Grammaticalisatie in de ambtelijke formule 'zoals voorzeid is'

Samenvatting

This paper demonstrates that medieval legal documents can be an excellent source of information for the linguistic study of Middle Dutch. A case study of the particular formulaic expression zoals voorzeid is ('as is foresaid'), which is the Middle Dutch equivalent of the Latin formula quod dictum est, illustrates that even the most stereotyped parts of a legal text show considerable variation. A more detailed quantitative study of the formula reveals that the combinatory variation of the preverbal element voor and the past participle of verbs of communication reflect different phases in the grammaticalization of complex verbs in Dutch.