LL-L: "Double negative" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 04.OCT.1999 (04)

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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Double negative

Dear Lowlanders,

In an earlier posting I mentioned that in Middle Low Saxon (Middle Low German)
the negative constructions _... en (...) nich(t) ..._, _... nich(t) en ..._
occur, much as _... en ... niet ..._ etc. occurred in earlier forms of
Netherlandic varieties and still occurs in some modern ones (e.g., in Belgian
dialects).

I am not quite sure if this qualifies as "double negative," i.e., if _en_ ever
occurred as a negative marker by itself.

In perusing a collection of Low Saxon songs from the early 16th century* (and
some of the songs may be older than that) I noticed that this supposed "double
negative" does not seem to occur in songs that you might regard as being "art
songs," "hymns," "anthems," or any such verse of "elevated" style, and that the
supposed "double negative" occurs only in what might be considered folksongs or
"folksy" songs with everyday life themes.  To me this suggests that at that time
the double construction was on its way out, that it was still hanging on in
lower-class varieties and was being avoided in "elevated" style.  Alternatively,
one might suppose that the double construction was already at that time archaic
and was frozen in older folksongs.

* Das Rostocker Liederbuch : Niederdeutsche Handschrift des 15. Jahrhunderts aus

dem Bestand der Universitätsbibliothek Rostock  / nach den Fragmenten der
Handschrift neu herausgegeben von Friedrich Ranke und J. M. Müller-Blattau
(1927); Kassel : Bärenreiter, 1987.

Here are some examples:

Song 38:

Mir is myn perd vornegheld ghar,
dat kumpt van rechter unschuld to,
dat my de smyd des ghudes NICHT EN ghan,
So deyt he alze en rechter boser man,
went ich des anders nicht ghereken kan
wen an dem dummen dere.

(More about this song in a separate posting)

Song 52

Id reghent up der brugge, trud leff,
id EN is NICHT nat.
heyuch! heyuch!
we synes leues NICHT EN hat,
de hat grot vngemack.

My translation:
"It is raining on the bridge, dear love,
[yet] it is NOT wet.
Heyoh! Heyoh!
(S)he who DOES NOT have her/his love,
(s)he has great woe."

Song 55 (in its entirety):
Vader myn, ik EN wil NICHT mer to scole gan:
de mester het mi drowet, he wil my sere slan.

My translation:
"Father mine, I DO NOT want to go to school anymore:
the master has threatened me, he wants to give me a dreadful beating."

Corrections and suggestions are welcome.

Best regards,

Reinhard/Ron

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