Download or read book The Development of the English Modals written by Katharina Reese and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2010-12-10 with total page 19 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essay from the year 2007 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2,7, Free University of Berlin (Institut für Englische Philologie), course: History and Variation of English II, language: English, abstract: The question about the grammaticalization process of the modal auxiliary verbs from Old English to Modern English is a highly discussed topic among linguistics and scholars today. It is undisputed that, in the English that is spoken today, words like 'should', 'could' etc. form a separate category, or rather a subcategory, 'modal' that does not only syntactically differ from the usual English verbs, but also morphologically. That is, of course with the exception of a few regional variations such as for example Scots, but since the main focus of this paper is on the standard British and American English dialects, those regional non-standard dialects will not be taken into consideration here. For every native and average non-native speaker, it is natural that modals like 'will' for example don't take the obligatory inflectional ending -s in third person singular present. Or that 'should', 'would' or 'could' do not have past tense meaning, although the forms itself are actually a past form. And it is also natural that just those verbs, which we subcategorize as modals, will neither appear as infinitives with 'to' (*'I have to will'), nor do they require 'to' in combination with regular verbs (*'I should to go'). Today we instinctively know that those usual grammatical rules that regular verbs require to be followed in order to correctly be embedded in a sentence, don't apply to the modals. How did we get to this point, though? In the following paper I want to take a closer look at how the modals developed from regularly inflectional verbs, that they still were in Old English, to this new category 'modal' which is no longer a full verb that can stand alone in a sentence, but more of a grammatical function that signals either epistemic or deontic meaning.
Download or read book Early English Modals written by Sune Gregersen and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Emerging English Modals written by Manfred G. Krug and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-04-20 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work is essentially based on grammaticalization theory – a branch of linguistics which has gained prominence since the 1980s. It focuses on the interaction between diachrony and synchrony, langue and parole or, for that matter, competence and performance, I–language and Ε–language. It does not see these levels as distinct linguistic domains, as much structurally oriented work does. It is important for the present purposes that such an interactionist view entails that performance effects may over time cause new grammatical code relations. Hence the importance of statistical empirical research, which led the author to adopt a predominantly corpus-based approach.
Download or read book History of Englishes written by Matti Rissanen and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-09-08 with total page 813 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 Modality and the English Modals written by F.R. Palmer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed account of the many uses and functions of these verbs. The nature of modality, and some controversial issues, are also discussed.
Download or read book Modality in Contemporary English written by Roberta Facchinetti and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2012-02-13 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers original theoretical accounts and a wealth of descriptive information concerning modality in present-day English. At the same time, it provides fresh impetus to more general linguistic issues such as grammaticalization, colloquialization, or the interplay between sociolinguistic and syntactic constraints. The articles fall into four sections: (a) the semantics and pragmatics of core modal verbs; (b) the status of emerging modal items; (c) stylistic variation and change; (d) sociolinguistic variation and syntactic models. The book is of considerable value to students and teachers of English and Linguistics at undergraduate and graduate level worldwide.
Download or read book Modality in English written by Raphael Salkie and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2009 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Main description: This volume presents strongly empirical, corpus-based studies of a range of English modal auxiliaries and modal constructions in specific uses. It also approaches some of the classic issues in the field of modality from new perspectives, notably that of the 'Theory of Enunciative Operations' developed by the French linguist Antoine Culioli and his colleagues.
Download or read book Modals and Periphrastics in English written by Paul Westney and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2013-02-07 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: English has a number of periphrastic verbal forms that are semantically close to particular modal verbs and perform suppletive functions in relation to them (eg, have (got) to - must and be able to - can). After an exploration of the syntactic, semantic and phonological properties of potential periphrastic forms, this study investigates the nature of the relationship between the modals must, should, will and can and various semantically close periphrastics, using a spoken corpus of British English as the primary source of data. The focus is on the pragmatic interpretation of the items being compared, with some attention to their functions in discourse. These items are notoriously idiosyncratic both syntactically and semantically, but the general contrast claimed by some scholars between the maximally unmarked status of modals and the relatively marked status of periphrastics is amply confirmed, and this, together with the basic association of modality with alternative possible worlds, is shown to be reflected in a number of different ways, including the claimed 'objectivity' of periphrastics and the tendency of some to be associated with actuality. Level of formality is also found to be a significant, though not uniform, factor here.
Download or read book Norwegian Modals written by Kristin Melum Eide and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-12-22 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Norwegian Modals is a detailed description of the syntactic and semantic properties of modals in Norwegian. Modal verbs in Mainland Scandinavian languages have received much less attention than their English and German counterparts, hence this book seizes the opportunity to present a range of new data and generalizations relevant for the study of Scandinavian languages, but also for the study of modality in Germanic and other languages. The book critically evaluates a range of proposals from the modality literature, focusing on the Theta-properties and the scopal properties of Modals in Germanic languages, and concludes that none of these previous proposals are able to account for the syntax of modals in Norwegian. The Theta-properties of modals are shown to depend on the construction in which the modal occurs, hence neither a raising analysis, a control analysis, nor a raising-versus-control analysis in fact suffices to exhaust these properties of Norwegian modals. The interplay of modals with tense and aspect is likewise thoroughly investigated, presenting a range of data revealing that existing universalist proposals are insufficient to account for even quite regular patterns. Instead, a new analysis is presented, building on a new compositional tense system which exploits aspectual features of predicates and selectional preferences of modal classes.
Download or read book The Handbook of English Linguistics written by Bas Aarts and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-15 with total page 826 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Handbook of English Linguistics is a collection ofarticles written by leading specialists on all core areas ofEnglish linguistics that provides a state-of-the-art account ofresearch in the field. Brings together articles from the core areas of Englishlinguistics, including syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology, aswell as variation, discourse, stylistics and usage Written by specialists from around the world Provides an introduction to a key area of English Linguisticsand includes a discussion of the most recent theoretical anddescriptive research, as well as extensive bibliographicreferences
Download or read book New dialect Formation in Canada written by Stefan Dollinger and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book details the development of eleven modal auxiliaries in late 18th- and 19th-century Canadian English in a framework of new-dialect formation. The study assesses features of the modal auxiliaries, tracing influences to British and American input varieties, parallel developments, or Canadian innovations. The findings are based on the "Corpus of Early Ontario English," "pre-Confederation Section, "the first electronic corpus of early Canadian English. The data, which are drawn from newspapers, diaries and letters, include original transcriptions from manuscript sources and texts from semi-literate writers. While the overall results are generally coherent with new-dialect formation theory, the Ontarian context suggests a number of adaptations to the current model. In addition to its general Late Modern English focus, "New-Dialect Formation in Canada" traces changes in epistemic modal functions up to the present day, offering answers to the loss of root uses in the central modals. By comparing Canadian with British and American data, important theoretical insights on the origins of the variety are gained. The study offers a sociohistorical perspective on a still understudied variety of North American English by combining language-internal features with settlement history in this first monograph-length, diachronic treatment of Canadian English in real time.
Download or read book Modality and the English Modals written by Frank Robert Palmer and published by Longman Publishing Group. This book was released on 1979 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Modals in the Languages of Europe written by Björn Hansen and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2009 with total page 589 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the first comprehensive survey of modals and modal constructions in the languages of Europe. It is a collaborative effort between scholars from Europe and the United States, stemming from a workshop on Modals in the Languages of Europe in Valencia. The aim of this book is to describe the properties of modals and modal constructions in the European area and to compare the systems in individual languages or language families from an areal and genetic perspective. For the sake of contrast, the book also looks at the expression of modality in some languages just outside of Europe. The book consists of fourteen chapters on modal systems in individual languages or language families, written by experts in the respective languages, and an introductory and concluding chapter, written by the editors. The book gives both a description of the modals in the individual languages and an account of the nature and status of modals in general. It provides the reader with a theoretical account of how modals and modal constructions are grammaticalized. This theoretical account is informed by the parameters of grammaticalization of Christian Lehmann. These parameters were chosen because they are language-independent, as opposed to more language specific criteria (for instance, the NICE-criteria for English). The parameters themselves are examined as well for their suitability as part of any theory of grammaticalization. The book thus gives readers access to a collection of data on modality that surpasses most works in this field and also provides a fresh perspective on issues of grammaticalization and language contact. It is therefore of interest to scholars of modality, language contact and areal linguistics, grammaticalization theory and typology.
Download or read book Grammar for Teachers written by Andrea DeCapua and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-01-31 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of Grammar for Teachers is to encourage readers to develop a solid understanding of the use and function of grammatical structures in American English. It approaches grammar from a descriptive rather than a prescriptive approach; however, throughout the book differences between formal and informal language, and spoken and written English are discussed. The book avoids jargon or excessive use of technical terminology. It makes the study of grammar interesting and relevant by presenting grammar in context and by using authentic material from a wide variety of sources.
Download or read book English Modality written by Juana I. Marín-Arrese and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2013-12-12 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book presents new issues and areas of work in modality and evidentiality in English(es), and in relation to other European languages (French, Galician, Lithuanian, Spanish). Given the complexity of the relations among modal and evidential expressions, their constant diachronic evolution, and the variation found in different English-speaking areas, and in different genres and discourse domains, the volume addresses the following issues: the conceptual nature of modality, the relationship between the domains of modality and evidentiality, the evolution and current status of the modal auxiliaries and other modal expressions, the relationship with neighbouring grammatical categories (tense, aspect, mood), and the variation in different discourse domains and genres, in modelling stance and discourse identities.
Download or read book Modality in English and Chinese written by Renzhi Li and published by Universal-Publishers. This book was released on 2004 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modality is a grammatical, or semantic-grammatical, category. It is an important component of human languages. This is at least the case in most European languages. To what extent is it a near-universal? This thesis is to contribute to the question. It focuses on modal verbs in English and Chinese, two genetically and geographically unrelated languages, and analyzes what these two languages have in common and how they differ in their systems of modality. To achieve the aim, the thesis adopts the theoretical framework proposed by van der Auwera (1996, 1998 with Plungian, 2001) for the typological study of modality. Its language-specific descriptions involve the morphosyntactic features, notional functions, modal logic, and diachronic development. With these descriptions, it constructs a cross-linguistic database in a uniform, parallel structure. Then on the basis of this database, it deals with the cross-linguistic issues about modality in English and Chinese. Like many of the studies in this area, this research makes use of the well-sampled data in the relevant literature, thereby assuring the same degree of representativeness. When the data do not meet this need, it resorts to computer-based corpora. In the diachronic study of Chinese modality, quantitative analysis is adopted in proposing a development path for the senses of a modal. English translation is given particular attention in the description of Chinese modality and cross-linguistic analyses. One can only know one's own language only if one compares it with other languages. The present study is conducive to a better understanding of English and Chinese. It contributes not only to the investigation of language universals, but also to the study of human cognition and other linguistic or applied linguistic issues.
Download or read book The Meanings of the Modals in Present day American English written by Madeline Elizabeth Ehrman and published by De Gruyter Mouton. This book was released on 1966 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
