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In:English Historical Linguistics: Historical English in contact
Edited by Bettelou Los, Chris Cummins, Lisa Gotthard, Alpo Honkapohja and Benjamin Molineaux
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 359] 2022
► pp. 57–74

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Chapter 4
How does causal connection originate?

Evidence from translation correspondences between the Old English Boethius and the Consolatio

ORCiD logo with link | Institute for Linguistic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published online: 2 February 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.359.04ese
Abstract
This chapter focuses on Old English causal connector forþæm / forþon / forþy “because, therefore” in the Alfredian translation of Boethius’s treatise De Consolatione Philosophiae. This polyfunctional causal connector plays a crucial role in the OE adaptation of the treatise, which is relatively distant from its Latin source. Clauses with forþæm / forþon / forþy correspond to various Latin structures (e.g., causal, conditional, concessive, temporal, relative, and purpose clauses, or ablative absolute) and support discourse coherence in the OE text. The study explores the mechanisms behind the emergence of structures with explicit causality in a translated text, from a translation studies perspective, and addresses the problem of correlation of CCC-relations in the two texts.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1The Old English Boethius as a translated text
    • 2.2Translation-studies framework
    • 2.3Causal connectors in Latin and OE
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.Findings and discussion
    • 4.1Translation correspondences
    • 4.2CCC-relations in the two texts
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Sources
  • References
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