Yoda syntax

[robinturner]

I'd always assumed that Yoda's mangled syntax ("Much to learn have you, Skywalker" etc.) was just an attempt to make him sound wise and oriental (presumably by imitating Japanese topic-comment syntax). However, on re-reading "The Battle of Maldon", I was stuck by a similar phenomenon in translating Anglo-Saxon. For example, we have Douglas Killing's translation: "Onward then advanced Wistan, Thurhstan's son, to these warriors fought," which closely follows the original: "Forð þa eode Wistan, Þurstanes sunu, wið þas secgas feaht." I've never studied Anglo-Saxon so don't know much about its syntax, but I'm wondering if this kind of word-order has survived through poetic speech to give an impression of grandeur in later Englishes, and Yoda-speak is a reflection of this.

Comments

[vret.livejournal.com]

Don't know, but I know a man who probably would.

[circumambulate.livejournal.com]

is not surprising - if you translated that sentence into German, that would be roughly the correct syntax, although I think your first supposition is likely correct.

[bram.livejournal.com]

You are giving George Lucas too much credit. Have you seen the prequels?