Mapping unity and diversity in South Asian English lexicogrammar
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Marco Schilk
Abstract
It has been noted that the study of the interface between lexis and grammar in general and verb-complementational patterns and preferences in particular offers new insights into distinctive and so far largely neglected structures of varieties of English. Based on data from the International Corpus of English and large Web-derived newspaper corpora, we explore the verbs CONVEY, SUBMIT and SUPPLY, which are typically associated with the transfer-caused-motion construction, and their complementation patterns to discuss the unity and diversity found in Indian and Sri Lankan English as two prominent and institutionalized South Asian Englishes. Our findings suggest that the (degree of) homogeneity and heterogeneity across South Asian Englishes is a complex issue and a matter of the level of descriptive granularity. Keywords: transfer-caused-motion (TCM) construction; Sri Lankan English; verb-complementation patterns (of TCM-related verbs); Web-derived newspaper corpus; transitivity trends
Abstract
It has been noted that the study of the interface between lexis and grammar in general and verb-complementational patterns and preferences in particular offers new insights into distinctive and so far largely neglected structures of varieties of English. Based on data from the International Corpus of English and large Web-derived newspaper corpora, we explore the verbs CONVEY, SUBMIT and SUPPLY, which are typically associated with the transfer-caused-motion construction, and their complementation patterns to discuss the unity and diversity found in Indian and Sri Lankan English as two prominent and institutionalized South Asian Englishes. Our findings suggest that the (degree of) homogeneity and heterogeneity across South Asian Englishes is a complex issue and a matter of the level of descriptive granularity. Keywords: transfer-caused-motion (TCM) construction; Sri Lankan English; verb-complementation patterns (of TCM-related verbs); Web-derived newspaper corpus; transitivity trends
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- International Corpus of English vii
- Introduction ix
- “Off with their heads” 1
- Modals and quasi-modals in New Englishes 35
- The diverging need ( to )’s of Asian Englishes 55
- Will and would in selected New Englishes 77
- Progressives in Maltese English 103
- Mapping unity and diversity in South Asian English lexicogrammar 137
- Particle verbs across first and second language varieties of English 167
- Particle verbs in African Englishes 197
- Relatives worldwide 215
- Change from to -infinitive to bare infinitive in specificational cleft sentences 243
- “And they were all like ‘What’s going on?’” 263
- Index 291
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- International Corpus of English vii
- Introduction ix
- “Off with their heads” 1
- Modals and quasi-modals in New Englishes 35
- The diverging need ( to )’s of Asian Englishes 55
- Will and would in selected New Englishes 77
- Progressives in Maltese English 103
- Mapping unity and diversity in South Asian English lexicogrammar 137
- Particle verbs across first and second language varieties of English 167
- Particle verbs in African Englishes 197
- Relatives worldwide 215
- Change from to -infinitive to bare infinitive in specificational cleft sentences 243
- “And they were all like ‘What’s going on?’” 263
- Index 291
