What do sentences such as “provided not used exclusively for rental to third parties” and “provided not accompanied by violence” have in common? They trace back to a rich and largely forgotten linguistic history. This is shown by research conducted by linguist Bartie Thijs, who demonstrates that much lies behind these brief formulations.
Central to the study is a construction from the medieval and early modern period that has now almost disappeared: the combination of mits with a present participle. Because the present participle is also referred to as the participium praesens, it is abbreviated as pp. The construction is therefore briefly denoted as mits + pp or mits.pp. “At the time, this form was probably used only in written language. Nevertheless, such constructions played an important role in the development of modern Dutch. Consider, for example, the spread of conditional mits in various contracts, and the availability of subordinating conjunctions more generally,” says Thijs.
“Mits” sometimes difficult to understand
According to Thijs, texts containing mits.pp can sometimes be difficult to understand. “This is because mits could previously function both as a preposition and as a conjunction, and had multiple meanings. For instance, mits could mean ‘because’, ‘with’, ‘by means of’, or ‘only if’. Particularly with the latter meaning, additional context is required: mits indicates how the writer weighs the interests of different parties against one another.”
Combination of methods
For the study, Thijs combined several methods. She conducted a literature review and compiled a publicly accessible corpus of 300 authentic texts containing mits.pp. These texts were translated into contemporary Dutch and analysed for, among other things, meaning, genre and complexity. Trends in usage over time were also examined, supplemented by detailed studies of specific examples.
Free research without external pressure
Although the research has no direct link to current affairs, Thijs emphasises its importance. “I am proud that my research represents a form of ‘free’ scholarship, without pressure from any interest group or sponsor,” she states. “This freedom makes it possible to gain fundamental insight into the history of Dutch, a field in which relatively little research is still being conducted.”