From Middle English to Early Modern English: A Historical Sociolinguistic Approach Based on Corpus Linguistic Methods

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370562
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: English linguistics
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Iyeiri Yoko 京都大学, 文学研究科, 教授 (20264830)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 英語史 / 中英語 / 初期近代英語 / コーパス言語学 / 統語論 / 形態論 / 綴り字

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this project has been to highlight the continuity of language change between the Middle and Early Modern English periods. For this purpose, I have conducted research into the following areas: (1) the historical development of Middle English negation and the development of the auxiliary "do" in Early Modern English; (2) verb complementation (i.e. "that"-clauses, infinitives, and gerunds dominated by verbs); and (3) some morphological features including the addition of adverbial -s (as in "always" from late Middle English to Early Modern English). I have also made an effort to contextualize the change of language from Middle English to Early Modern English within the entire history of the English language, paying a particular attention to its impact on Present-day English.

Free Research Field

英語史