Discourse articulation in the Gothic Gospels, with notes on the treatment of the same phenomenon in the Classical Armenian and Old Church Slavic versions

Abstract

Abstract This chapter investigates the entire range of discourse articulators in the Gothic Gospels, including aþþan, iþ, þan, nu, -(u)h, þaruh, þanuh, -(u)h þan, auk, and jah, comparing them to their equivalents in the Greek text and providing notes on similar phenomena in the Classical Armenian and Old Church Slavic versions. Our results show that aþþan is the strongest of the discourse-level adversatives in Gothic. Iþ functions as an oppositive, signalling relationships that are neither clearly adversative nor ‘and’-like. Non-temporal þan possesses a discourse continuative function, while non-temporal nu signals primarily inference (‘now then’). The enclitic -(u)h signals sequence. þaruh and þanuh are foregrounding markers signalling discourse movement along the timeline of the narrative; and -(u)h Þan occurs about equally in discourse-foregrounding and backgrounding value. Auk ‘for’ is employed in an expatiatory sense, providing further expository or affirmational information. Finally, jah is a static conjunction whose meaning is simply ‘and’.