Theme: syntax in oe contents I. Introduction II. Main body. Structural relations of old english

The Adverbial Modifier

An adverbial modifier may be expressed either by an adverb or by a phrase "preposition + substantive". The first variety may be seen in such sentences as: pa eode he ham 'then he went home', pin bropor com facenlice 'your brother came heatingly'. The adverbial modifier may be one of manner, or time or place, etc., depending on the lexical meaning of the adverb. The second variety "preposition + substantive" is found in the following sentences: hwelce wiotan iu wæron ʒiond Anʒelcynn 'what wise men there formerly were in England', pis ærendʒe-writ Aʒustinus ofer sealtne æe suðan brohte 'this message Augustine brought across the salt sea from the south', ponne wið norpan Donua æwielme and be eastan Rine sindon Easfrancas 'then to the north of the Danube river and to the east of the Rhine are the East Franks'.