Loss of laten-support in embedded infinitivals in fifteenth-century Low Saxon

TY - CHAP

T1 - Loss of laten-support in embedded infinitivals in fifteenth-century Low Saxon

AU - Postma, G.J.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - In diachronic studies, the rise of do-support in the history of English takes in prominent place (Ellegård 1953, Kroch 1989). It has been argued that do-support in questions (V-to-C) and in negative declaratives (V-to-T) are one and the same grammatical process, despite the fact that the change occurs later in negative declaratives. In the light of the Constant Rate Hypothesis, the two types of change might realize a common change in the property of the VP, that becomes opaque for verb movement (Roberts 1985, Pollock 1989). Alternatively, if the two processes can be shown to be distinct, the two types of do-support are probably tied to changes in some intermediate projection or to the landing site, CP or TP. In this paper we consider a phenomenon in the closely-related Low Saxon dialects on the continent that have a similar auxiliary-support which, however, shows up differently because of the basic OV nature and the strict V2 character of those dialects. It enables us to view the locus of verb movement from a different perspective. These 15th century Low Saxon variants exhibit changes in the verbal system that are similar to English, only its direction is reverse: Low Saxon dialects in the Netherlands lose auxiliary support and lose a separate auxiliary class. It gives a new perspective on do-support in English. It is argued that the (in)transparency of the TP projection is a driving force.

AB - In diachronic studies, the rise of do-support in the history of English takes in prominent place (Ellegård 1953, Kroch 1989). It has been argued that do-support in questions (V-to-C) and in negative declaratives (V-to-T) are one and the same grammatical process, despite the fact that the change occurs later in negative declaratives. In the light of the Constant Rate Hypothesis, the two types of change might realize a common change in the property of the VP, that becomes opaque for verb movement (Roberts 1985, Pollock 1989). Alternatively, if the two processes can be shown to be distinct, the two types of do-support are probably tied to changes in some intermediate projection or to the landing site, CP or TP. In this paper we consider a phenomenon in the closely-related Low Saxon dialects on the continent that have a similar auxiliary-support which, however, shows up differently because of the basic OV nature and the strict V2 character of those dialects. It enables us to view the locus of verb movement from a different perspective. These 15th century Low Saxon variants exhibit changes in the verbal system that are similar to English, only its direction is reverse: Low Saxon dialects in the Netherlands lose auxiliary support and lose a separate auxiliary class. It gives a new perspective on do-support in English. It is argued that the (in)transparency of the TP projection is a driving force.

KW - periphrastic auxiliaries

KW - Middle Dutch

M3 - Contribution to conference proceedings

SN - 9780198747307

BT - Word Order Change

A2 - Martins, Ana Maria

A2 - Cardoso, Adriana

PB - Oxford University Press

ER -