The semantic predecessors of need in the history of English (c750-1710)
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Bibliographic Information
The semantic predecessors of need in the history of English (c750-1710)
(Publications of the Philological Society, 43)
Wiley-Blackwell, [2009?]
- : pbk
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"This book is a much revised version of a part of my PhD dissertation (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 2005)."--P. [x]
Includes bibliographical references (p. [250]-263) and index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
ISBN 9781405190855
Description
The way in which we understand the concept of intelligence is rooted in metaphor and metonymy; for example, it is common to describe people as 'bright' or 'thick'. This book explores the motivation for some of the lexemes in this semantic field across the history of the English language, considering the range of cognitive mechanisms and cultural factors that can inform metaphorical and metonymical mappings.
Provides a much-needed diachronic approach to theories of metaphor and metonymy within cognitive semantics, building on the work of scholars such as Geeraerts and Sweetser
Argues that a diachronic approach offers a fresh perspective which can both complement and challenge current theories of metaphor and metonymy
Explores both cognitive and cultural issues relating to motivation, and takes account of established theories of semantic change alongside recent work in cognitive linguistics
Considers three of the concepts that have been important in the way intelligence is conceptualized diachronically: the senses, density, and animals
Includes a detailed case study of these source concepts which provides a starting point for a wider discussion about the nature of mapping processes
Table of Contents
1. Introduction. 2. Senses.
3. Density.
4. Animals.
5. Conclusion
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9781405192705
Description
In the history of English at least five verbs have been found to mean 'need': thurfan, bethurfan, need, behove and mister. By adopting a corpus-based approach, this book studies all of them diachronically, from the origins of the language (c.750) to the end of the early Modern English period (1710).
Offers a detailed analysis of the meaning of these five verbs which have been found to mean 'need', filling a gap in the literature on modality and shedding new light on grammaticalization theory
Spans the period c.750 to 1710, adopting a corpus-based approach to study the verbs diachronically
Explores the evolution of necessity meanings in English, identifying regular semantic changes and challenging some well-established statements
Provides a detailed grammaticalization analysis, paying attention to the different Present-Day-English modal classes, including marginal and emerging modals
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements. Foreword by Manfred Krug.
List of tables.
List of figures.
List of abbreviations.
1 Introduction.
1.1. Preliminary considerations.
1.2. Present-Day English need and need to.
1.2.1. Traditional approaches.
1.2.2. Modern considerations.
1.2.3. Conclusion.
1.3. A diachronic corpus.
1.4. Organization of chapters.
2 Theoretical Foundations.
2.1. Introduction.
2.2. Modality in English.
2.2.1. Types of modality: root and epistemic.
2.2.2. Semantic features of Present-Day English need and need to.
2.3. Grammaticalization.
2.3.1. Processes and parameters of grammaticalization.
2.3.2. English Modals: a paradigmatic case of grammaticalization.
2.4. Impersonal verbs and constructions.
2.4.1. Terminological issues.
2.4.2. Impersonal constructions: definition and structure.
2.4.3. Allen's (1995) classification.
2.5. Summary.
3. Tharf and Betharf.
3.1. Introduction.
3.2. Preterite-presents and pre-modals: morphology, syntax and semantics.
3.2.1. Morphology.
3.2.2. Syntax.
3.2.3. Semantics.
3.3. Tharf and betharf diachronically.
3.3.1. Semantic implications of tharf and betharf: the constraint of polarity.
3.3.1.1. Tharf.
3.3.1.1.1. Barriers.
3.3.1.1.2. External forces.
3.3.1.1.3. Internal forces.
3.3.1.1.4. General forces.
3.3.1.2. Betharf.
3.3.2. Syntactic evidence for auxiliarihood: the importance of complementation.
3.3.2.1. Tharf.
3.3.2.1.1. Types of theme selected by tharf.
3.3.2.1.2. Experiencer verb constructions found with tharf.
3.3.2.2. Betharf.
3.4. Conclusions.
4. Behove and Mister.
4.1. The evolution of behove.
4.1.1. Introduction: The myth of an impersonal verb (Allen 1997).
4.1.2. The rise and fall of a Germanic verb in English.
4.1.2.1. Semantic richness of a verb condemned to marginality.
4.1.2.1.1. Old English: Preference for internal forces.
4.1.2.1.2. Middle English: Peak in semantic richness.
4.1.2.1.2.1. General forces in Middle English.
4.1.2.1.3. Early Modern English: specialization of general forces.
4.1.2.2. Syntactic evidence for a potential grammaticalization.
4.1.3 Conclusions.
4.2. The ephemeral pass of mister through the English language.
4.2.1. Semantics.
4.2.2. Syntax.
4.2.3. Conclusion.
5. Need in the History of English.
5.1. Introduction: Need v.1 and need v.2: one or two verbs?
5.2. Semantic evolution of need.
5.2.1. Physical forces.
5.2.2. Root forces.
5.2.2.1. External forces.
5.2.2.2. Internal forces.
5.2.2.3. General forces.
5.2.3. Epistemic forces.
5.3. Syntactic evolution of need v.1 and need v.2.
5.3.1. Need v.1.
5.3.1.1. Active need v.1.
5.3.1.2. Passive need v.1.
5.3.2. Need v.2.
5.3.2.1. Need v.2: experiencer verb without an experiencer.
5.3.2.2. Need v.2: experiencer verb with an experiencer.
5.3.2.2.1. Types of themes, experiencer, and experiencer verb construction.
5.3.2.2.2. Need v.2 in Type 'Personal' Constructions: evidence for auxiliarihood.
5.3.2.2.2.1. EModE auxiliaries.
5.3.2.2.2.2. Need v.2 in the 'Personal' Type in early Modern English.
5.4. Conclusions.
6. Conclusions.
Appendices.
References.
List of Tables.
Index.
by "Nielsen BookData"