Words Derived from Old Norse in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Richard Dance is Reader in Early English in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic in the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of St Catharine’s College.  He is the author of a number of books and articles about the language and literature of the Old and Middle English periods, and is especially interested in vocabulary, etymology and the language of early English poetry.

• Acknowledgements ivAbbreviations and conventions viIntroductory essays1. Introductory remarks 11.1 Backgrounds 11.2 About this book 61.3 Sir Gawain and the ‘Scandinavian Element’ 91.4 The identification of Old Norse input 251.4.1 Assumptions and interpretations 261.4.2 On evidence 341.5 Types and uses of structural evidence 391.5.1 Systematic formal evidence: Type A 391.5.2 Other structural categories: Types B, C and D 441.6 Circumstantial evidence 491.6.1 Germanic distribution 501.6.2 Dialect distribution in England 541.7 Categories and probabilities: other labels in the Survey 631.8 The Survey: inclusions and exclusions 651.9 The entries: format and conventions 682. Type A and Formal Criteria 762.1 Type A 762.1.1 Summary lists 762.1.2 Further remarks 792.1.2.1 Germanic distribution 812.1.2.2 Distribution in England 812.2 Formal Criteria 822.2.1 Phonological features 842.2.1.1 Vowels 842.2.1.2 Consonants 922.2.2 Morphological features 1103. Type B 1143.1 Summary lists 1153.2 Further remarks 1173.2.1 Germanic distribution 1193.2.2 Distribution in England 1193.2.3 Probability of ON input 1214. Type C 1274.1 Type C1 1304.1.1 Summary list 1304.1.2 Further remarks 1324.1.2.1 Types of structural evidence at issue 1354.1.2.2 Probability of ON input 1374.2 Type C2 1444.2.1 Summary list 1444.2.2 Further remarks 1454.2.2.1 Types of structural evidence at issue 1474.2.2.2 Probability of ON input 1504.3 Type C3 1544.3.1 Summary list 1544.3.2 Further remarks 1554.3.2.1 Types of structural evidence at issue 1584.3.2.2 Probability of ON input 1604.4 Type C4 1654.4.1 Summary list 1654.4.2 Further remarks 1664.4.2.1 Types of structural evidence at issue 1664.4.2.2 Probability of ON input 1674.5 Type C5 1694.5.1 Summary list 1694.5.2 Further remarks 1704.5.2.1 Types of structural evidence at issue 1714.5.2.2 Probability of ON input 1724.6 Type C: Circumstantial evidence 1744.6.1 Germanic distribution 1744.6.2 Distribution in England 1754.6.3 Other circumstantial evidence 1775. Type D 1785.1 Type D1 1805.1.1 Summary list 1805.1.2 Further remarks 1825.1.2.1 Proposed ON etyma and their Germanic filiations 1865.1.2.2 Distribution in England 1885.1.2.3 Probability of ON input 1905.2 Type D2 2005.2.1 Summary list 2005.2.2 Further remarks 2035.2.2.1 Proposed ON etyma and their Germanic filiations 2095.2.2.2 Distribution in England 2125.2.2.3 Probability of ON input 2146. Concluding remarks 2286.1 Some impressions 2296.2 Further study 2346.3 Coda: The Gersum Project 237