12.1057, Qs: Old Eng References, Grammar/Symmetry Breaking

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-12-1057. Sat Apr 14 2001. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 12.1057, Qs: Old Eng References, Grammar/Symmetry Breaking

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1)
Date:  Fri, 13 Apr 2001 19:19:19 -0700 (PDT)
From:  Jena Barchas Lichtenstein <pizzlecran at yahoo.com>
Subject:  Old English references

2)
Date:  Sat, 14 Apr 2001 03:10:37 EDT
From:  Zylogy at aol.com
Subject:  Grammar from symmetry breaking

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Fri, 13 Apr 2001 19:19:19 -0700 (PDT)
From:  Jena Barchas Lichtenstein <pizzlecran at yahoo.com>
Subject:  Old English references

Does anyone knows any good Old English grammar (and/or vocabulary)
references (preferably online)?  I'm trying to glean all I possibly can
from a bilingual edition of Beowulf (Seamus Heaney's translation).
Thanks in advance.

Jena Barchas Lichtenstein



-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------

Date:  Sat, 14 Apr 2001 03:10:37 EDT
From:  Zylogy at aol.com
Subject:  Grammar from symmetry breaking




Hi. Any treatises out there which relate the structure and evolution of
grammar to broken symmetry patterns? I've seen scattered bits and pieces
(antisymmetry, etc.), but never anything resembling a full treatment of
language as a whole. For those of you who know my interest in the
lexicalization of ideophones and expressives and linkage to
grammaticalization, the connection to symmetry breaking would be obvious in
the creation of various levels of hierarchy, word classes, etc. Certainly the
breakdown of the phonosemantic iconicity (native paradigmaticity) relation
fits the bill, with the collapse of symmetry, and concomitant increase in
syntagmatic possibilities. An open system would be able to add hierarchical
levels indefinitely, but the recursive nature of grammar would seem to
indicate rather a closed system after a certain set of steps.

And the possibility of high rank elements being recycled into expressives
wouldn't hurt either.

In any case anyone who knows please redirect me to the proper sources. Thanks.

Jess Tauber
zylogy at aol.com

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