The Syntax of Early English

This book is a guide to the development of English syntax between the Old and Modern periods. Beginning with an overview of the main features of early English syntax, it gives a unified account of the grammatical changes occurring in the language during this period. Written by four leading experts in English historical syntax, the book demonstrates the ways in which syntactic change takes place and how these changes can be explained in terms of grammatical theory and language acquisition. The authors draw upon a wealth of empirical data and through a series of well-selected case studies they cover a wide range of topics including changes in word order, infinitival constructions and grammaticalization processes. This invaluable introduction to the significant changes in early English syntax will appeal to students and researchers in historical linguistics, theoretical linguistics and the history of English.

• First guide in the series: offers a detailed analysis of the development of early English syntax • Provides case studies based on the authors’ own research - empirical data • Represents the co-operation of four leading experts in English Historical Syntax

1. Language change and grammar change; 2. An outline of Old English syntax; 3. An outline of Middle English syntax; 4. The Verb Second constraint and its loss; 5. The loss of object-verb word order; 6. Verb-particles in Old and Middle English; 7. Changes in infinitival constructions; 8. The history of the ‘easy to please’ construction; 9. Grammaticalization and grammar change.

‘This book is amongst the most coherent discussions of central ‘problems’ in the processes of change in the syntax of English yet published.’ The Linguist