I have to disagree with the earlier responder, I'm afraid. The "do/does" periphrasis in questions is post-Anglo-Saxon.
So ... "Sprycst ðú Englisc?" [sprikst thoo ENNglish] or to be absolutely clear you don't mean "Are you speaking English right now, or some crazy argot?" "Canst ðú on ðæm Engliscan tunge sprecan?" [Kannst thoo on tham ENNglishun TUHNguh SPREKKun]
It can also be Ænglisc. And you don't want me to list the variants for "sprycst," but if you want you can give its vowel the pronunciation of short German ü.
I don't know what you mean by iambic--I have a terrible ear for those kinds of poetry.
The strong initial stress is a Common Germanic thing that Anglo-Saxon did have, even more markedly than modern English. That may be what you're noticing.
The peculiarity of English, rhythmically speaking, that learners usually have trouble with is the flexible rhythm--the rule that in general a clause takes the same amount of time to say even if one adds extra syllables to it. Whereas other languages have the words marching along in a much more predictable rhythm. Anglo-Saxon poetry demonstrates that to a certain extent--and a greater extent than alliterative poetry in other Germanic languages based on the same principles. But it could also derive from fitting in all the little function words from Norman French. Likely the tendency was exacerbated after the Old English period.
(no subject)
So ... "Sprycst ðú Englisc?" [sprikst thoo ENNglish] or to be absolutely clear you don't mean "Are you speaking English right now, or some crazy argot?" "Canst ðú on ðæm Engliscan tunge sprecan?" [Kannst thoo on tham ENNglishun TUHNguh SPREKKun]
It can also be Ænglisc. And you don't want me to list the variants for "sprycst," but if you want you can give its vowel the pronunciation of short German ü.
Frith,
Marion
(no subject)
I don't know German, but I do know that vowel sound, fortunately.
And jeepers, was Old English as strongly iambic as Modern English, or was that sentence just coincidentally so?
(no subject)
The strong initial stress is a Common Germanic thing that Anglo-Saxon did have, even more markedly than modern English. That may be what you're noticing.
The peculiarity of English, rhythmically speaking, that learners usually have trouble with is the flexible rhythm--the rule that in general a clause takes the same amount of time to say even if one adds extra syllables to it. Whereas other languages have the words marching along in a much more predictable rhythm. Anglo-Saxon poetry demonstrates that to a certain extent--and a greater extent than alliterative poetry in other Germanic languages based on the same principles. But it could also derive from fitting in all the little function words from Norman French. Likely the tendency was exacerbated after the Old English period.
M