Variation and change in the writings of 17th century scientists
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Lilo Moessner
Abstract
The paper investigates changes of the genre ‘science’ in the 17th century. The method of multidimensional analysis applied to two texts of the first and to four texts of the second half of the 17th century stops a methodological and a chronological gap. On the dimensions ‘narrative vs non-narrative concerns’ and ‘overt expression of persuasion’, hypotheses of earlier studies about later developments are supplemented, on the dimension ‘abstract vs non-abstract style’, earlier hypotheses are supported, and on the dimensions ‘involved vs informational production’ and ‘elaborate vs situation-dependent reference’, earlier hypotheses about developments between the second half of the 16th and the second half of the 17th century are refuted. A complementary text type analysis reveals that the science texts of the corpus represent the two text types ‘involved topical argumentation’ and ‘producer-oriented narrative’. The former predominates in the first, the latter in the second half of the 17th century.
Abstract
The paper investigates changes of the genre ‘science’ in the 17th century. The method of multidimensional analysis applied to two texts of the first and to four texts of the second half of the 17th century stops a methodological and a chronological gap. On the dimensions ‘narrative vs non-narrative concerns’ and ‘overt expression of persuasion’, hypotheses of earlier studies about later developments are supplemented, on the dimension ‘abstract vs non-abstract style’, earlier hypotheses are supported, and on the dimensions ‘involved vs informational production’ and ‘elaborate vs situation-dependent reference’, earlier hypotheses about developments between the second half of the 16th and the second half of the 17th century are refuted. A complementary text type analysis reveals that the science texts of the corpus represent the two text types ‘involved topical argumentation’ and ‘producer-oriented narrative’. The former predominates in the first, the latter in the second half of the 17th century.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Introduction ix
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Part I. Pragmatic and stylistic choices
- Politeness in the history of English 3
- The which is most and right harde to answere : Intensifying right and most in earlier English 31
- The diachronic development of the intensifier bloody : A case study in historical pragmatics 53
- Variation and change in the writings of 17th century scientists 75
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Part II. Lexical and semantic change
- The convergence of two need verbs in Middle English 97
- Rivalry among the verbs of wanting 117
- A look at respect : Investigating metonymies in Earle Modern English 139
- Germanic vs French fixed expressions in Middle English prose: Towards a corpus-based historical English phraseology 159
- Latin loanwords of the early modern period: How often did French act as an intermediary? 185
- Disseisin : The lexeme and the legal fact in Early Middle English 203
- Was Old Frech -able borrowable? A diachronic study of word-formation processes due to language contact 217
- Women and other 'small things': -ette as a feminine marker 241
- Index of subjects 259
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Introduction ix
-
Part I. Pragmatic and stylistic choices
- Politeness in the history of English 3
- The which is most and right harde to answere : Intensifying right and most in earlier English 31
- The diachronic development of the intensifier bloody : A case study in historical pragmatics 53
- Variation and change in the writings of 17th century scientists 75
-
Part II. Lexical and semantic change
- The convergence of two need verbs in Middle English 97
- Rivalry among the verbs of wanting 117
- A look at respect : Investigating metonymies in Earle Modern English 139
- Germanic vs French fixed expressions in Middle English prose: Towards a corpus-based historical English phraseology 159
- Latin loanwords of the early modern period: How often did French act as an intermediary? 185
- Disseisin : The lexeme and the legal fact in Early Middle English 203
- Was Old Frech -able borrowable? A diachronic study of word-formation processes due to language contact 217
- Women and other 'small things': -ette as a feminine marker 241
- Index of subjects 259
