Rhythmic Grammar: The Influence of Rhythm on Grammatical Variation and Change in English

393 Pages·2005·12.78 MB·English

by  Julia Schlüter

Rhythmic Grammar
≥
Topics in English Linguistics
46
Editors
Elizabeth Closs Traugott
Bernd Kortmann
Mouton de Gruyter
Berlin · New York
Rhythmic Grammar
The Influence of Rhythm on
Grammatical Variation and Change in English
by
Julia Schlüter
Mouton de Gruyter
Berlin · New York
MoutondeGruyter(formerlyMouton,TheHague)
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Schlüter,Julia,1973(cid:1)
Rhythmicgrammar:theinfluenceofrhythmongrammaticalvaria-
tionandchangeinEnglish/byJuliaSchlüter.
p. cm.(cid:1)(TopicsinEnglishlinguistics;46)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN3-11-018607-1(acid-freepaper)
1.Englishlanguage(cid:1)Rhythm. 2.Englishlanguage(cid:1)Grammar,
Historical. 3.Englishlanguage(cid:1)Variation. I.Title. II.Series.
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The comfortingviewoflanguage isthat it is sedate,
structured in an orderlymanner, and reducibleto rule.
But in anotherview, it is atwarwith structure,
which is to saythat it is atwarwith itself.
DwightL. Bolinger(1972: 18)

Acknowledgements
While there is only one name on the cover, many people have contributed
in their own particular ways to the realization ofthis book, which is a re
vised version of my doctoral dissertation, submitted to the University of
Paderborn in April 2004. Above all, Iam indebted to my supervisorGiinter
Rohdenburg, whose support has been outstanding throughout this project.
Without his exceptionally acute observation of linguistic phenomena and
his selfless readiness to share ideas and insights, this book would never
have been written. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Manfred
Wettler, who took on the role of co-examiner and has brought in all his
expertise and enthusiasm.
The present book has benefitted immensely from the perceptive and sa
gacious comments supplied by Elizabeth Traugott, who has acted as a se
ries-editor for this volume. She has been a most assiduous and considerate
advisor and deserves my heartfelt thanks. I also thankfully acknowledge
the efforts of an anonymous reviewer, which prevented me from getting
lost intoo muchdetail and redirected myattention to the essentials.
There are many people to whom I owe my gratitude and sincere appre
ciation for their guidance and constructive comments. Special thanks are
due to Donka Minkova and Thomas Berg, who have, on many occasions,
helped me to form a clearer idea ofthings that occupied my mind. In the
place ofnumerous others Iwould also liketo mentionTeresaFanego, Janet
Dean Fodor, Terttu Nevalainen, Martina Penke, Anette Rosenbach, Ri
cardo Bermudez-Otero and Fritz Pasierbsky, all ofwhom have engaged in
helpful discussions of aspects of my work in personal intercourse and at
various conferences.
While working on this book, I had the privilege of being part of a re
search team headed by Giinter Rohdenburg. I thank my colleagues Eva
Berlage, Britta Mondorfand Uwe Vosberg for the cooperative and stimu
lating atmosphere that made work in the office both productive and enjoy
able. Thanks are further due to our student assistants, in particular Julia
Hilker, Mareike Ibrom, Andreas Mankel, Andre Schaefer and Christian
Voss, who helped with countless favours, large or small. Stefan Thomas
Gries, Klaus Brinker and Heiko Schimmelpfennig proved to be just the
experts I needed on statistical matters. Without Hendrik Schliiter's help,
the figures in Chapter 6would have remained quite unsightly. Itgoes with
out saying that - despite the great help I have received from so many col
leagues and friends - the remaining blunders and inaccuracies are entirely
my owndoing.
Vlll Acknowledgements
I gratefully acknowledge a grant from the Cusanuswerk that launched
me on the present enterprise. Much appreciated as well is the funding re
ceived from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for the project "De
terminants ofGrammatical Variation in English", where Iwas employed as
a research assistant during most ofthe work that went into this volume.
Furtherthanks are due to the University ofPaderborn for travel funds ena
bling me to take part in international conferences, as well as to the Univer
sity Library for substantial assistance in the acquisition ofthe corpus col
lectiononwhich much ofthis work is based.
The present book would not have seen the light ofday without the en
couragement and practical support provided bymy family and friends. This
is especiallytrue ofmy parents, to whom Iextendmydeepestappreciation.
My dearest thanks, finally, go to my husband Martin, whose loving care
and faithful support have provided a never-failing source ofmotivation in
the completion ofthis work. Martin, dieses Buch gehortdir.
Paderborn, July 2005
Contents
Acknowledgements
Vll
Abbreviations and symbols
Xli
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 The state ofthe art 2
1.2 Aims and scope 10
1.3 The structure ofthe argument 15
Chapter2 ThePrincipleofRhythmic Alternation introduced 17
2.1 Outline 17
2.1.1 The universalityofrhythmic organization 22
2.1.2 Isochronytypes: stresstimingvs. syllabletiming 24
2.1.3 Compensation strategies 28
2.1.4 Functional explanations for rhythmic alternation 32
2.2 Previous research on rhythmic influences on English
grammar 35
Chapter3 Methodology 43
3.1 Corporaand their limitations 43
3.2 The phonologyofwritten language 50
3.3 Concordance software and search procedures 55
3.4 Tests ofstatistical significance 56
Chapter4 Analysis ofattributivestructures 60
4.1 Introduction 60
4.2 Worse vs. worserfrom EModEto nineteenth-century
English 67
4.3 A-adjectives inPDE 79