HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: STRUCTURAL AND SEMANTIC FEATURES OF COMPLEX SENTENCES IN THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD

Abstract

The article examines the structural and semantic features of complex sentences in Old English (700–1100). Two main types of complex sentences are considered –compound and complex sentences – along with their structure and the specifics of syntactic relationships between components of a polypredicative structure. The system of conjunctive coordination is analyzed, which was characterized by diversity in both content and form and had at its disposal numerous means of expressing semantic nuances. The main classes of coordinating conjunctions are distinguished: connecting, contrasting, separating, and causal, each of which expressed specific semantic nuances. Additional means of expressing connections between coordinate clauses are studied, in particular fixed and reverse word order, structural parallelism, and inversion, which acted as auxiliary mechanisms for organizing syntactic relations. Particular attention is paid to the means of expressing subordinate relationships, among which asyndetic connection stands out as the most archaic type, and conjunctive connection and correlation as the most developed forms of subordination. The problem of insufficient differentiation between coordinate and subordinate conjunctions in the Old English period is considered, which led to functional homonymy and semantic ambiguity in sentence construction. The polysemy of subordinate conjunctions and their structural classification into simple and complex phrase constructions is analyzed. Special attention is paid to the correlative type of connection and its transformation at the end of the ancient period, when correlative particles were reinterpreted and transformed into full-fledged conjunctions. It has been established that the structure of complex sentences throughout the Old English period showed a steady and distinct tendency towards the gradual improvement and systematization of the syntactic system. The study is based on the analysis of authentic Old English texts using historical glossaries and anthologies.