts some clauses of a generalizing character, introduced by generalizing pronouns or adverbs. Thus, the object clause in the following example has a generalizing character: …swa pætte, swa hwæt swa he of ʒodeundum stafum purh boceras ʒeleornode, pæt he æfter medmiclum fæce ... in enʒliscʒereord wel ʒeworht forp brohte ' ... so that he, whatever he had learnt from divine books through books, in a_ short time ... in English well told pronounced'; hy ʒedop pæt æʒper bip oferfroren, sam hit sy sumor sam winter 'they do it (so) that both are frozen, whether it be summer or winter'.