An Empirical and Theoretical Study on the Demise of Null Expletive Subjects in the History of English

英语史上空咒语主语消亡的实证与理论研究

• 批准号: 21720176
• 负责人: NAWATA Hiroyuki
• 金额: $ 1.16万
• 依托单位: Shimane University
• 依托单位国家: 日本
• 项目类别: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 日本
• 起止时间: 2009 至 2010
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-21720176/
• 关键词: 英語史; 統語論; 生成文法; 言語変化; 形態論; 空の虚辞主語; 動詞第二位現象; 豊かな動詞屈折接辞

This study investigated the causal relation among the demise of null subjects (pro), the loss of verb second (V2), and the decline of verbal inflectional morphology in the history of English under the theoretical framework of the minimalist program. It was demonstrated that the demise of pro was caused directly by the loss of V2 and indirectly by the decline of verbal inflection. I developed a theoretical model to account for the change in question and confirmed its validity by applying it to another diachronic change, the loss of non-nominative Experiencers of the psych-verb like.

本研究在最简方案的理论框架下考察了英语历史上空主语（pro）的消亡、动词第二位（V2）的消失和动词屈折形态学的衰落之间的因果关系。研究表明，动词动词V2的缺失是pro消亡的直接原因，动词屈折变化的减少是pro消亡的间接原因。我开发了一个理论模型来解释这个变化，并通过将其应用于另一个历时变化来证实其有效性，即心理动词like的非主格体验者的丧失。