FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW OF SECOND PERSON SINGULAR PRONOUN IN “BEOWULF”

Abstract

This paper focuses on the Old English second person singular pronoun paying specific attention to its functional paradigm. There are some interpretations of the pronoun pragmatic specialization in Middle English and further limiting its usage in Modern English. The development of the second person singular pronoun in English has been a complex process, one which shows the variation available within what is considered a “closed system”. The major change was in the personal pronoun case system – Nominative, Possessive and Oblique or Objective case ( OE Dative and Accusative). In the second person pronouns there was still a distinction between singular and plural. The Early Middle English second person singular forms were used with close acquaintances, family members and subordinates. The plural form began to be used even when addressing a single person to show deference or respect under the Norman French influence, which also developed the distinction.

Keywords

• second person pronoun
• singular
• plural
• paradigm
• old english
• referential function
• pragmatic function
• text
• grammaticalization.