Complementation in Early Modern English. A Study of John Lyly's euphues

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Year:
Pages:261
ISBN:0-7734-6273-2
978-0-7734-6273-1
Price:$199.95 + shipping
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This is an analysis on the system of finite complement clauses in early Modern English which is meant to be a contribution both to historical syntax and to the study of John Lyly’s euphuistic language. It is also a contribution to a more ambitious research programme on corpus-based historical linguistics, part of which has already been carried out at the Department of English of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) by a team of scholars led by Professor Teresa Fanego. Despite its importance for the history of the English language, the early Modern English period (1500-1700), the stage when many of the characteristic structures of present-day English developed, has always been the Cinderella of historical linguistics.

Reviews

“[This work] examines an underresearched area, the grammar of complement clauses in Early Modern English (1500-1700), as illustrated in the prose of John Lyly. Prior to the diachronic analysis proper, concepts such as “complement clause” and “complementizer” are defined in Chapter 2; the discussion here, where he relevant literature is carefully assessed, will prove useful for historical and non historical linguists alike. Later chapters investigate in detail the syntax and semantics of complement clauses during the period under discussion, as also the extralinguistic variables controlling their distribution across different syntactic environments. An exhaustive reference section, an index and twenty tables and charts complete the volume, which will no doubt become an important reference in the field of English historical linguistics.” (From the Commendatory Preface) Professor Teresa Fanego, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

“This monograph is a crucial gateway to all the major areas of complementation in the early Modern English period. It is carefully structured with introductions to theoratical concepts and methodological principles followed by descriptive sections. Dr. Garcia-Lorenzo has produced an ideal resource for everyone looking for a thorough revision of the literature on the subject. This book will prove an essential reference for scholars interested in John Lyly and other Renaissance authors whose style was clearly influenced by euphuism.” - Prof. Dr. Jesus Varela-Zapata, Former Dean of Humanities, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

“Although syntax has traditionally been considered the Cinderella of historical linguistics, the last few decades have witnessed a growing interest in the study of the syntax of earlier stages of the history of the English language. This volume makes a substantial contribution to this flourishing and productive field of research, providing a comprehensive account of finite complement clauses in John Lyly's English. Although the focus is on John Lyly's euphuistic language, the book has broader implications for our understanding of the language of the early Modern English period more generally, and will, therefore, prove a valuable resource for students as well as scholars of the history of English.” - Dr. Maria Jose Lopez-Couso, Senior Lecturer, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Table of Contents

List of illustrations
Tables
Charts
Acknowledgements
Preface
List of abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Complement constructions in the corpus
3. Subject clauses
4. Object clauses
5. Copular complementation
6. Complements to adjectives
7. Noun complementation
8. Clauses with complementizers other than that and other clauses
9. Summary of major conclusions
References and selected bibliography
Index

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