The Morphology of the Old English Plant-Names

Hans Sauer

Jump to Content

The Morphology of the Old English Plant-Names

In: From Earth to Art

Author:

Hans Sauer

Hans Sauer University of Munich Germany

Search for other papers by Hans Sauer in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 161–179

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004454958_013

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

€42.00€35.00 excl. VAT

Add to Cart

Redeem Access Token

Abstract

Under the heading of morphology, I deal mainly with word-formation patterns, loan influence, and morphological variants, peculiarities and problems. The principal pattern used for creating Old English plant-names is compounding (especially noun/noun, e.g. feld-wyrt, but there are also a few other types, such as noun in the genitive/noun, e.g. crāwan-lēac); to a lesser degree, suffixation (Þistel, galluc) and zero-derivation, i.e. derivation without a suffix (ribbe, cwice), play a role. Prefixation, on the other hand, is very rare. Relatively many Old English plant-names are loan-formations based on Latin models (e.g. candel-wyrt < herba lucernaria; fīf-lēafe < quinquefolium) or hybrid formations (e.g. cisir-bēam < cerasus; lēon-fōt < pes leonis). Among the morphological peculiarities I list are, for example, complex words with more than two elements (ceóelferóingwyrt, unfortrœdde), formations with blocked or unclear elements (Þēfe-Þorn, feld-uuop), obscured compounds (Þū-Þistil < Þūfe-Þistil?), and cases of popular etymology (levisticum, lubisticum > lufe-stice ‘love-stitch’). I hope to produce a complete survey of patterns and forms in the foreseeable future.

Citation Info

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share link with colleague or librarian

You can email a link to this page to a colleague or librarian:
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789004454958/B9789004454958_s013.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Collapse
Expand

From Earth to Art

The Many Aspects of the Plant-World in Anglo-Saxon England. Proceedings of the First ASPNS Symposium, University of Glasgow, 5-7 April 2000

Series: Costerus New Series Online, Volume: 148 and Costerus New Series, Volume: 148

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004454958

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 01 Jan 2003

Subjects
- Languages and Linguistics

Front Matter

Back Matter

Metrics

	All Time	Past 365 days	Past 30 Days
Abstract Views	243	83	1
Full Text Views	2	0	0
PDF Views & Downloads	8	0	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

Authors

Open Access

Product Information

Company

Contact

The Morphology of the Old English Plant-Names

Abstract

Citation Info

Share link with colleague or librarian

From Earth to Art

The Many Aspects of the Plant-World in Anglo-Saxon England. Proceedings of the First ASPNS Symposium, University of Glasgow, 5-7 April 2000

Table of Contents

Metrics

Metrics