-
The Terrible Bite of Fire: Metre, Sound Change, and Emendation in Beowulf 1122
- Author(s):
- Nelson Goering (see profile)
- Date:
- 2020
- Group(s):
- Linguistics, Old English / Early Medieval England
- Subject(s):
- English language--Old English, Germanic philology, Germanic languages, Linguistics
- Item Type:
- Article
- Tag(s):
- Beowulf, Emendation, Kaluza's Law, Vowel Reduction, Alliterative verse, Old English, Germanic linguistics
- Permanent URL:
- http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/gt29-2f79
- Abstract:
- Line 1122 of Beowulf represents a problem where the findings of metrics, historical phonology, and the reading of the manuscript are in conflict with one another. I revive and adapt Tolkien's proposal to emend lāðbite līċes līġ ealle forswealg to lāðbite līġes līċ eall forswealg “the cruel bite of fire swallowed up the entire bodies”. This emended reading allows the line to be scanned in accordance with Kaluza's law without any complications to the standard historical phonology of Old English, and furthermore improves both the syntax and semantics of the overall passage.
- Metadata:
- xml
- Published as:
- Journal article
- Status:
- Published
- Last Updated:
- 3 years ago
- License:
- All Rights Reserved
- Share this:
Downloads
Item Name: 
goering-2020-the-terrible-bite-of-fire-metre-sound-change-and-emendation-in-beowulf-1122.pdfDownload View in browser Activity: Downloads: 478
An online community for ASEEES members