Applying RRG to the Lexical Paradigms of Old English Strong Verbs

This article tests the current Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) taxonomy in the lexical paradigms of Old English (OE) strong verbs. The data has been extracted from the lexical database Nerthus and consists of 328 lexical paradigms and 1,509 verbs. Lexical paradigms have been identified and reviewed. Then, the Aktionsart taxonomy in RRG has been applied to each verb. The conclusions address both theoretical and descriptive aspects. On the theoretical side, this study offers a critical review of the RRG theory and proposes updates such as the addition of a new Aktionsart type for describing unbounded processes. Additionally, the analysis offers a fresh perspective on the nature of causative states and identifies a significant group of verbs that do not fit into any of the Aktionsart classes in RRG, presenting a solution. On the descriptive side, the research finds RRG applicable to Old English with consideration of its findings.