The status of do-support in Early Modern English. "Gammer Gurton's Needle" by William Stevenson and "The Relapse" by John Vanbrugh (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: Non-gradable - pass, University of Geneva, course: Diachronic Syntax, language: English, abstract: In the history of the English language, a major syntax feature is the occurrence of verb movement, which is characteristic of early English, whereas, in Present Day English, the finite main verb remains within the VP. The loss of V-movement comes with the rise of periphrastic do in negative declarative clauses, interrogative clauses and negative imperative clauses.

The Early Modern English period, which lies approximately between 1500 and 1700, is crucial as far as this change is concerned: the V-movement feature, distinguished by V-not in negative declarative clauses and V-Subject in interrogative clauses, coexists with the do-support feature, under the structure of do-not in negative declarative and imperative clauses and do-Subject-V in interrogative clauses.

In order to examine the status of do-support during the EModE period, I will analyse and compare two dramatic texts: "Gammer Gurton's Needle," by William Stevenson (c 1553-1563) and "The Relapse," by John Vanbrugh (1697).

The major issue addressed in this paper is the use or non-use of periphrastic do with main verbs.