Re: Natlag: Middle English impersonal verbs

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark J. Reed" <markjreed@...>

> On 3/9/06, Sally Caves <scaves@...> wrote:
>> And the most famous, thinketh.  Survives into Shakespeare's day and
>> later:
>> The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
>
> Heh.   I was trying so hard to think of less obvious ones that I left
> that one out of my list. :)  Heck, it survives to this day in
> affectation; I use it nigh-daily (along with other archaisms like
> "nigh" :)).
I use nigh all the time, too.  I think we ought to bring fustilarian back
into English, if we could determine what Shakespeare meant by it.

>> I wonder if behoves was an impersonal verb that just hung in there.  It
>> behoves me to write that letter of recommendation.
>
> (Isn't that normally spelled "behooves"?)
Yup, typo.  Also influenced by the old spelling.

> It does seem to fit the impersonal mold; can't really substitute a
> definite subject: *"Writing that letter of recommendation behooves
> me".   Whereas you could say that with e.g. "pains", so that's not
> really impersonal.
I'm guessing at the formal rules for a surviving impersonal.  Or a
re-invented one, for that matter.  So... "it" + impersonal verb in 3rd
singular + pronoun in dative case + infinitive or relative clause?  But: me
reweth, Marie, thy faire rod.  This has no infinitive or relative clause,
and could be turned into "thy faire rod me reweth, Marie.

Also in modern English:  "It bothers me that you're doing this on your own."
"I guess it falls to me to clean the house up again."  Or this:  It's
necessary for Ian to be the one to tell him."  Easily replaced by "Ian needs
to be the one to tell him."  You can see why the impersonals died out; they
were too easily replaced by subject pronouns and agreeing verbs:  Me nedeth
here noon other art to use" (Chaucer, Troilus).  I don't need to use any
other art here.  Me liketh:  "I like," instead of "it pleases me."  (Another
survival, although a little cumbersome: "it pleases me to see you and Frank
getting along so well.")

Shall we invent some new impersonals?  I rather like their periphrastic
quality.  Nicely formal.

Sally

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