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This groundbreaking book highlights a phonological preference, the Principle of Rhythmic Alternation, as a factor in grammatical variation and change in English from the early modern period to the present. Though frequently overlooked in earlier research, the phonetically motivated avoidance of adjacent stresses is shown to exert an influence on a wide variety of phenomena in morphology and syntax. Based on in-depth analyses of extensive electronic databases, the book presents 20 exemplary studies from different structural categories. Among them are much-debated as well as novel issues, including the double comparative worser, 'predicative only' a- adjectives, variant past participles, the placement of the degree modifier quite, the order of conjuncts in binomials, the negation of attributive adjectives and sentence adverbs, variable adverbial marking, the use or omission of the infinitive marker, and the a- prefix before - ing forms. The studies provide qualitative and quantitative evidence of the importance of rhythmic alternation in synchronic variation as well as diachronic change, without neglecting interactions with a set of competing functional tendencies. Thus, the book contributes essential aspects to the description and explanation of the phenomena considered, calling for a fundamental revision of current thinking about the interface between phonology and morphosyntax. In addition, the empirical findings are brought to bear on theoretical discussions of more general interest, yielding a critical assessment of the merits and limitations of two nonmodular linguistic theories: Optimality Theory and spreading activation models. The latter type is developed into a comprehensive conception integrating functional factors such as the Principle of Rhythmic Alternation in an overarching framework for language variation and change. The wide range of subject areas covered makes the volume essential reading and a source of inspiration for linguists with interests as diverse as the phonology-morphosyntax interface, English grammar, the history of English, functional linguistics, Optimality Theory, as well as neuro- and psycholinguistics.

English language --- 802.0-4 --- 802.0-56 --- 802.0-56 Engels: syntaxis; semantiek --- Engels: syntaxis; semantiek --- 802.0-4 Engels: fonetiek; fonologie --- Engels: fonetiek; fonologie --- Grammar, Historical --- Rhythm --- Variation --- Dialects --- Metrics and rhythmics --- Versification --- Phonetics --- Grammar --- Rhythm. --- Grammar, Historical. --- Variation. --- Germanic languages --- English /language. --- Phonology. --- language change.

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It is well known that British and American English differ substantially in their pronunciation and vocabulary - but differences in their grammar have largely been underestimated. This volume focuses on British-American differences in the structure of words and sentences and supports them with computer-aided studies of large text collections. Present-day as well as earlier forms of the two varieties are included in the analyses. This makes it the first book-length treatment of British and American English grammar in contrast, with topics ranging from compound verbs to word order differences and tag questions. The authors explore some of the better-known contrasts, as well as a great variety of innovative themes that have so far received little or no consideration. Bringing together the work of a team of leading scholars in the field, this book will be of interest to those working within the fields of English historical linguistics, language variation and change, and dialectology.

802.0 <73> --- 802.0-08 --- 802.0-56 --- 802.0-56 Engels: syntaxis semantiek --- Engels: syntaxis semantiek --- 802.0-08 Engels. Engelse taalkunde--?-08 --- Engels. Engelse taalkunde--?-08 --- 802.0 <73> Amerikaans --- Amerikaans --- vergelijkende grammatica --- Amerikaans Engelse taal. --- vergelijkende grammatica. --- English language --- American English --- American language --- English language in the United States --- Americanisms --- 802.0-56 Engels: syntaxis; semantiek --- Engels: syntaxis; semantiek --- Grammar, Comparative --- Grammar, Historical --- Variation --- Dialects --- Historical linguistics --- Dialectology --- United States --- Great Britain --- Engelse taal --- Grammar, Comparative. --- Grammar, Historical. --- Variation. --- Groot-Brittannië. --- Verenigde Staten. --- varianten. --- Arts and Humanities --- Language & Linguistics --- Germanic languages --- English language - Grammar, Comparative --- English language - Grammar, Historical --- English language - Variation --- English language - Great Britain --- English language - United States --- Anglais (langue) --- Grammaire comparée --- Grammaire historique --- Variation linguistique --- États-Unis --- Grande-Bretagne --- United States of America

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This collection of articles brings together new research from both established and emerging international experts in the study of English grammar, all of whom have engaged with the notion of 'construction' in their work. The research here is concerned with both synchrony and diachrony, with the relationship between Construction Grammar and other linguistic theories, and with a number of issues in the study of grammar, such as raising and control phenomena, transitivity, relative clause structure, the syntax of gerunds, attributive and predicative uses of adjectives, modality, and grammaticalization. Some of the articles are written within a constructional framework, while others highlight potential problems with constructional approaches to English grammar; some of the articles are based on data collected from corpora, some on introspection; some of the articles suggest potential developments for diachronic construction grammar, while others seek to compare Construction Grammar with other cognitive linguistic theories, most particularly Word Grammar. The research reported in this volume presents a series of ways of looking at the relationship between constructions and patterns in English grammar, either now or in the past. The book addresses scholars and advanced students who are interested in English grammar, constructional approaches to language, and the relationship between functional and formal issues in linguistic description and theory.

English language --- Construction grammar. --- Grammar, Comparative and general --- Grammar, Generative. --- Generative grammar --- Germanic languages --- English language - Grammar, Generative --- Construction grammar --- Langue anglaise --- Cognitive Linguistics. --- English /language.

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What factors influence the choice between alternative grammatical structures such as the following: a lit / a lighted cigarette, more full / fuller of convincing arguments, the main thesis of the book / the book's main thesis, take hostage a group of 15 holiday makers / take a group of 15 holidaymakers hostage, conceding that the argument is convincing / conceding the argument to be convincing? This is the central issue explored in this volume, which contains a unique selection of innovative in-depth empirical studies written in a broadly functional framework. The factors investigated include the following: phonological influences (such as the principle of rhythmic alternation and optimal syllable structure), frequency, pervasive semantic and pragmatic aspects (including iconicity, markedness, grammaticalization and typological tendencies), information structure, processing complexity and horror aequi (the avoidance of identity effects).

English language --- Grammar --- Grammar. --- Variation. --- Variation