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In:Explorations in English Historical Syntax
Edited by Hubert Cuyckens, Hendrik De Smet, Liesbet Heyvaert and Charlotte Maekelberghe
[Studies in Language Companion Series 198] 2018
► pp. 259–282

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Chapter 10
A study of Old English dugan

Its potential for auxiliation

 | Chiba University, Japan
Published online: 13 August 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.198.11kai
Abstract
This study examines how the Old English preterite-present verb dugan ‘to avail’ developed into a modal auxiliary of ability (‘can’) in Middle English. Two factors in the Old English period play a role in this auxiliation process: (i) the influence of the modal precursor magan (meaning ‘to be strong’ as a lexical verb and ‘can’ as a modal) (> Modern English may) and (ii) the textual characteristics of medical texts. Dugan shares with magan a number of morphological and semantic properties. Furthermore, in medical texts, Old English dugan is attested as a lexical verb with the to-infinitive; magan as well is attested as a lexical verb and as a modal followed by the bare infinitive. It is argued that dugan starts combining with the bare infinitive because of the analogy with magan after the medical manuscripts were passed on to the Middle English period.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Old English dugan : Its etymology
  • 3.Auxiliation of pre-modals
    • 3.1Some formal features of the modals
    • 3.2Evaluative readings
  • 4.Old English dugan
    • 4.1Verse texts
    • 4.2Homiletic prose
    • 4.3Medical prose
  • 5.Middle English and Modern English periods
    • 5.1Middle English douen
    • 5.2Scots dow ‘can’
  • 6.Germanic cognates of Old English dugan
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • List of abbreviations
  • References
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