Historical Perspectives on the Use of Temporal Adverbs in Old Saxon and Old High German

What is it about?

TThis article explores the use of the adverb 'nu' (meaning 'now' or 'then') in Old Saxon and Old High German, comparing it to the modern German adverbs 'jetzt' ('now') and 'bald' ('soon'). The study focuses on how 'nu' was used in combination with different verb tenses, specifically the Präsens (present), Präteritum (simple past), and an early form of the Perfekt (present perfect), which are usually associated with past tenses. By analyzing texts like the 'Hêliand' and the 'Evangelienbuch', the paper reveals that 'nu' was often used not just to indicate time, but also as a pragmatic marker to emphasize certain parts of a text or to express the author's attitude towards an event. This research fills a gap in existing literature by providing a historical perspective on the use of temporal adverbs in German, showing that the way 'nu' was used in the past is similar to how 'jetzt' and 'bald' are used in modern German, particularly in their ability to convey temporal meanings and establish chronological sequences in narration.

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Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This article is important because it gives us a deeper understanding of how languages change over time, especially in the way we talk about time itself. By looking at how the old German words for 'now' and 'then' were used in the past, we can see that the way people use words to talk about time isn't new. This helps linguists see patterns in language evolution. It's also important because it fills a gap in research. While many studies have looked at modern German, this one goes back in time, offering a fresh perspective. Understanding this can help anyone interested in languages, history, or how we express ideas about time and events. It's like uncovering a piece of a puzzle about human communication and how it's developed over centuries.

Perspectives