Resourceful ways of recruiting members: The origin and development of Mental zero-Secondary Predicate Constructions
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Hubert Cuyckens
Abstract
This paper discusses the development of the Mental zero-Secondary Predicate Construction (Mental zero-SPC) from Old English to Late Modern English (e.g. Apparently they didn’t consider her pretty, but I thought her strongly beautiful), paying special attention to the complex interplay of mechanisms underlying the increasing recruitment of internal, mental representation verbs in the zero-SPC. Informed by Traugott’s work on semantic change, this pattern of increasing productivity in the Mental zero-SPC is here characterized as a process of internalization. It is argued that the key recruitment mechanisms are polysemization (in Old English), analogical extension (in Middle English) and language- external influence from Romance languages (in Middle and Early Modern English). Broadly speaking, the mechanisms of recruitment are seen to become more systematic over time, with focused attractor sets and more largescale developments only appearing from Middle English onwards. On a more theoretical plane, we address the issue whether the Mental zero-SPC can be considered a multi-source construction, in view of the multiple influences that contribute to its increase in productivity. Since these influences do not establish a construction that is entirely new to the language, we argue that the Mental zero-SPC is not a multi-source construction in the strict sense. Rather, the developments characterizing the evolution of the construction are defined as cases of “categorial incursion”, as new verb types are added to a construction which was already established in the language.
Abstract
This paper discusses the development of the Mental zero-Secondary Predicate Construction (Mental zero-SPC) from Old English to Late Modern English (e.g. Apparently they didn’t consider her pretty, but I thought her strongly beautiful), paying special attention to the complex interplay of mechanisms underlying the increasing recruitment of internal, mental representation verbs in the zero-SPC. Informed by Traugott’s work on semantic change, this pattern of increasing productivity in the Mental zero-SPC is here characterized as a process of internalization. It is argued that the key recruitment mechanisms are polysemization (in Old English), analogical extension (in Middle English) and language- external influence from Romance languages (in Middle and Early Modern English). Broadly speaking, the mechanisms of recruitment are seen to become more systematic over time, with focused attractor sets and more largescale developments only appearing from Middle English onwards. On a more theoretical plane, we address the issue whether the Mental zero-SPC can be considered a multi-source construction, in view of the multiple influences that contribute to its increase in productivity. Since these influences do not establish a construction that is entirely new to the language, we argue that the Mental zero-SPC is not a multi-source construction in the strict sense. Rather, the developments characterizing the evolution of the construction are defined as cases of “categorial incursion”, as new verb types are added to a construction which was already established in the language.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Subordination, or the permanent allure of the “adjacent possible” 1
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Part I: Diachronic perspectives on subordination
- From flying Sancho to swooning Altisidora: The changing use of premodifying present participles in three English translations of Cervantes’ Don Quijote 25
- Because science! Notes on a variable conjunction 43
- That-clauses as complements of verbs or nouns 61
- Semantic roles as a factor affecting complement choice: a case study with data from COHA 85
- Expanding the type you can’t help laughing 103
- -Ing clauses in spoken English: structure, usage and recent change 129
- Resourceful ways of recruiting members: The origin and development of Mental zero-Secondary Predicate Constructions 155
- The rise of long catenative constructions in Modern English: new sub-schemas and new stylistic options 185
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Part II: Subordination in Present-day Englishes
- Catenative get in World Englishes 211
- Adverbial subordination across variety types: A synchronic analysis of the syntax and semantics of since- and while-clauses in ENL, ESL, and EFL 235
- Whatever the specific circumstances, …: A Construction Grammar perspective of wh-ever clauses in English 263
- A sociolinguistic study of relativizers in spoken Philippines English 285
- Subject index 309
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Subordination, or the permanent allure of the “adjacent possible” 1
-
Part I: Diachronic perspectives on subordination
- From flying Sancho to swooning Altisidora: The changing use of premodifying present participles in three English translations of Cervantes’ Don Quijote 25
- Because science! Notes on a variable conjunction 43
- That-clauses as complements of verbs or nouns 61
- Semantic roles as a factor affecting complement choice: a case study with data from COHA 85
- Expanding the type you can’t help laughing 103
- -Ing clauses in spoken English: structure, usage and recent change 129
- Resourceful ways of recruiting members: The origin and development of Mental zero-Secondary Predicate Constructions 155
- The rise of long catenative constructions in Modern English: new sub-schemas and new stylistic options 185
-
Part II: Subordination in Present-day Englishes
- Catenative get in World Englishes 211
- Adverbial subordination across variety types: A synchronic analysis of the syntax and semantics of since- and while-clauses in ENL, ESL, and EFL 235
- Whatever the specific circumstances, …: A Construction Grammar perspective of wh-ever clauses in English 263
- A sociolinguistic study of relativizers in spoken Philippines English 285
- Subject index 309
