Publisher's Synopsis
An analysis on the system of finite complement clauses in early Modern English which is meant to be a contribution both to historical syntax and to the study of John Lyly's euphuistic language. Aims to offer clear exemplification of finite complement clauses during this decisive period. Preface This book is a revised version of a PhD dissertation submitted by Juan Carlos Garcia Lorenzo to the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) in April 2001. It examines an underresearched area, the grammar of complement clauses in Early Modern English (1500-1700), as illustrated in the prose of John Lyly. Prior to the diachronic analysis proper, concepts such as "complement clause" and "complementizer" are defined in Chapter 2; the discussion here, where the relevant literature is carefully assessed, will prove useful for historical and non historical linguists alike. Later chapters investigate in detail the syntax and semantics of complement clauses during the period under discussion and also the extralinguistic variables controlling their distribution across different syntactic environments.;An exhaustive reference section, an index and twenty tables and charts complete the volume, which will no doubt become an important reference in the field of English historical linguistics. Teresa Fanego, PhD Professor of English Linguistics University of Santiago de Compostela November 2003
