Chaucer's Use of "Gan."

Description: Analyzes Chaucer's use of the auxiliary verb "ginnan"/"gan," a periphrastic preterit, in contrast with simple preterits, to produce "distinctions in tempo, intensity, and manner." Comments on examples such as "gan behold"/"beheld", "gan to turne"/ turned," "gan he stalke"/"stalked," etc., gauging stylistic effects in various contexts, and comparing Chaucer's usage with those of other Middle English writers. Suggests "the 'gan' form of the preterit functioned as aspect instead of as a tense identical to the simple preterit."