Explicit performatives in Old Saxon and Old High German

Abstract This study explores the distribution and frequency of explicit performatives within the Old Saxon and Old High German corpora. Focusing on instances with verbs with meanings such as ‘request,’ ‘command,’ ‘advise,’ and ‘entreat,’ the analysis reveals a partial similarity between the two corpora, particularly in their portrayal of asymmetrical social relationships in religious texts. The findings indicate that higher-ranked addressers, such as God and Jesus, predominantly use verbs of ‘commanding’ and ‘instructing,’ while lower-ranked addressers, mainly believers, employ verbs for ‘requesting’ and ‘begging.’ A comparison with explicit performatives in Old English show a similar use of explicit performatives in these diachronic varieties, likely reflecting common practices in the use of this type of directives. Additionally, the absence of verbs for ‘advising’ or ‘suggesting’ used in explicit performatives aligns with findings in Old English, pointing to a preference for verbs that clearly delineate power dynamics within the texts. This study contributes to our understanding of historical pragmatic variation and the linguistic practices represented in early Germanic texts, offering insights into the portrayal of social hierarchies and power relationships in fictive religious writings.