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A (Very) Imperfect Sandwich: English Should, German Sollte, Dutch Mocht/Moest as Grammaticalizing Markers of Conditionality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2016

Anne Breitbarth ,
Sara Delva  and
Torsten Leuschner
Anne Breitbarth*
Affiliation:
Ghent University
Sara Delva*
Affiliation:
Ghent University
Torsten Leuschner*
Affiliation:
Ghent University
*
Ghent University (UGent), Linguistics Department—German, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, [anne.breitbarth@ugent.be]
Eikvarenweg 10, 9031 Drongen, Belgium, [sara.delva93@gmail.com]
Ghent University (UGent), Linguistics Deptartment—German, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, [torsten.leuschner@ugent.be]
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Abstract

Based on a comparative corpus study, the present paper contrasts conditionals containing the modal verbs sollte in German, should in English, and mocht/moest in Dutch. The conditionals are examined with respect to the linkage levels between protasis and apodosis, the tense/mood patterns in the two clauses, and the degree of syntactic integration of the protasis into the apodosis. We argue that sollte, should, mocht, and moest are undergoing a process of grammaticalization as markers of conditionality, understood as upwards reanalysis in the hierarchy of functional projections. We show that this grammaticalization process is at different stages in the different languages, not showing any “sandwich”-like pattern.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Germanic Linguistics , Volume 28 , Special Issue 4: New Directions in Comparative Germanic Linguistics , December 2016 , pp. 282 - 316
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Germanic Linguistics 2016 

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