Comparative Analysis of English and Welsh Preterite
Introduction. The preterites of Welsh and English are of particular interest to linguists. The Welsh preterite is characterized by the variety of ways of its expression (it is expressed both inflectively and analytically), while the English preterite is characterized by its uniqueness, distinguishing it from other West Germanic languages. Scrutinizing the formation of the simple past tense in these languages, as well as comparing them, can not only shed light on the history of English and Welsh language contacts, but also reveal a different perspective on seemingly mundane grammatical properties of English. Since there is reason to presume that the formation of the periphrastic preterite in Welsh may have structurally influenced the formation of interrogative and negative preterite forms in English, the language of international communication, the theme under discussion is rather topical. Methodology and sources. The study is carried out on the base of three Welsh grammars, each containing extensive sections on syntax, and one English grammar. Welsh language textbooks were also used, providing the necessary examples. The English examples, in turn, were taken from works of English literature. The study involved comparative and comparative historical methods. Results and discussion. In Welsh, two methods of forming the preterite coexist – inflectional and periphrastic. Periphrastic preterite can be formed using auxiliary verbs gwneud “to do” or ddaru “to happen”. In turn, in English, interrogative and negative forms of the preterite are also formed periphrastically using the verb “to do”. A comparative analysis of the periphrastic forms of the Welsh and English preterites allowed us to presume a possible Welsh influence on the formation of the preterite in English. Conclusion. Considering the complex history of colonization of the British Isles, as well as the scarcity of information on early Anglo-Welsh language contacts, it is difficult to definitively determine the origins of the periphrastic preterite in English. The most likely explanation is that periphrastic constructions developed as a result of creolization of Anglo-Saxon language.
Authors: Boris S. Bogdanov
Direction: Linguistics
Keywords: Welsh language, English language, Welsh preterite, English preterite
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