Studies in the History of the English Language II: Unfolding Conversations (Topics in English Linguistics)

The volume contains selected papers from the SHEL-2 conference held at the University of Washington in Spring 2002. Scholars from North America and Europe address a broad spectrum of research topics in historical English linguistics, including new theories/methods such as Optimality Theory and corpus linguistics, and traditional fields such as phonology and syntax. In each of the four sections — Philology and linguistics; Corpus- and text-based studies; Constraint-based studies; and Dialectology — leading scholars respond directly to each other's arguments within the volume. The volume captures an ongoing conversation at the heart of historical English linguistics: the question of evidence and historical reconstruction. Front Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Foreword 10 Section 1: Linguistics and philology 14 Introduction: Linguistics and philology 16 Philology, linguistics, and the history of [hw]~[w] 20 An essay in historical sociolinguistics?: On Donka Minkova's "Philology, linguistics, and the history of [hw]~[w]" 60 A brief response 68 Why we should not believe in short diphthongs 70 Extended forms (Streckformen) in English 98 Linguistic change in words one owns: How trademarks become "generic" 124 Section 2: Corpus- and text-based studies 138 Introduction: Corpus- and text-based studies 140 The meanings and uses of the progressive construction in an early eighteenth-century English network 144 Investigating the expressive progressive: On Susan M. Fitzmaurice's "The meanings and uses of the progressive construction in an early eighteenth-century English network" 188 A brief response 196 Modal use across registers and time 202 The need for good texts: The case of Henry Machyn's Day Book, 1550-1563 230 The perils of firsts: Dating Rawlinson MS Poet. 108 and tracing the development of monolingual English lexicons 242 Section 3: Constraint-based studies 286 Introduction: Constraint-based studies 288 The evolution of Middle English alliterative meter 292 Old English poetry and the alliterative revival: On Geoffrey Russom's "The evolution of Middle English alliterative meter" 318 A brief response 326 A central metrical prototype for English iambic tetrameter verse: Evidence from Chaucer's octo-syllabic lines 328 Early English clause structure change in a stochastic optimality theory setting 356 The role of perceptual contrast in Verner's Law 384 Section 4: Dialectology 422 Introduction: Dialectology 424 Historical perspectives on the pen/pin merger in Southern American English 428 Digging up the roots of Southern American English: On Michael Montgomery and Connie Eble's "Historical perspectives on the pen/pin merger in Southern American English" 448 A brief response 458 Vowel merger in west central Indiana: A naughty, knotty project 460 The spread of negative contraction in early English 472 Name index 496 Subject index 504

Studies in the History of the English Language II: Unfolding Conversations contains selected papers from the SHEL-2 conference held at the University of Washington in Spring 2002. In the volume, scholars from North America and Europe address a broad spectrum of research topics in historical English linguistics, including new theories/methods such as Optimality Theory and corpus linguistics, and traditional fields such as phonology and syntax.

In each of the four sections - Philology and linguistics; Corpus- and text-based studies; Constraint-based studies; Dialectology - a key article provides the focal point for a discussion between leading scholars, who respond directly to each other's arguments within the volume. In Section 1, Donka Minkova and Lesley Milroy explore the possibilities of historical sociolinguistics as part of a discussion of the distinction between philology and linguistics. In Section 2, Susan M. Fitzmaurice and Erik Smitterberg provide new research findings on the history and usage of progressive constructions. In Section 3, Geoffrey Russom and Robert D. Fulk reanalyze the development of Middle English alliterative meter. In Section 4, Michael Montgomery, Connie Eble, and Guy Bailey interpret new historical evidence of the pen/pin merger in Southern American English. The remaining articles address equally salient problems and possibilities within the field of historical English linguistics.

The volume spans topics and time periods from Proto-Germanic sound change to twenty-first century dialect variation, and methodologies from painstaking philological work with written texts to high-speed data gathering in computerized corpora. As a whole, the volume captures an ongoing conversation at the heart of historical English linguistics: the question of evidence and historical reconstruction.

In The Present Volume, Scholars From North America And Europe Address A Broad Spectrum Of Research Topics In Historical English Linguistics, Including New Theories And Methods Such As Optimality Theory And Corpus Linguistics, And Traditional Fields Such As Phonology And Syntax. This Volume Captures An Ongoing Conversation At The Heart Of Historical English Linguistics: The Question Of Evidence And Historical Reconstruction.--jacket. Introduction : Linguistics And Philology / Anne Curzan And Kimberly Emmons -- Philology, Linguistics, And The History Of [hw]-[w] / Donka Minkova -- An Essay In Historical Sociolinguistics? : On Donka Minkova's Philology, Linguistics, And The History Of [hw]-[w] / Lesley Milroy -- A Brief Response / Donka Minkova -- Why We Should Not Believe In Short Diphthongs / David L. White -- Extended Forms (streckformen) In English / Anatoly Liberman -- Linguistic Change In Words One Owns : How Trademarks Become Generic / Ronald R. Butters And Jennifer Westerhaus -- Introduction : Corpus- And Text-based Studies / Anne Curzan And Kimberly Emmons. Edited By Anne Curzan, Kimberly Emmons. Papers Originally Delievered At The Biennial Meeting Of The Studies In History Of The English Language Conference, University Of Washington, Seattle, In March 2002. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.