Lone pronoun tags in Early Modern English: ProTag constructions in the dramas of Jonson, Marlowe and Shakespeare
Recent research into right-dislocated pronouns has provided details of the form and functions of lone pronoun tag (ProTag) constructions in Present Day British English. In this article, we present the first systematic investigation of ProTag constructions in an earlier variety, Early Modern English....
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2020
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| Summary: | Recent research into right-dislocated pronouns has provided details of the form and
functions of lone pronoun tag (ProTag) constructions in Present Day British English. In
this article, we present the first systematic investigation of ProTag constructions in an
earlier variety, Early Modern English. Using as our corpus the dramatic works of Jonson,
Marlowe and Shakespeare – writers already known to make use of tag questions in their
works – we identified and analysed ProTag constructions. Our findings reveal that ProTag
constructions in Early Modern English differ from their Present Day British English
equivalents with respect to possible functions: in the earlier variety ProTag constructions
could have a ‘Question’ function, the same as tag questions. We also found the relative
frequency of demonstrative ProTags compared to personal ProTags to be significantly
different: personal ProTags are far more frequently attested than demonstrative ProTags
in our corpus of Early Modern English drama texts; this is the reverse of what has been
found for Present Day British English. We propose that a key factor in the observed
change is extension of the types of referents that demonstrative ProTags can have. This
study offers a new perspective on ProTag constructions, their classification and
development. |
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