Syntactic Change in Medieval French

Verb-Second and Null Subjects

AvBarbara S. Vance

Häftad, Engelska, 2010

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Beskrivning

This book considers the synchronic and diachronic syntax of finite clauses in Medieval French from a generative point of view. Two salient and closely related features of Old French, the verb-second constraint and the limited distribution of null subjects, are followed through the Middle French period where they evolve in largely independent ways. The author argues, after consideration of several areas of controversy, that V2 in (late) Old French is triggered by topicalization in root clauses. Such questions as the position of postverbal subjects from the grammar of French are also addressed. The work further compares the syntax of Medieval French to that of Modern French and the Germanic languages and provides extensive documentation from Old and Middle French texts. Audience: This book will interest theoretical linguists and philologists, especially those concerned with the history of syntax of French, Romance or Germanic languages.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2010-12-06
Mått:155 x 235 x 23 mm
Vikt:628 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Studies in Natural Language and Linguistic Theory
Antal sidor:402
Förlag:Springer
ISBN:9789048148868

Utforska kategorier

Språkvetenskap och lingvistik inom Språk och ordböcker

Recensioner i media

'... this admirably meticulous study is a milestone in generativist historical linguistics.' Journal of French Language Studies, 9 (1999)

Innehållsförteckning

1: Introduction.- 1.0. V2 and Null Subjects in the History of French.- 1.1. The Theoretical Framework.- 1.2. The Texts and the Methodology.- 1.3. Outline.- Notes.- 2: Old French as a V2 Language.- 2.1. Verb-Second Word Order.- 2.2. Theoretical Approaches to V2 in Romance and Germanic.- 2.3. V2 in Embedded Clauses.- 2.4. Conclusion on Theories of V2.- Notes.- 3: Main Clause Word Order in Old French.- 3.0. Overview of the Chapter.- One: V2 Effects and Main Clause Word Order.- Two: V2 and the Nature of Spec, AgrP.- Notes.- 4: Subordinate Clause Word Order in Old French.- 4.0. Overview of the Chapter.- 4.1. SVX Clauses.- 4.2. SPCV and Relative QUI CV Clauses.- 4.3. The Status of V2 Inversion in Embedded Clauses.- 4.4. Non-V2 Inversion in Old French Embedded Clauses.- 4.5. Conclusion to Chapter Four.- Appendix I.- Appendix II.- Notes.- 5: Null Subjects in Old French.- 5.0. Introduction: Old French and the Romance Null Subject Languages.- 5.1. The Syntactic Distribution of pro in OFr.- 5.2. Identification of pro’s Content: The Role of Inflection.- 5.3. Exceptions to the Regular Distribution of pro in OFr.- 5.4. Null and Overt Atonic Pronouns in OFr Discourse.- 5.5. Conclusion to Chapter Five.- Notes.- 6: Null Subjects and Syntactic Change in Middle French.- 6.0. Overview.- 6.1. Syntactic Changes in the 15th Century.- 6.2. Against A V to C Analysis of CSV in Middle French.- 6.3. The Distribution of Null Subjects in the 15th Century.- 6.4. THE LOSS OF pro.- 6.5. Conclusion to Chapter Six.- Notes.- 7: The Decline and Loss of V2 in French.- 7.0. Introduction.- 7.1. Previous Accounts of the Loss of V2 in French.- 7.2. The Decline of V2.- 7.3. The Loss of V2.- 7.4. Conclusion: V2 and Null Subjects.- Notes.- References.- Index of Authors.- Index of Languages.