Conclusion

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the findings of the investigation and points to some avenues of future research. The dative external possessor was always a marked construction in English, used especially with actions involving a negative effect on the possessor, with the internal possessor being the default construction early in the Old English period, even with highly affected possessors. While much has been made of the oddness of English in not having the construction any more, scant attention has been given to the fact that variation between internal and dative external possessors was a feature of all early Germanic languages, and the distinction between the two types of possessors has sharpened on the continent, where language contact may have strengthened the position of the dative construction. More research is needed in the development of dative external possessors in other Germanic languages.