The History of English in a Social Context: A Contribution to Historical Sociolinguistics (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [TiLSM], 129)

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing. Excellent in Shakespeare 20 Address pronouns in Shakespeare’s English: a re-appraisal in terms of markedness 44 Gender voices in the spoken interaction of the past: a pilot study based on Early Modern English trial proceedings 72 Is there a social element in English word-stress? Explorations into a non-categorial treatment of English stress: a long-term view 110 The modal verb shall between grammar and usage in the nineteenth century 134 Social relations and forms of address in the Canterbury Tales 154 Covert and overt language attitudes to the Scots tongue expressed in the Statistical accounts of Scotland 188 The use of the negative prefix dis- 1520–1620 218 On the conditioning of geographical and social distance in language variation and change in Renaissance Scots 246 The influence of political correctness on lexical and grammatical change in late-twentieth-century English 276 The changing role of London on the linguistic map of Tudor and Stuart England 298 The rise and regulation of periphrastic do in negative declarative sentences: a sociolinguistic study 358 Shibboleths galore: the treatment of Irish and Scottish English in histories of the English language 382 Ethnolinguistic identity as common denominator: a socio-historical investigation of the lexical items for ‘people’ in South African English 396 Perceived and real differences between men’s and women’s spellings of the early to mid-seventeenth century 424 Sociohistorical linguistics and the observer’s paradox 460 Index of subjects 482 Index of authors 496 TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks, as well as studies that provide new insights by approaching language from an interdisciplinary perspective. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing. To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Birgit Sievert.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.

One of the most important factors in language change is synchronic variation due to social differences including gender-specific language use. The papers in the present volume all address this topic in connection with the history of English. They range from Chaucer's and Shakespeare's forms of address to questions of political correctness today; they also include the discussion of attitudes to regional variation and of the influence of social variation on syntax and phonology as well as the role of standardization in a social context. One of the most important factors in language change is synchronic variation due to social diferences, including gender-specific language use. The papers in this volume address this topic in connection with the history of English. When I chanced to look up the word excellent in a quotation from Shakespeare in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), I discovered the following position.