Symposium: Foreign Language Influences in the History of English
The 81st General Meeting of ELSJ (Tokyo University, 31 May, 2009)
Yoshitaka Kozuka (Aichi University of Education)

Latin Influence on Old English Partitive of

1. Introduction
This paper discusses an aspect of the development of the so-called of-genitive. This
usage gained ground in Middle English, possibly under the French influence (morespecifically, the influence of the French preposition de).
Already in Old English, however, there are many instances of the construction, asillustrated in a number of studies and dictionaries. As those instances appear mainly intexts translated from Latin as renderings of prepositions such as de and ex, thequestion as to their origin has sometimes been posed: i.e. whether they are native orLatinism. The present paper considers this question, focusing on a particular type ofuse, namely, the partitive use (e.g. twegen of him “two of them”).
Here I will show data suggesting that the partitive use of of in Old English wasLatinism, based on the examination of two 10th-century Gospel glosses, theLindisfarne Gloss and the Rushworth Gloss.

2. Partitive construction in Old English<<Two types of partitive construction in Old English>>(1) an hyra “one of them”(2) an of him “one of them”(3) c900 tr. Bæda's Hist. III. xix. 240 Wæron þær in þa tiid monige of Ongelþeode
[multi de gente Anglorum]. (OED2, s.v. of prep. 42a, first citation)<<Partitive use of of: Native usage or Latinism?>>(4) … are these constructions [i.e. partitive use of of] native or due to Latin influence?
(Mitchell 1985:§1201)(5) … we may safely say that the development took place independent of Latin. …
Nothing could be more natural than ‘(taken) out of’ developing into a partitive use.
(Bodtker 1908: 17-18)
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3. Characteristics of the texts examined
Texts examined:(i) the Lindisfarne Gloss (Skeat ed. 1871-87: hereafter Li)(ii) the Rushworth Gloss (Skeat ed. 1871-87: hereafter Ru)(6) Mt 6:9(a)
Ru: fæder ure þu þe in heofunum earðLatin: pater noster qui es in caelis

beo gehalgad
sanctificeturþin nomanomen tuum(b)
Li: fader urer ðu arð ł ðu bist in heofnum ł in heofnas sie gehalgad noma ðinLatin: pater noster
qui es in caelis
sanctificetur nomen tuum
Cf. NRSV: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
(7) Mk 5:9
Ru: here noma me is forðon monige we sindun
Latin: legio nomen mihi est quia multi sumus
Cf. Li: here to noma me is forðon monig we sindon
NRSV: My name is Legion; for we are many.

Figure 1: Characteristics of Li and Ru (based on Morrell 1965, Ross 1979)
Lindisfarne
Rushworth Gloss
Gloss
Ru1
Ru2
(Mt, Mk 1-2:15, Jn 18:1-3)(the remainder)

glossatorAldredFarman

Owun

date of glossing

mid-10th c.

late-10th c.

late-10th c.

dialect

Northumbrian

Mercian

Northumbrian2styleword-for-word marked by a freedom of translation

word-for-word(except Mk 1-2:15, which depends on Li.) (basically a copy of Li)

4. Translation of Latin partitive phrases in Li and Ru
Latin partitive constructions considered:(i) quantifier+genitive plural noun or pronoun (e.g. example (8))(ii) quantifier+ex (or de)+ablative plural noun or pronoun (e.g. examples (9) and (10))(8) Mt 26:21
Latin: unus uestrum me traditurus est
NRSV: one of you will betray me(9) Jn 13:21
Latin: unus ex uobis tradet me
NRSV: one of you will betray me(10) Mk 12:28
Latin: Et accessit unus de scribis
NRSV: One of the scribes came near
Table 1: Glosses for Latin Partitive Genitive Phrases in Li and Ru
Ru1
Ru2
Li
genitive
72236
others3
23
Total
102439

Table 2: Glosses for Latin Prepositional Partitive Phrases in Li and Ru
Ru1
Ru2
Ligenitive
19 (de 9/ ex 10)
2 (de 2/ ex 0)of-phrase
9 (de 6/ ex 3)
71 (de 14/ ex 57) 77 (de 26/ ex 51)
from-phrase
10 (de 2/ ex 8)
36 (de 8/ ex 28)
others3 (de 2/ ex 1)
2 (de 0/ ex 2)
3 (de 1/ ex 2)
Total
3183
118
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N.B.1 The difference in the total number of examples between Li and Ru is dueto the following facts: (i) some leaves of the Ru manuscript are missing and (ii)
Latin texts in Li and Ru are partly different.
N.B.2 Double glosses (e.g. Lk (Li) 24:13 tuoege of ðæm ł from him [Latin: duoex illis] ) are included in “others” .
<<Examples from Li and Ru2>>(11) Lk 20:39 (Latin gen.→Li gen. / Ru2 gen.)
Latin: respondentes autem quidam scribarum dixerunt magister bene dixisti
Li: ondsuaredon ða sumo ðara uduutana cuoedon laruu wel ðu cuoede
Ru2: onsworade sum ðara uðwutuna cwæð wel ðu cwede
NRSV: Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’(12) Mk 14:18 (Latin ex→Li of / Ru2 of)Latin: amen dico uobis quia unus ex uobis me tradet qui manducat mecum
Li: soðlice iuh ≠te an of iuh mec seleð seðe attæs mec m[ið]Ru2: soð ic cweðo iow forðon an of iow mec seleð seðe eteð mec miðNRSV: Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.
(13) Mk 14:10 (Latin de→Li from / Ru2 of)Latin: Et iudas scariotis unus de duodecim abiit ad summos sacerdotes
Li: 7 ł æc iuðas scariotis an from ðæm tuoelfum foerde to ðæm heh-sacerdum
Ru2: 7 iudas scarioth an of twelfum feorde to ðæm heh-sacerdom
NRSV: Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests<<Examples from Ru1>>(14) Mt 26:21 (Latin gen.→Ru1 gen. cf. Li gen.)
Latin: amen dico uobis quia unus uestrum me traditurus est
Ru1: soþ ic eow sæcge ≠ an eower me sellende biðCf. Li: soðlice ic cueðo iwh forðon ł ≠te an Iwer mec sellende biðNRSV: Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.
(15) Mt 10:29 (Latin ex→Ru1 gen. cf. Li of)
Latin: unus ex eis non cadit super terram sine patre uestro
Ru1: an þære ne falleþ on eorþan butan fæder eower
4Cf. Li: enne ł an of ðæm ne fallæð ofer eorðo buta fader iuerræNRSV: Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
(16) Mt 5:19 (Latin de→Ru1 of cf. Li of)
Latin: Qui ergo soluerit unum de mandatis istis minimis
Ru1: seþe forþon toleseþ an of þisse beboda læsestCf. Li: seðe of ðon ł forðo[n] untynes ł toslittes enne of bobodum ðissumleasestum ł lytlum
NRSV: Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments(17) Mt 8:21 (Latin de→Ru1 of cf. Li from)
Latin: alius autem de discipulis eius ait illi
Ru1: oþer þa of leornere his cwæþ to him
Cf. Li: oðer ł sum oðer uutedlice from ðegnum his cueð to him
NRSV: Another of his disciples said to him(18) Mt 26:47 (Latin de→Ru1 of cf. Li gen.)
Latin: ecce iudas unus de duodecim uenit
Ru1: henu iudas an of þære twelfe cwom
Cf. Li: heono iudas an ðara tuoelfa cuom
NRSV: Judas, one of the twelve, arrived

5. Clumsy handling of partitive of-phrase in Ru1<<structure of the partitive of-phrase in Ru1>>
Mt, Jn18:1-3 8 instances (examples (19)-(26))→of + (clearly or possibly) genitive (cf. Ross 1976)
Mk 1-2:15

1 instance (example (27))→of + dative(19) Mt 5:19
Latin: unum de mandatis istis minimis
Ru1: an of þisse beboda læsestCf. Li: enne of bobodum ðissum leasestum ł lytlum
NRSV: one of the least of these commandments(20) Mt 8:21
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Latin: alius autem de discipulis eius
Ru1: oþer þa of leornere hisCf. Li: oðer ł sum oðer uutedlice from ðegnum his
NRSV: another of his disciples(21) Mt 16:28
Latin: quidam de hic stantibus
Ru1: sume of þæræ her stondendra
Cf. Li: sume oðera of her stondendum
NRSV: some standing here(22) Mt 18:12
Latin: una ex eis
Ru1: an of ðaraCf. Li: án of ðæm
NRSV: one of them(23) Mt 18:14
Latin: unus de pussillis istis
Ru1: an of þisse lytra
Cf. Li: enne of lytlum ðissum
NRSV: one of these little ones
(24) Mt 26:47
Latin: unus de duodecim
Ru1: an of þære twelfe
Cf. Li: an ðara tuoelfa
NRSV: one of the twelve(25) Mt 26:51
Latin: unus ex hiis
Ru1: an of þaraCf. Li: an of ðæm
NRSV: one of those(26) Mt 27:48
Latin: unus ex eis
Ru1: an of heora
Cf. Li: an of hiora
NRSV: one of them6(27) Mk 2:6
Latin: quidam de scribis
Ru1: sume of uþwutum
Cf. Li: sume of uðuutum
NRSV: some of the scribes(28) Mt 25:8 (cf. Ogura 2008)
Latin: date nobis de oleo uestro
Ru1: sellaþ us of oeles eowres
Cf. Li: seles ł seallas us of ole iuerre
NRSV: Give us some of your oil(29) Mt 12:37 (of+dative)
Latin: ex uerbis enim tuis iustificaberis et ex uerbis tuis condempnaberis
Ru1: of wordum forþon þinum þu bist gesoþfæsted 7 of wordum þinum þu bist niðradCf. NRSV: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will becondemned.

6. Conclusion

Works Consulted
Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts in Microfiche Facsimile, Vol. 3. Anglo-Saxon Gospels, withDescriptions by R. M. Liuzza and A. N. Doane. 1995. New York: Medieval &Renaissance Texts & Studies.
Bodtker, A. T. (1908) Critical Contributions to Early English Syntax. First Series (I. Of. II.
At, By, To. III. Numerals, Adverbs, Conjunctions.). Christiania.
Bosworth, J. and T. N. Toller (eds. 1898, rpt. 1964) An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Based on
the Manuscript Collections of the Late Joseph Bosworth, Edited and Enlarged by T. N.
Toller. Oxford: OUP.
Bryan, W. F. (1921) “The Midland Present Plural Indicative Ending –e(n).” Modern
Philology 18: 457-473.
Curme, G. O. (1913-14) “The Development of the Analytic Genitive in Germanic.” Modern
Philology 11: 145-176, 289-313.
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Healey, Antonette diPaolo et al. (eds. 2008) The Dictionary of Old English: A to G on
CD-ROM. Toronto: Centre for Medieval Studies (University of Toronto).
Heltveit, T. (1977) “Aspects of the Syntax of Quantifiers in Old English.” Norwegian
Journal of Linguistics 31: 47-94.
The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments, New Revised Standard Version.
1989. New York and Oxford: OUP.
Menner, R. J. (1934) “Farman Vindicatus: The Linguistic Value of Rushworth I.” Anglia 58:
1-27.
Mitchell, B. (1985) Old English Syntax. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Morrell, M. C. (1965) A Manual of Old English Biblical Materials. Knoxville: University ofTennessee Press.
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Neophilologus 92: 517-522.
Owen, W. B. (1882) “The Influence of Latin Syntax in the Anglo-Saxon Gospels.”
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The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition) on Compact Disc. 1994. Oxford: OUP.
(OED Online, http://www.oed.com/, was also used.)Ross, A. S. C. (1976) “Notes on the Accidence of Rushworth1.” NeuphilologischeMitteilungen 77: 492-509.
Ross, A. S. C. (1979) “Lindisfarne and Rushworth One.” Notes and Queries 224: 194-198.
Skeat, W. W. (ed. 1871-1887) The Gospels according to Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint
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Synoptically Arranged, with Collations Exhibiting All the Readings of All the MSS.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (The reprinted edition published by
Wissenschaftliche Buchgestellschaft, Darmstadt, 1970, was also used.)8