THE RISE OF THE MIDDLE PASSIVE IN MODERN ENGLISH
THE RISE OF THE MIDDLE PASSIVE IN MODERN ENGLISH
Author(s): Brian MottSubject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Editura Universităţii de Vest din Timişoara / Diacritic Timisoara
Keywords: English grammar; ergatives; middle voice; passivization; reflexivization
Summary/Abstract: The paper discusses the increasing number of originally transitive verbs used as middles in Modern English (The shirt irons well), and attempts to categorize them and suggest reasons for their recent spread. Observations will also be made on their equivalents in other languages, e.g. Spanish, which may use the reflexive passive (or other constructions) to convey the nuances of English middles.
Journal: B.A.S. British and American Studies
- Issue Year: 2009
- Issue No: 15
- Page Range: 299-310
- Page Count: 12
- Language: English