Case theories • • theory of positional cases theory of prepositional cases theory of limited cases theory of ‘null’ case
Category of Case in OE • NOMINATIVE: used for the subject of a sentence and for the subject complement. • ACCUSATIVE: used for the direct object of a transitive verb. It is also used for the objects of some prepositions. • GENITIVE: used to indicate possession and other similar relations; • DATIVE: used for the indirect object of verbs of giving etc. , and also for the objects of a large class of prepositions.
A - declension NOM stan - stone GEN stanes - of the stone DAT stane - to/for the stone ACC stan - stone stanas - stones stana - of the stones stanum - to/for the stones stanas - stones
o - declension NOM talu Gen tale Dat tale Acc tale tala talum tala
u - declension NOM sunu Gen suna Dat suna Acc sunu suna sunum suna
i - declension NOM mete Gen metes Dat mete Acc mete meta metum mete
n - declension NOM nama Gen naman Dat naman Acc naman namena namum naman
root - declension NOM fot Gen fotes Dat fet Acc fot fet fota fotum fet
root - declension þa nam he þa fif hlafas and þa twegen fixas: and on þone heofon beseah and bletsude hig and bræc. and dælde his leorningcnihtum: þæt hig asetton hig beforan þam menegum; fet fota fotum fet
A – declension in ME NOM ston GEN stones DAT stone Acc stones stonen stones
n – declension in ME NOM name Gen namen Dat namen Acc namene namen
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 179. Wel gay watz þis gome gered in grene, He was a fine fellow fitted in green -- And the hair on his head 180. And þe here of his and his horse's hed of his hors swete. matched. 181. Fayre fannand fax It fanned out freely vmbefoldes his enfolding his schulderes; shoulders, 182. A much berd as a and his beard hung busk ouer his brest below as big as a henges bush
new means to denote possession • the peinter ys nam – the painter’s name
Early Hawai'i Pidgin English • "Me cape buy, me check make. " ("He bought my coffee; he made me out a check. “ / "I bought coffee, I made him out a check. ) • "Good, dis one. Kaukau any kin' dis one. Pilipine islan' no good. No mo money. " ("It's better here than in the Philippines; here you can get all kinds of food, but over there isn't any money to buy food with. )