1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910780687903321

Autore

Whitman F. H.

Titolo

A comparative study of Old English metre / / F. H. Whitman

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Toronto, [Ontario] ; ; Buffalo, [New York] ; ; London, [England] : , : University of Toronto Press, , 1993

©1993

ISBN

1-282-00297-X

9786612002977

1-4426-7317-6

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (181 p.)

Disciplina

829.1009

Soggetti

English language - Old English, ca. 450-1100 - Versification

Latin language - Metrics and rhythmics

German language - Old High German, 750-1050 - Versification

Comparative linguistics

Electronic books.

Altenglisch

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

1. The Earliest Accentual Verse -- 2. German Accentual Verse -- 3. Old English: Stressed or Unstressed Initials? -- 4. Light Lines -- 5. Clashing Stress -- 6. Towards a New Paradigm.

Sommario/riassunto

Ancient Germanic, Celtic, and Italic verse seem to be related. Frank Whitman points out that not only is the language within these traditions stressed and very different from other ancient Indo-European languages, but also the metrical principles underlying the verse of these three stressed languages differ demonstrably from those found elsewhere. Whitman begins with an analysis of Italic verse because it is far older than that of German or Celtic traditions, and is therefore more likely to yield primitive metrical patterns common to all three. After analysing the dominant pattterns of the earliest accentual verse, he turns to Old English metre, and looks closely at the typical length of the halflines, the phenomenon of clashing stress, and the nature of light



lines. In his conclusion he introduces a new paradigm for the description of Old English metre.