Spreading Patterns: Diffusional Change in the English System of Complementation (Oxford Studies in the History of English)

De Smet, Hendrik

ISBN 10: 0199812756 / ISBN 13: 9780199812752

Published by OUP USA, 2012

About this Item

Examines the emergence and spread of three types of complements from the Middle English period to the present day Series: Oxford Studies in the History of English. Num Pages: 304 pages, 7 b&w line. BIC Classification: 2AB; CFF. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 242 x 164 x 25. Weight in Grams: 536. . 2013. Illustrated. hardcover. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780199812752

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Spreading Patterns: Diffusional Change in the English System of Complementation (Oxford Studies in the History of English)
• Publisher: OUP USA
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199812756
• ISBN 13: 9780199812752
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Spreading Patterns examines how new constructions emerge and spread through the grammar of a language, in a process called "diffusion". This is done by tracking the development of three types of complements from the Middle English period to the present day. These are subject-controlled gerund complements, for…to-infinitives, and subject-controlled participial complements. In the first half of the book, De Smet focuses on how and why patterns diffuse. In the second half, which is largely corpus-based, De Smet tests his theoretical model of diffusion on the three complement types. His work demonstrates how diffusion interacts with the grammatical system of complementation, how diffusion proceeds, step-by-step, and why diffusion is directional.

Spreading Patterns will appeal to scholars and advanced students of English, history of English, and historical linguistics.

About the Author

Hendrik De Smet is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics at the University of Leuven.