奈良教育大学学術リポジトリNEAR
EFT IN THE ANGLO‑SAXON CHRONICLES
著者 Kawamoto Takao
journal or
publication title
奈良教育大学紀要. 人文・社会科学
volume 16
number 1
page range 1‑7
year 1968‑02‑29
URL http://hdl.handle.net/10105/3254
Takao Kawamoto
Department of the English Language, Nara University of Education, Nara, Japan
1. This is a description of the word eft occurring in the Parker Manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (from the preface to 1001) m and in the Peterborough
(2)
Manuscript (from 983 to 1121). Both the portions of the MSS I have chosen
arbitrarily will supply materials not improper for this study of eft in the two succeeding centuries, for their contents do not coincide even where they overlap chronologically. The abbreviations MS A and MS E are used here for the portion
of the former manuscript and that of the latter respectively. The text is taken
from Charles Plummer, Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, Oxford 1965.
(3)
2. MEANINGS AND DISTRIBUTIONS According to Henry Sweet eft has
four senses :
(i) a second time, again (ii) afterwards
(iii) order of statement, argument &c. again, rursum (iv) back
And Garmonsway translates eft in several other ways in addition to these four:
(1) ac hie eft on hie fuhton 'but later they fought' (A449)
(2) huerf eft to Cantwarum 'returned to Kent' (A633)
(3) he hi him eft ageaf 'he restored them to him' (A894) (4) eft ponan ut faran wolde 'wished to withdraw' (A905) (5) weard eft gestapelad 'was rebuilt' (A962)
(6) p eft... 'Thereafter... that' (A975)
Each of these meanings, however, can be identified with some of the four classes of Sweet's. Both 'later' and 'thereafter' are similar to 'afterwards', and efts in
examples (2), (3) and (4) can be labeled as (iv) since 'return', 'restore' and
'withdraw' are in other words 'go back', 'give back' and 'draw back' respectively, and example (5) has the sense (i) 'rebuilt' being analysed into 'built again'.
There are sometimes sentences where no hint of eft can be found in the
translation:
& pa eft swipe rape cefter pam hie foron eft ut mid steel herge nihtes 'Very
soon after that, however, they sallied forth in marauding bands at night'
Eft in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles (Kawamoto)
(A921)
Here 'after that' is for cefter pam, and 'sallied forth' does not seem to have any implication of eft.
Syddan eft hi... 'afterwards they...' (E1094)
eft syddan he ongean com 'after his return' (E1105)
These two examples also do not give any raison d'6tre of eft. Such eft with
hardly any significance I label as (v).
Whitelock, however, often handles eft in different manners than Garmonsway
does. For example :
(4)(1) & eft on Hrofesceastre 'And was afterwards bishop of Rochester /later/' (A644)
(2) for se here eft... 'the raiding army returned / went back/' (A869)
(3) ncefre eft to Angel cynne... cuman 'never come back to England
/ again /'(E994)
(4) paferdon hi eft ongean to Cent 'they went back again to kent/NOTHING/' (E1009)
(5) & eft se papa hcefde sinod 'And the pope held another synod
/ afterwards /' (E1047)
The two translators fairly agree on the efts in examples (1) and (2), but their
opinions differ, when one says 'back' and the other says 'again' or NOTHING in
(3) and (4), and when in (5) one says 'afterwards' the other says 'another'
which belongs to the class 'again'.
Based on both Gartmonsway(G) and Whitelock(W) the distributions of eft are
as follows:
蝣 U ) U i) (iii) (iv ) (v ) to ta l G l l 8 0 10 5 3 4
w 9 7 0 9 9 3 4
G 12 3 1 1 7 8 4 1 w 1 6 0 0 2 2 3 4 1
(5)
MSA
MSE
This table indicates three points:
(1) Almost no eft is used in the Chronicle for the sense (iii). The only
instance is :
pa man odde tilian sceolde odde eft tilda gegaderian 'both when the land was
to be tilled and again when the crops were to be harvested' (G); 'when
cultivation was due to be done or crops to be got in' (W) (E1097).
(2) Eft for 'again' and 'back' is more frequent in E than in A, whereas
eft for 'afterwards' becomes rare in E by G and practically disappears by W.
(3) Figures under (v), among others, make me suspect ambiguity and
insignificance of the meaning of eft.
3. POSITION OF EFT Except in verse, no eft, which does not follow &
(6)
immediately, stands either at the beginning or at the end of a clause.
3.1. SINGLE EFT that does not immediately precede or follow any other
adverb or adverb phrase. In order to clarify clause structures I use the following abbreviations : S=subject, V=verb, O=object, C=complement, PP=past participle,
ad=adverb phrase. And (i), (ii)... (v) show the position of eft as well as the
difference of meaning, and if two of them stand side by side, they are, in order, byGandbyW.
(1) S+(ii)+V+ad (A449)
(2) ad+S+(i)+O+V (A687)
(3) £?+(i)+V+C (A797)
(4) S+(ii)+V+ad (A855)
(5) S+O+O+(iv)+V (A894)
(6) <S?+(iv)+O+V (A937)
(7) S+V+(v) (A942)
(8) ad+V+(i)+PP (A962)
(9) p«i+(ii)+S+V+S (A975)
(10) V+(iv)+O+O (A975)
(ll) />a+V+S+(iv)+O+ad (E1016)
(12) <S?+(ii)(i)+S+V+O+ad (E1047)
(13) pa+V+S+(i)+O & O (E1047)
(14) V+(iv)+O+O+ad (E1064)
(15) S+O+(ii)(i)+S+V (E1093)
(16) odde+(iii)(v)+O+V (E1097)
Thus singleeft occurs 10/34 times in MS A, and 6/41 times in MS E.
Independency of eft seems to have been reduced to half through the course of a
century. Of the ten efts in MS A five are immediately before the verb or the
past participle, and four immediately before the subject or the object, namely a
noun. One stands exceptionally at the end of a clause, which belongs to the
annal in alliterative verse. All the six efts, in MS E stand either before S or
before O. To sum up, the single eft, which can stand before a noun or a verb
in MS A, can stand only before a noun in MS E. The position of eft does not
seem to have anything to do with its meaning.
3.2. EFT IN AN ADVERB GROUP Here I consider eft with another adverb
or adverb phrase or more immediately following or preceding. Adverb phrases are
divided into three types: adverb phrase of time (ad-t), adverb phrase of place
(ad-p) and adverb phrase of manner (ad-m).
3.2.1. ADVERB GROUP WITH EFT AT THE INITIAL POSITION Twelve
Eft in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles (Kawamoto)
efts in MSA and 19 in MS E stand at the top of an adverb group:
(1) S+V+(iv)+ad-p (A633)
(2) <S?+(ii)+ad-p (A644)
(3) O+S+(ii)-t-ad-p+V (A685)
(4) S+ad-m+V+(iv)+ad-p (A813)
(5) V+S+(iv)+ad-p (A869)
(6) V+S+(i)+west (A886)
(7) V+S+(i)+ad-p (A893)
(8) Sf+(i)+ad-t+S+V (A894)
(9) V+S+(i)+ad-p (A894)
(10) S+(W)(v)+hamweard+Y (A895)
(ll) V+S+O+(ii)(v)+ad-m (A918)
(12) S+V+(v)(i)+ut+&d-m+nihtes (A921)
(13) ad-t+V+(iv)+ad-p+ad-p (E997)
(14) V+S+ (i)(iv)+eastweard+ad-p (E998)
(15) V+S+(i)+abuton+ad-p (E999)
(16) S+(iv)+ne+V (E1005)
(17) S+V+O+(iv)+adp (E1009)
(18) V+S+ (v)(iv)+ongean+ad-p (E1009)
(19) V+(i)(iv)+sudweard+ad-p (E1010)
(20) V+O+(i)+ad-p (E1016)
(21) S+V+(iv)(i)+up+ad-p (E1016)
(22) V+S+(iv)+/mm+ad-p (E1029)
(23) V+S+(iv)+ad-p (E1030)
(24) V+S+(i)+ad-p (E1046)
(25) V+S+(i)+ad-p (E1047)
(26) S+V+(iv)+ad-p (E1048)
(27) S+V+O+(iv)+ongean+ad-p (E1052)
(28) S+V+(v)(iv)+orcg-ea?z+ad-p (E1052)
(29) S+V+(iv)+ad-p (E1068)
(30) S+(ii)(i)+ad-t+V (E1101)
(31) &+(v)(iv)+syddan+S+ongean+V (E1105)
An adverb group with eft at its top usually stands at the end of a clause both
in A and E (9/12; 16/19). Ad-t rarely follows eft. Here also the differnce in
meaning does not seem to presuppose the position of eft.
3.2.2. ADVERB GROUP WITH EFT AT THE NON-INITIAL POSITION There
are 12 instances in MSA and 16 in MSE:
(1) pa+sona+(ii)+ad-m+S+V (A797)
(2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (ll) (12) (13)
Her+(i)+S+V+O (A828)
ad-t+(i)(ii)+ad-p+V+S. (A838)
<5?+/>«;r+ (ii)+O+V (A855)
S+pa+(i)(iv)+«£+ad-p+V... (A894)
... V+/>«+(iv)(v)+hamweard (A905)
5+pa+(iv)+ponan+ut+V (A905)
pa+(y)+ad-t+ad-t+ad-t+S+V... (A921)
/>a+(v)+ad-t+S+V... (A921)
(S?+ad-m+(v) +ad-p+O+V (A921)
pa+(i)+ad-t+pa+giet+V+S (A921)
6+V+da+(iv)(v)+east+ongean (A1001)
S+neefre+ (i)(iv) +ad-p+ad-m+V (E994)
(14) panon+(iv)+ad-p+Y (E1003)
(15) V+S+neefre+(iv)+ad-p (E1004)
(16) V+/>a+(iv)+ad-p+ad-m (ElOlO)
(17) V+S+ut+(v)+ongean... (E1010)
(18) V+S+ad-p+(i)+ad-m (E1047)
(19) &+ncefre+md+(i)+ad-m+V (E1093)
(20) S+ncefre+(i)+O+ne+O+ad-p+ne+V (E1093)
(21) Syddan+(v)(i)+S+togeedere+V+ad-m (E1094)
(22) Syddan+(v)+ad-t+V+O (E1094)
(23) &+swa+ad-t+(iv)+hider+ad-p+V (E1099)
(24) fi?+ad-t+(i)+ad-p (E1104)
(25) S+syddan+ad-t+(iv) +ongean+hider+ad-p+V (EH05)
(26) S+V+ad-p+sona+(v)(iv)+ongean (E1106)
(27) &+syddan+(v)(i)+ad-t+ad-p+V (E1107) (28) <Sf+ad-t+(iv)(i)+ad-p (E1108)
Here some differences are to be noted between the usages of eft in A and in E.
In A eft often follows pa (7/12), while in E it occurs only once after fa, and
four times after ad-t, four times after noefre or neefre ma and three times after syddan.
In A this type of group rarely comes after the verb, or attheclosingposition of a clause. As a matter of fact it usually precedes the first mainelement of the
clause. In E on the other hand, such an adverb group is seen only once before
the subject ofa clause, and7timesat theendof aclause. In short, it has a
tendency to take forward positions in A but backward positions in E.
Four clauses in A and six in E have an ad-t, and there is only one instance in A where eft follows an ad-t, while in E four out of six cases have eft after
an ad-t. Of course it is impossible to decide from these scanty data whether
Eft in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles (Kawamoto)
these two opposite results can be regarded as the general tendencies of the ninth and the tenth centuries.
4. OTHER WORDS WHOSE MEANING IS SIMILAR TO EFT
4.1. WORDS FOR 'AFTERWARDS' The scribes of the Chronicle use several
expressions as well as eft meaning 'afterwsrds', 'after that' or the like. The following table is based on the translation by Whitelock, and so, for example, the adverb syddan is often set aside when she renders it as 'then', and pa is taken twice because she puts it as 'afterwards'.
A E
(1 ) ce f t e r p ce m 1 3 1 6
( 2 ) p ee s 9 7
(3 ) s y d d a n 7 4 0
( 4 ) ce f t e r p y s o n o r p y s u m 2 5
(5 ) p a 1 1
( 6 ) p ee r ce f t e r 0 2 5 ( 7 ) h e r ce f te r 0 5
(8 ) l a t o r 0 1
( 9 ) ce f t e r 0 1
(1 0 ) ce f t e r w a r d 0 1
e f t ( ii ) 7 0
t o t a l 3 9 1 0 2
Superiority of cefter pcem to syddan in A is reversed in E. Eft(ii) which has
already only half the frequency of cefter pcem in A almost ceases to exist in E
(3 times by Garmonsway).
4.2. WORDS FOR 'AGAIN' OR 'BACK' The distinction between 'again' and
'back' is sometimes too subtle to draw. Thus the OED arranges eft into three
main classes, putting 'again' and 'back' together under a head in the following manner:
I. A second time, again; back.
II. indicating sequence or transition in discourse: again, moreover, likewise.
III. afterwards.
Now there are only a few words for 'again' or 'back' in the Chronicle, and
in fact I cannot find any expression other than eft in A except for oft ond
gelome(A887), which whitelock renders as 'again and again'. The frequencies of
such words are:
(1) ongean (2) syddan
A 0 0
E
17
1
(3) of tar (4) on bcec eft(i) and (iv) total
0 0 19 19
1 1 38 58
It is clear from this table that eft for 'again' or 'back' has no rival expressins in A, but it comes to hold a bare majority in E.
5. CONCLUSION As far as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is concerned, weight
of eft in a sentence diminishes during the course of a century, and its close
relationship to the verb has been lost in the tenth century. Eft for 'afterwards' has nearly disappeared and even eft for 'again' or 'back', in spite of its over-
whelming state in the previous century, is successfully being superseded by a
fresh and powerful word-ongean.
Perhaps fall of eft was caused partly by its own defect that there existed
considerable ambiguity about its meaning, and that its positions did not help
determine the meaning. Thus the two translators disagree on eft25 times out of
75(33%).
Frequency 7 7 5 3 2 1 25
D isa g r ee m e n t o f(i) : (iv ) (iv ) : (v ) (i) : (ii) (i) : (v ) (ii) : (v ) (iii) : (v ) to ta l
