The Old English case system : : case and argument structure constructions / / by Kirsten Middeke.

• VerfasserIn: Middeke, Kirsten,
• Language: English

"The Old English Case System. Case and Argument Structure Constructions by Kirsten Middeke is a Construction Grammar account of Old English argument structure that integrates modern cognitive corpus linguistics and traditional philological work. This is the first major study on Old English morphosyntax from a constructional perspective, based on findings from various strands of theoretical linguistics, including generative approaches, constructionist accounts, quantitative linguistics, and many more. It argues for a new take on historical comparative syntax, a field which has been dormant for quite a while but might see a new boost through the ideas presented here"-- Provided by publisher.

Table of Contents

Introduction: And gefnms thone tōth -- Not balanced: the database -- Theoretical preliminaries -- Origins, wholes, stimuli-and aspect? The genitive -- Place, time and manner: the instrumental -- Recipients and addressees, beneficiaries and experiencers: the dative -- Patients, targets, direct objects? The accusative -- Affectees: oblique case and impersonal constructions -- Agent, topic, subject? The nominative -- Synthesis and theoretical implications.