Independent Wh-Exclamative Constructions in the History of English

This book offers the first book-length treatment of the diachronic study of English exclamatives, tracing their development from 1500 through to the twenty-first century.

The volume shines a light on independent wh‑exclamatives in the history of English. These will be analyzed with reference to insubordination, with insubordination understood as the phenomenon of sentences displaying formal features of subordinate clauses, such as through subordinated word order or the use of conjunctions. In particular, Schröder calls attention to the development of three prototypical wh‑exclamatives as observed in three newly created genre‑balance corpora comprising prose fiction, dialogues, and personal correspondence, uncovering new insights into the differences in their evolution. In its analysis of English exclamatives over time and broader exploration of the impact of genre on constructional productivity, the book raises key questions about existing claims in scholarship on Diachronic Construction Grammar and outlines ways forward for new areas of inquiry.

This volume will appeal to scholars interested in diachronic linguistics, historical syntax, language variation and change, and the history of English.