ON THE QUALITY OF C IN CERTAIN OLD ENGLISH WORDS.

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.106922

Keywords:

Old English, sound, velar stop, affricate, vocalic quality, gelice

Abstract

The paper deals with the controversial issue of the proper vocalic quality assigned to the consonant sound in the Old English words gelice, licest, licedest, licede, licen, liceden, licende, geliced, lician, where the c symbol occurs in the intervocalic position. The specific literature is thoroughly analysed, on the grounds of which the scholars’ standpoints have been organised into four groups providing four different opinions as to the pronunciation of the Old English c in the intervocalic position, which contribute to inconsistencies and unavoidable mistakes in teaching the History of English in universities. To eliminate the discrepancies the author expounds on certain justification for the hypothesis, according to which c in gelice, licest, licedest, licede, licen, liceden, licende, geliced, lician possesses the vocalic quality of the velar stop [k], contrary to the majority of opinions which seem to be insufficient and rather misleading. The conclusion is crucial in terms of correct reading of the Old English texts as well as their proper pronunciation while creating different digital recordings and teaching Old English. Some of the words in question are a compulsory structural part of the Old English simile, a popular stylistic devise that quite often becomes the focus of linguistic analysis, which is another reason to stress the necessity of its correct pronunciation.

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Author Biography

Mariana Oleniak, Vasyl` Stus Donetsk National University

Mariana Oleniak is a PhD, associate professor of the Department of Theory and Practice of Translation of Vasyl` Stus Donetsk National University, a displaced University from the Eastern Ukraine because of aggression of Russia.

References

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Published

2017-12-27

How to Cite

Oleniak, M. (2017). ON THE QUALITY OF C IN CERTAIN OLD ENGLISH WORDS. Advanced Education, 4(8), 99–102. https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.106922

Issue

2017: Issue 8

Section

Linguistics

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Copyright (c) 2017 Mariana Oleniak

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