A STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION OF PRESETN-DAY ENGLISH CASE-MARKERS BY COMPUTER-PROCESSING

本研究的目的是澄清现代英语是否有大小写标记。为此，采用了计算机统计方法，并编制了大量数据。近年来的原则参数法和极简程序等语言学理论都认为英语有一个抽象的格标记系统。汇编的数据实际上支持这一假设。相反，一个更严重的问题是，英语中是否需要头补关系来区分大小写。极简程序认为spec- head关系是在大小写标记中起作用的唯一结构关系。然而，仔细观察语料库数据就会发现，在大小写标注中，除了谓语关系之外，还需要谓语关系。如果是这样的话，它将给语言学理论带来深远的影响。其中之一是完成大小写标记的级别。根据极简程序，以speck -head关系为基础，对英语客观格进行逻辑形式的检验。但是我们的结论是，逻辑形式与大小写标记无关，所有类型的大小写标记都是在公开的语法中进行的。

The purpose of the present research was to clarify whether present-day English has Case-markers. To accomplish this, a computer-based statistical method was adopted and a large velume of data was compiled. In recent linguistic theories like principles and parameters approach and minimalist program, it is assumed that English has an abstract system of Case-markers. The data compiled actually endorse this assumption. Rather, a more serious problem will be whether or not the head-complement relation is necessitated for Case-marking in English.Minimalist program argues that the Spect-head relation is the only structural relation that plays a role in Case-marking. However, a closer observation of the corpus data reveals that in addition to the Spect-head relation, the head-complement relation is also reguired in Case-marking. If this is the case, it will bring about far-reaching consequences to linguistic theory. One of them is the level where Case-marking is done. According to minimalist program, English objective Case is checked at logicalform on the basis of the Spect-head relation. But our claim leads to conclude that logical form has nothigng to do with Case-marking, and all types of Case-marking are carried out in overt syntax.