English Comparative Correlatives: Diachronic and Synchronic Variation at the Lexicon-Syntax Interface

Description

One of the most intriguing features of languages is that speakers can produce novel grammatical utterances that they have never heard before. Consequently, most linguists agree that the mental grammars of speakers are complex systems that must be more abstract than the input they are exposed to. Yet, linguists differ as to how general and abstract speakers' mental representations have to be to allow this grammatical creativity. This book addresses this issue by empirically investigating one specific construction, English comparative correlatives (e.g., the more you eat, the fatter you get). Drawing on authentic corpus data from Old English to Present-day English varieties around the world, it shows how input frequency and domain-general cognitive principles affect the complex mental network of constructions that underlies speakers' linguistic behaviour. This pioneering and original study will be of interest to scholars and students of English syntax and English historical linguistics. 04.0_pp_vi_vi_Copyright_page 05.0_pp_vii_viii_Contents 06.0_pp_ix_x_Figures 07.0_pp_xi_xiii_Tables 08.0_pp_xiv_xv_Acknowledgements 09.0_pp_xvi_xviii_Abbreviations introduction-2019 previous-research-2019 the-diachronic-evolution-of-english-ccs-a-constructionist-accoun-2019 synchronic-properties-of-the-standard-british-and-american-engli-2019 a-contrastive-view-german-versus-english-comparative-correlative-2019 variation-and-mental-grammars-the-view-from-world-englishes-2019 conclusion-the-role-of-constructional-networks-2019 references-2019 index-2019