Alliteration and sound change in early English.0521573173 Alliteration alliteration (əlĭt'ərā`shən), the repetition of the same starting sound in several words of a sentence. Probably the most powerful rhythmic and thematic uses of alliteration are contained in Beowulf, and sound change in early English. Minkova, Donka. Cambridge U. Pr. 2003 400 pages $100.00 Hardcover Cambridge studies in linguistics; 101 PE540 Minkova (English language, U. of California-Los Angeles) uses evidence from alliterative verse to explore the development of some important phonological features of Old and Middle English. Assuming that the distribution of forms in verse is governed both by conformity to a metrical template and by linguistically circumscribed circumscribed /cir·cum·scribed/ (serk´um-skribd) bounded or limited; confined to a limited space. cir·cum·scribed adj. Bounded by a line; limited or confined. preferences, she says, patterns found in early English alliterative al·lit·er·a·tive adj. Of, showing, or characterized by alliteration. al·lit  er·a compositions provide
a valuable resource for reconstructing the contemporary languages. Her
study also casts light on the relationship between orality orality /oral·i·ty/ (or-al´it-e) the psychic organization of all the sensations, impulses, and personality traits derived from the oral stage of psychosexual development. o·ral·i·ty n. and literacy in the evolution of English verse. ([c]20062005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR) |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion