Why DO dove: Evidence for register variation in Early Modern English negatives

A. Warner

doi:10.1017/S0954394505050106

Why DO dove: Evidence for register variation in Early Modern English negatives

A. Warner

Language and Linguistic Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The development of “supportive” (or “periphrastic”) DO in English suffered a curious and sharp reversal late in the 16th century in negative declaratives and questions according to Ellegård's (1953) database, with a recovery late in the following century. This article examines the variation between DO and the full verb in negative declaratives in this database, from 1500 to 1710. It is shown that both register variation and age-grading are relevant, and that the periods 1500–1575 and 1600–1710 have radically distinct properties. The second period shows substantial age-grading, and is interpreted as having introduced a fresh evaluative principle governing register variation. Negative questions supply data that suggest that the development of clitic negation may have been implicated in the development of the new evaluation. This change in evaluation accounts for the apparent reversal in the development of DO, and we can abandon the view that it was a consequence of grammatical restructuring.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	257-280
Number of pages	23
Journal	Language Variation and Change
Volume	17
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954394505050106
Publication status	Published - Oct 2005

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@article{3517b3b4ae36495aa30d266b7e3beba5,

title = "Why DO dove: Evidence for register variation in Early Modern English negatives",

abstract = "The development of “supportive” (or “periphrastic”) DO in English suffered a curious and sharp reversal late in the 16th century in negative declaratives and questions according to Elleg{\aa}rd's (1953) database, with a recovery late in the following century. This article examines the variation between DO and the full verb in negative declaratives in this database, from 1500 to 1710. It is shown that both register variation and age-grading are relevant, and that the periods 1500–1575 and 1600–1710 have radically distinct properties. The second period shows substantial age-grading, and is interpreted as having introduced a fresh evaluative principle governing register variation. Negative questions supply data that suggest that the development of clitic negation may have been implicated in the development of the new evaluation. This change in evaluation accounts for the apparent reversal in the development of DO, and we can abandon the view that it was a consequence of grammatical restructuring.",

author = "A. Warner",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2005 Cambridge University Press. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.",

year = "2005",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1017/S0954394505050106",

language = "English",

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T1 - Why DO dove: Evidence for register variation in Early Modern English negatives

AU - Warner, A.

PY - 2005/10

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N2 - The development of “supportive” (or “periphrastic”) DO in English suffered a curious and sharp reversal late in the 16th century in negative declaratives and questions according to Ellegård's (1953) database, with a recovery late in the following century. This article examines the variation between DO and the full verb in negative declaratives in this database, from 1500 to 1710. It is shown that both register variation and age-grading are relevant, and that the periods 1500–1575 and 1600–1710 have radically distinct properties. The second period shows substantial age-grading, and is interpreted as having introduced a fresh evaluative principle governing register variation. Negative questions supply data that suggest that the development of clitic negation may have been implicated in the development of the new evaluation. This change in evaluation accounts for the apparent reversal in the development of DO, and we can abandon the view that it was a consequence of grammatical restructuring.

AB - The development of “supportive” (or “periphrastic”) DO in English suffered a curious and sharp reversal late in the 16th century in negative declaratives and questions according to Ellegård's (1953) database, with a recovery late in the following century. This article examines the variation between DO and the full verb in negative declaratives in this database, from 1500 to 1710. It is shown that both register variation and age-grading are relevant, and that the periods 1500–1575 and 1600–1710 have radically distinct properties. The second period shows substantial age-grading, and is interpreted as having introduced a fresh evaluative principle governing register variation. Negative questions supply data that suggest that the development of clitic negation may have been implicated in the development of the new evaluation. This change in evaluation accounts for the apparent reversal in the development of DO, and we can abandon the view that it was a consequence of grammatical restructuring.

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DO - 10.1017/S0954394505050106

M3 - Article

SN - 1469-8021

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SP - 257

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JO - Language Variation and Change

JF - Language Variation and Change

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