Download or read book Genitives in Early English written by Cynthia L. Allen and published by Oxford University Press on Demand. This book was released on 2008-11-13 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book considers how English possessives changed from -es to 's during the middle ages. The author draws together her own and others' research on syntactic and morphological change in order to assess and explain the roles of processing and pragmatics in the construction of grammars and grammatical change.
Download or read book Genitives in Early English written by Cynthia L. Allen and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2008-11-13 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the evidence for the development of adnominal genitives (the knight's sword, the nun's priest's tale, etc.) in English. During the Middle English period the genitive inflection -es developed into the more clitic-like 's, but how, when, why, and over how long a time are unclear, and have been subject to considerable research and discussion. Cynthia L. Allen draws together her own and others' findings in areas such as case marking, the nature of syntactic and morphological change, and the role of processing and pragmatics in the construction of grammars and grammatical change. Using evidence derived from a systematic examination of a wide range of texts, Dr Allen reviews the evidence for the nature of the possessive inflection in earlier stages of English and the relationship of the -es possessive to the 'his genitive. In doing so she shows that Middle English texts are more reliable witnesses to the grammar of Middle English than has sometimes been assumed. The texts may have been conservative, but their language, the author argues, is reasonable reflection of the spoken language, and where the written evidence runs counter to typological generalization about syntactic change it may be the latter, not the former, which is in need of qualification. While the book focuses on Middle English it also contains discussions of linguistic change before and since, and draws on comparative evidence from other languages, particularly Germanic languages such as Swedish and Dutch. This ground-breaking book will be of great interest to scholars and students of Middle English in particular and the history of English in general.
Download or read book Genitive Variation in English written by Anette Rosenbach and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2012-10-29 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The future of English linguistics as envisaged by the editors of Topics in English Linguistics lies in empirical studies which integrate work in English linguistics into general and theoretical linguistics on the one hand, and comparative linguistics on the other. The TiEL series features volumes that present interesting new data and analyses, and above all fresh approaches that contribute to the overall aim of the series, which is to further outstanding research in English linguistics.
Download or read book How New Languages Emerge written by David Lightfoot and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-01-05 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New languages are constantly emerging, as existing languages diverge into different forms. To explain this fascinating process, we need to understand how languages change and how they emerge in children. In this pioneering study, David Lightfoot explains how languages come into being, arguing that children are the driving force. He explores how new systems arise, how they are acquired by children, and how adults and children play different, complementary roles in language change. Lightfoot makes an important distinction between 'external language' (language as it exists in the world), and 'internal language' (language as represented in an individual's brain). By examining the interplay between the two, he shows how children are 'cue-based' learners, who scan their external linguistic environment for new structures, making sense of the world outside in order to build their internal language. Engaging and original, this book offers an interesting account of language acquisition, variation and change.
Download or read book Early English Text Society written by and published by . This book was released on 1890 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Noun Phrase in Romance and Germanic written by Antonia Petronella Sleeman and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the recurrent questions in historical linguistics is to what extent languages can borrow grammar from other languages. It seems for instance hardly likely that each 'average European' language developed a definite article all by itself, without any influence from neighbouring languages. It is, on the other hand, by no means clear what exactly was borrowed, since the way in which definiteness is expressed differs greatly among the various Germanic and Romance languages and dialects. One of the main aims of this volume is to shed some light on the question of what is similar and what is different in the structure of the noun phrase of the various Romance and Germanic languages and dialects, and what causes this similarity or difference.
Download or read book Germanic Genitives written by Tanja Ackermann and published by John Benjamins Publishing Company. This book was released on 2018-04-15 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The papers in this volume focus on the dynamics of one specific cell in morphological paradigms – the genitive. The high amount of diachronic and synchronic variation in all Germanic languages makes the genitive a particularly interesting phenomenon since it allows us, for example, to examine comparable but slightly different diachronic pathways, the relation of synchronic and diachronic variation, and the interplay of linguistic levels (phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics). The findings in this book enhance our understanding of the genitive not only by describing its properties, but also by discussing its demarcation from functional competitors and related grammatical items. Under-researched aspects of well-described languages as well as from lesser-known languages (Faroese, Frisian, Luxembourgish, Yiddish) are examined. The papers included are methodologically diverse and the topics covered range from morphology, syntax, and semantics to the influence of (normative) grammars and the perception and prestige of grammatical items.
Download or read book Morphosyntactic Categories and the Expression of Possession written by Kersti Börjars and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The analysis of constructions denoting possession (particularly, but not exclusively, in English) has long presented a challenge to morpho-syntactic theory and has been a topic of debate for some time. The papers presented here afford thought-provoking insights into the morphosyntactic nature of possessive markers under a variety of theoretical frameworks. The distribution of phrases expressing possession is explored in a range of languages (including English, Swedish, Urdu and West Flemish), with rigorous exploitation of corpus data and careful statistical analysis. Descriptions and analyses represent the state of the art in research into possessive constructions. Particular attention is paid to the English possessive 's, both synchronically and diachronically. This volume is essential for scholars interested in theoretical and corpus-based linguistics, morphosyntactic constructions, and the expression of possession.
Download or read book Early English Text Society written by and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Critical Contributions to Early English Syntax written by Adam Fredrik Trampe Bødtker and published by . This book was released on 1908 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Historical Linguistics 2007 written by Monique Dufresne and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2009-11-30 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than three decades, the International Conference on Historical Linguistics (ICHL) has been characterized by diversity, both in terms of the theoretical frameworks used by its researchers and the wide variety of languages that are analyzed. ICHL 18, which took place at the Université du Québec à Montréal in August 2007, was no exception to the continuation of this tradition. The articles in the present volume encompass many different approaches and a wide range of theories, including grammaticalization, generative approaches to linguistic change and variation, reanalysis, the use of analogy, and the interplay between internal and external factors. The volume is divided into four sections, dealing with phonology, with syntax, morphology, and semantics, with external factors in linguistic change, and with tools and methodologies. This way, this volume aims to be a reflection of the diverse trends in current historical linguistic study.
Download or read book The Cambridge Handbook of English Historical Linguistics written by Merja Kytö and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-05-03 with total page 1092 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: English historical linguistics is a subfield of linguistics which has developed theories and methods for exploring the history of the English language. This Handbook provides an account of state-of-the-art research on this history. It offers an in-depth survey of materials, methods, and language-theoretical models used to study the long diachrony of English. The frameworks covered include corpus linguistics, historical sociolinguistics, historical pragmatics and manuscript studies, among others. The chapters, by leading experts, examine the interplay of language theory and empirical data throughout, critically assessing the work in the field. Of particular importance are the diverse data sources which have become increasingly available in electronic form, allowing the discipline to develop in new directions. The Handbook offers access to the rich and many-faceted spectrum of work in English historical linguistics, past and present, and will be useful for researchers and students interested in hands-on research on the history of English.
Download or read book Higher grade English written by and published by . This book was released on 1890 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Up and down the Cline The Nature of Grammaticalization written by Olga Fischer and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2004-05-28 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The basic idea behind this volume is to probe the nature of grammaticalization. Its contributions focus on the following questions: (i) In how far can grammaticalization be considered a universal diachronic process or mechanism of change and in how far is it conditioned by synchronic factors? (ii) What is the role of the speaker in grammaticalization? (iii) Does grammaticalization itself provide a cause for change or is it an epiphenomenon, i.e. a conglomeration of causal factors/mechanisms which elsewhere occur independently? (iv) If it is epiphenominal, how do we explain that similar pathways so often occur in known cases of grammaticalization? (v) Is grammaticalization unidirectional? (vi) What is the nature of the parameters guiding grammaticalization? The overall aim of the book is to enrich our understanding of what grammaticalization does or does not entail via detailed case studies in combination with theoretical and methodological discussions.
Download or read book Essentials of Early English written by Jeremy J. Smith and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006-05-19 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a completely revised and updated edition of a highly successful textbook. It provides a practical and highly accessible introduction to the early stages of the English language: Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English. Designed specifically as a handbook for students beginning the study of early English language, whether for linguistic or literary purposes, it presumes little or no prior knowledge of the history of English. Features of this second edition include: newly added Middle English and Early Modern English sample texts and accompanying notes a new section on historical methods web links and an updated annotated bibliography.
Download or read book Key and Companion to English Grammar Past and Present written by John Collinson Nesfield and published by . This book was released on 1900 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Grammar of Late Modern English written by Hendrik Poutsma and published by . This book was released on 1914 with total page 724 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
