The Rise of the To-Infinitive
Series: Oxford Linguistics;
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Product details:
- Publisher OUP Oxford
- Date of Publication 20 January 2005
- ISBN 9780199274765
- Binding Hardback
- No. of pages360 pages
- Size 241x164x23 mm
- Weight 667 g
- Language English 0
Categories
Short description:
This book describes the historical emergence and spread of the to-infinitive in English. The exposition is clear and does not assume an up-to-date knowledge of generative theory. The book will appeal to the wide spectrum of scholars interested in the transformation of Old to Middle English as well as to those studying the processes and causes of syntactic change more generally.
MoreLong description:
This book describes the historical emergence and spread of the to-infinitive in English. It shows that to + infinitive emerged from a reanalysis of the preposition to plus a deverbal nominalization, which spread first to purpose clauses, then to other nonfinite environments. The book challenges the traditional reasoning that infinitives must have been nouns in Old English because they inflected for dative case and can follow prepositions. Dr Los shows that as early as Old English the to-infinitive was established in most of the environments in which it is found today. She argues that its spread was largely due to competition with subjunctive that-clauses, which it gradually replaced.
Later chapters consider Middle English developments. The author provides a measured evaluation of the evidence that to undergoes a period of degrammaticalization. She concludes that the extent to which to gains syntactic freedom in Middle English is due to the fact that speakers began to equate it with the modal verbs and therefore to treat it syntactically as a modal verb.
The exposition is clear and does not assume an up-to-date knowledge of generative theory. The book will appeal to the wide spectrum of scholars interested in the transformation of Old to Middle English as well as those studying the processes and causes of syntactic change more generally.
...clear and exhaustive...[a] valuable contribution.
Table of Contents:
Part I: Introduction
Introduction
Part II: The to-infinitive as GOAL
The Expression of Purpose in Old English
The to-infinitive as GOAL-argument
Part III: The to-infinitive as THEME
Intention
Commanding and Permitting
Commissives
Part IV: Syntactic Status
Introduction
The Changing Status of Infinitival to
Part V: Changes in Middle English
The Rise of to-infinitival ECM
Innocent Bystander: The Loss of the Indefinite Pronoun man
Part VI: Summary and Conclusions
Summary and Conclusions
Appendix
References
Index
