The breakup of Old English to-infinitive: Causes and consequences
Loading...
Date
2010
Authors
Advisor
Editor
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Adam Mickiewicz University
Title alternative
Abstract
The main goal of this paper is to account for the recategorisation of the Old English to-infinitive
and the consequent rise of for before the Middle English to-infinitive. We argue that the loss of D
feature has two consequences. The first consequence is that V+Inf-to-D movement was lost resulting
in the break-up of the (morphological and) syntactic unity of the to-infinitive. The second
consequence, a consequence of the first consequence, concerns the appearance of the so-called
split infinitive, i.e. the development of a preverbal adverb, negation and object position. This
crucial evidence marks the drift of the infinitive towards VP behaviour. Given that D was lost in
early Middle English (i.e. 1150-1200) and the split infinitive appeared in the 13th century, the
paper concludes that the change from a PP to a TP status was gradual and not simultaneous with
other changes.
Description
Sponsor
Keywords
Citation
Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, vol. 46.3 (2010), pp. 21-42
Seria
ISBN
ISSN
0081-6272