Re: Middle Welsh (was Cein)

Sally Caves scripsit:

> I can't remember, at this point, kam@CARROT, who said what.  But
> I'm not denying that this is a genitive construction.  "Taking *by* Arthur
> only clarifies its meaning a little bit in modern English.  The genitive
> clearly indicates some kind of agency used this way.  It's definitely
> "taking of Arthur," no question about it.
Note that until very recent times, "of" was the regular preposition of
the agent in *English* passive constructions too:

        And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city:
        for God did vex them with all adversity. (2 Chron 15:6)

                        Then, being there alone,
        Left and abandoned of his velvet friends (As You Like It II:i)

--
John Cowan                                   cowan@ccil.org
One art/there is/no less/no more/All things/to do/with sparks/galore
        --Douglas Hofstadter