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Chapter 7: Pragmatics and Discourse

  • Elizabeth Closs Traugott
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Volume 3 Middle English
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Volume 3 Middle English

Abstract

Among changes in the Middle English period that involve pragmatics, two stand out in particular because of their significant effects on the later history of English. One was the shift from information-structure-oriented word order in Old English to “syntacticized” order in Middle English; this in turn led, at the end of the period, to new strategies for marking topic and focus in special ways. The second change was the development of auxiliary verbs in contexts where implied abstract temporal, modal, or aspectual meanings of certain concrete verbs became salient. The period is also characterized by the appearance of a large set of new discourse types, from romances to drama, scientific writings, and letters. These give a partial window into differences between oral and literate styles at the time.

Abstract

Among changes in the Middle English period that involve pragmatics, two stand out in particular because of their significant effects on the later history of English. One was the shift from information-structure-oriented word order in Old English to “syntacticized” order in Middle English; this in turn led, at the end of the period, to new strategies for marking topic and focus in special ways. The second change was the development of auxiliary verbs in contexts where implied abstract temporal, modal, or aspectual meanings of certain concrete verbs became salient. The period is also characterized by the appearance of a large set of new discourse types, from romances to drama, scientific writings, and letters. These give a partial window into differences between oral and literate styles at the time.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Middle English: Overview 8
  6. Chapter 3: Phonology 29
  7. Chapter 4: Morphology 50
  8. Chapter 5: Syntax 76
  9. Chapter 6: Semantics and Lexicon 96
  10. Chapter 7: Pragmatics and Discourse 116
  11. Chapter 8: Dialects 134
  12. Chapter 9: Language Contact: Multilingualism 165
  13. Chapter 10: Language Contact: French 184
  14. Chapter 11: Standardization 205
  15. Chapter 12: Middle English Creolization 224
  16. Chapter 13: Sociolinguistics 239
  17. Chapter 14: Literary Language 261
  18. Chapter 15: The Language of Chaucer 292
  19. Index 307
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110525328-007

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Abbreviations VII
  4. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2: Middle English: Overview 8
  6. Chapter 3: Phonology 29
  7. Chapter 4: Morphology 50
  8. Chapter 5: Syntax 76
  9. Chapter 6: Semantics and Lexicon 96
  10. Chapter 7: Pragmatics and Discourse 116
  11. Chapter 8: Dialects 134
  12. Chapter 9: Language Contact: Multilingualism 165
  13. Chapter 10: Language Contact: French 184
  14. Chapter 11: Standardization 205
  15. Chapter 12: Middle English Creolization 224
  16. Chapter 13: Sociolinguistics 239
  17. Chapter 14: Literary Language 261
  18. Chapter 15: The Language of Chaucer 292
  19. Index 307
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Heruntergeladen am 4.12.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110525328-007/html
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