Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1968, Page 85

On Some Cases of Interaction
93
In its turn, the loss of inflections in preterite and the sub-
stitution of the perfect for the preterite determines the deri-
vation in Afrikaans of new forms of part. II from the present
stems with the help of the particle -ge- (cf. gakan, gemoet)14)
and the levelling after the pattern of present sterns of the
vocalism in the old forms of part. II, derived from the prete-
rite stems. Cf. part. II Afr. geskryf or geskrywe (Netherl.
geschreven) from skryf, skrywe — to write; gery (Netherl.
gereden) from ry — to ride; gevind (Netherl. gevonden) from
vind — to find; gedoen (Netherl. gedaan) from doen — to do;
gekoop (Netherl. gekocht) from koop — to buy; gebou
(Netherl. gebouwd) from bou — to build, etc.15)
Also in English the ohanges in the plural present of indica-
tive which led to the loss of inflections in these forms deter-
mined the disappearance of old forms of part. I and the
appearance in it of part. I and of gerund in -ing.
The dependence of these non-finite forms in English on the
character of the plural forms is observed in particular in the
fact that the forms in -ing become most frequent in Late
Middle English or in Early New English, i. e. at the period of
complet loss of inflections.16)
Phonetic, syntactic and semantic factors which are often
regarded as the principal factors leading to the appearance
of these forms (in particular of gerund from the verbal nouns
in -ing) probably played though important but not principal
part in their appearance. This can be proved by the data of
other Germanic languages, e. g. of Old Saxon, Old Frisian
and Old High German in whioh despite the presence of simi-
lar factors the forms under consideration did not develop and
14) H. Meher. Die Sprache der Buren, Gottingen, 1901, S. 461.
u) A. C. Bouman en E. C. Pienaar. Afrikaanse Spraakkuns, s. 130, 131.
16) F. Th. Visser. An Historical Syntax of the English Language, v. II,
Leiden, 1966; S. Moore. Historical Outlines of English Sounds and In-
flections, revised by A. H. Marckwardt, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1960, pp.
157—158.