Old English simile of inequality: structure overview

Abstract

AbstractThe article deals with an Old English simile whose ground is disproportionately more inherent in the tenor, the latter surpassing a prototypical maximum of a salient feature. It sheds some light on the structural typology of the simile of inequality. Depending on the type of connection, three major kinds of the simile of inequality are singled out, which are further categorised into subtypes regarding the grammatical category of their elements as well as their positioning within the structure. A relatively low productivity of Old English the simile of inequality is justified in terms of its semantic idiosyncrasy, which makes the tenor more prominent than the vehicle, as well as the semantics of its comparison markers, which contribute to the construction’s expressing difference implying similarity. The article touches upon the quantitative and chronological characteristics of the Old English simile of inequality. It also outlines the specificity of the contexts in which such constructions are used.

Keywords

• Simile of inequality
• type of connection
• semantics
• structure
• comparison marker
• old English