Lang lebe der König! Aber auch der optative Konjunktiv?!

Abstract

Abstract The now archaic optative subjunctive was common in earlier forms of the German language. This paper examines two questions: Why is the optative subjunctive rarely used today? Which linguistic constructions are presently used in the contexts and functions that originally accompanied the optative subjunctive? The paper goes beyond previous studies on this subjunctive and its substitutes by explaining closely how its context, function and syntax in historical instances may have an impact on the constructions that have replaced it. Furthermore, this paper argues that pragmatic change, economy, analogy and especially expressiveness can explain such displacement by specific constructions.