The progressive in Irish English
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John M. Kirk
Abstract
Progressives in Irish English are categorised and described in terms of twenty basic and extended functions, determined by lexical, syntactic and pragmatic criteria. Quantitative information derived from a set of corpora is then used as the basis for historical comparisons within Irish English and synchronic comparisons with English English data. Explanations are offered for the often considerably higher frequencies of the progressive in Irish English. Extended functions are shown to be the result of subjectification and grammaticalisation. The paper concludes that the progressive in Irish English is Janus-like, incorporating functions transferred from Irish and consequently originating in Irish English, and also functions shared with British English and, by implication, world Englishes. Keywords: Irish English; ICE-Ireland; progressives; frequencies; subjectification
Abstract
Progressives in Irish English are categorised and described in terms of twenty basic and extended functions, determined by lexical, syntactic and pragmatic criteria. Quantitative information derived from a set of corpora is then used as the basis for historical comparisons within Irish English and synchronic comparisons with English English data. Explanations are offered for the often considerably higher frequencies of the progressive in Irish English. Extended functions are shown to be the result of subjectification and grammaticalisation. The paper concludes that the progressive in Irish English is Janus-like, incorporating functions transferred from Irish and consequently originating in Irish English, and also functions shared with British English and, by implication, world Englishes. Keywords: Irish English; ICE-Ireland; progressives; frequencies; subjectification
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
PART 1. Inner Circle Englishes
- Diachronic variation in the grammar of Australian English 15
- At the crossroads of change 43
- Do -support in early New Zealand and Australian English 65
- The progressive in Irish English 87
- Cross-variety diachronic drifts and ephemeral regional contrasts 119
- Passives of so-called ‘ditransitives’ in nineteenth century and present-day Canadian English 147
- Dual adverbs in Australian English 179
- The evolution of epistemic marking in West Australian English 205
- May and might in nineteenth century Irish English and English English 221
- The present perfect and the preterite in Australian English 247
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PART 2. Outer Circle Englishes
- Recent diachronic change in the progressive in Philippine English 271
- Linguistic change in a multilingual setting 297
- Patterns of regularisation in British, American and Indian English 335
- An apparent time study of the progressive in Nigerian English 373
- American influence on written Caribbean English 389
- Cultural keywords in context 411
- Recent quantitative changes in the use of modals and quasi-modals in the Hong Kong, British and American printed press 437
- The development of an extended time period meaning of the progressive in Black South African English 465
- Index 485
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
PART 1. Inner Circle Englishes
- Diachronic variation in the grammar of Australian English 15
- At the crossroads of change 43
- Do -support in early New Zealand and Australian English 65
- The progressive in Irish English 87
- Cross-variety diachronic drifts and ephemeral regional contrasts 119
- Passives of so-called ‘ditransitives’ in nineteenth century and present-day Canadian English 147
- Dual adverbs in Australian English 179
- The evolution of epistemic marking in West Australian English 205
- May and might in nineteenth century Irish English and English English 221
- The present perfect and the preterite in Australian English 247
-
PART 2. Outer Circle Englishes
- Recent diachronic change in the progressive in Philippine English 271
- Linguistic change in a multilingual setting 297
- Patterns of regularisation in British, American and Indian English 335
- An apparent time study of the progressive in Nigerian English 373
- American influence on written Caribbean English 389
- Cultural keywords in context 411
- Recent quantitative changes in the use of modals and quasi-modals in the Hong Kong, British and American printed press 437
- The development of an extended time period meaning of the progressive in Black South African English 465
- Index 485