The Rise of the To-Infinitive [Paperback]

This book describes the historical emergence and spread of the to-infinitive in English. The exposition is clear and does not assume an up-to-date knowledge of generative theory. The book will appeal to the wide spectrum of scholars interested in the transformation of Old to Middle English as well as to those studying the processes and causes of syntactic change more generally.


Part I: Introduction
1. Introduction
Part II: Theto-infinitive as GOAL
2. The Expression of Purpose in Old English
3. Theto-infinitive as GOAL-argument
Part III: Theto-infinitive as THEME
4. Intention
5. Commanding and Permitting
6. Commissives
Part IV: Syntactic Status
7. Introduction
8. The Changing Status of Infinitivalto
Part V: Changes in Middle English
9. The Rise ofto-infinitival ECM
10. Innocent Bystander: The Loss of the Indefinite Pronounman
Part VI: Summary and Conclusions
11. Summary and Conclusions
Appendix
References
Index

Bettelou Losis a Lecturer in Linguistics at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She graduated from the University of Amsterdam in 1986 and has since held teaching and research positions at the University of Amsterdam, the Vrije Universiteit, the University of Nijmegen and other colleges of higher education. She participates in the research program The Diachrony of Complex Predicates in West Germanic, and has published several papers on diachronic syntax. She contributes with Wim van der Wurff to the morphology and syntax section ofThe Year's Work in English Studiesand with Ans van Kemenade is co-editingThe Blackwell Handbook of the History of English.