On Subject Extraposition Constructionsin the History of English
1998 年 1998 巻 14 号 p. 53-78
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1998 年 1998 巻 14 号 p. 53-78
This article will present an analysis of the diachronic development of what will be called Subject Extraposition Constructions (SECs), which are passive constructions with the nominative subjects following past participles. It will be shown that (A) SECs in Old and Middle English do not have to observe a number of constraints which their Modern English counterparts must observe, that (B) the differences between Old and Middle English SECs on one hand and Modern English SECs on the other are attributed to their distinct Case-assignment properties, and that (C) the differences in Case assignment properties are due to the distinct properties of INFL in Old and Middle English on one hand and Modern English on the other. It will also be shown that the present analysis can provide an adequate account for the peculiar behavior of constructions with impersonal and unaccusative verbs.
