Prefix/Particle-Verb vs. Verb-Particle

The development from prefixed verbs into phrasal verbs might have been one of the most drastic change, if it could be proved theoretically. Hiltunen (1983) concludes that “the crucial point is evident even in the texts, viz. that the syntactic and functional complexity of the phrasal constructions reached its peak in lOE, after which a number of variants became recessive or disappeared. The standards emerge in eME, where we find the variants formally very similar to those in the contemporary language” (p. 223). This leaves the Old English period in a chaotic state, where the element order is comparatively unreliable. His statistical tables clearly show, however, that the verb – phrasal adverb order is preferred relatively in Chronicles (and in Orosius, though 47% vs. 53% of the phrasal adverb – verb order) in early Old English and in West Saxon Gospel of Matthew (MS. CCCC140) and by Ælfric in the later period.

Let me start with the basic element orders in Old English, though, as I mentioned earlier, Old English element order is too flexible to formulate.

1. (1) Vimp + Part

2. (2) (and +) Part + V + {Prep + N}, (and +) Part + {Prep + N} + V, or

3. (and +) V + Part + {Prep + N}

4. (3) gif/þe + Part + V (+ Aux)

5. (4) Part + to + Vinf (-enne)