English Comparative Correlatives: Diachronic and Synchronic Variation at the Lexicon-Syntax Interface

Linguists study how speakers create novel grammatical utterances, which are complex systems that must be more abstract than the input they are exposed to. This book investigates one specific construction, English comparative correlatives, using authentic corpus data from Old English to Present-day English varieties around the world. It shows how input frequency and domain-general cognitive principles affect the complex mental network of constructions that underlies speakers' linguistic behavior.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 28 October 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

One of the most captivating aspects of languages is the remarkable ability of speakers to generate novel grammatical utterances that they have never encountered before. As a result, most linguists concur that speakers' mental grammars are intricate and complex systems that must be more abstract than the input they are exposed to. However, there is a significant disagreement among linguists regarding the extent to which speakers' mental representations should be general and abstract to enable this grammatical creativity. This book aims to address this critical issue by conducting an empirical investigation into a specific construction, namely English comparative correlatives (e.g., the more you eat, the fatter you get). By leveraging authentic corpus data spanning from Old English to contemporary English varieties across the globe, the book demonstrates how input frequency and domain-general cognitive principles shape the intricate mental network of constructions that underpin speakers' linguistic behavior. This groundbreaking and innovative study holds immense interest for scholars and students of English syntax and English historical linguistics.

Weight: 418g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108702157