"Change, alter, or perhaps transform?" Selecting the perfect word for a specific context, such as when composing a report or a speech, is all the easier with a thesaurus at hand. These... Show more"Change, alter, or perhaps transform?" Selecting the perfect word for a specific context, such as when composing a report or a speech, is all the easier with a thesaurus at hand. These lexicographic resources are invaluable for looking up alternative words or phrases that convey a specific meaning. In addition, thesauri offer a number of uses beyond looking up alternative phrasings: they are veritable treasure troves for cultural, linguistic, anthropological, and literary-critical research — especially when these resources are arranged in a topical fashion, a hierarchical ordering of its groups of loosely synonymous words according to their meaning. This doctoral dissertation investigates how Web-based dissemination of historical language thesauri can be improved to facilitate academic explorations of language and culture. The investigation includes a case study of "A Thesaurus of Old English", expressing it in a Linguistic Linked Data form and making it available through the web application Evoke, newly developed by the author of this dissertation. A number of researchers, taking part in the research project Exploring Early Medieval English Eloquence, have engaged with these two digital resources and show that thesauri are by no means exhausted by previous investigations. The results demonstrate that both the new dissemination form and the innovative functionalities provided by the web application can offer novel ways in which to explore and analyse thesaurus content of this early medieval variant of the English language. Show less
In the course of the Middle Ages, speakers of Frisian increasingly came under pres-sure of Low German. Eventually, in the fifteenth century, Low German gained the upper hand, first in writing, but... Show moreIn the course of the Middle Ages, speakers of Frisian increasingly came under pres-sure of Low German. Eventually, in the fifteenth century, Low German gained the upper hand, first in writing, but soon enough in speaking too, leading to a complete language shift in the Frisian lands east of the river Lauwers. Previous scholarship on this topic focused on Low German loans in Old East Frisian. However, a detailed studies reveals that also the spelling habits of Frisian scribes reveal an increased Low German interference. Show less
It is well established that Old English is more closeley related to Old Frisian than to any other West Germanic language. This fact rests especially on phonological, morphological and lexical... Show moreIt is well established that Old English is more closeley related to Old Frisian than to any other West Germanic language. This fact rests especially on phonological, morphological and lexical evidence. Syntactic arguments are few and far between. In this article, the author argues that the Old Frisian conjunction būta ‘but’ and its Old English parallel būtan ‘but’ do not derive their behavioural similarities to an erstwhile Anglo-Frisian pre-stage, but must be explained as having arisen from a similar, but independent, process of grammaticalization. Show less
