论英语助动词演变的经济性特征

Economical Tendency of English Auxiliaries in the Course of Their Evolution

英语助动词在演变中呈现出明显的经济性特征。英语情态助动词在语义、形态、句法结构等方面的演变趋势,主要表现为多种让位于单一、弱者让位于强者、晦涩让位于明晰;而英语do助动词的演变与情态助动词形态结构的变化具有趋同性。从而导致了英语句法的简化和优化,更有利于情态意义的表达,并使表达更为简洁和明晰,适应了人的认知和社会发展的需要。这一过程和趋势充分反映了人类在语言认知过程中追求经济性的倾向。

The economical tendency is clearly shown in the course of the evolution of the English auxiliaries. The typical economical features in the evolution of the core modal auxiliaries are presented in the gradual cohesion of modal meanings, morphology and syntax, as well as the gradual disappearance of non-modal meanings, morphology and syntax, which makes it simpler and clearer to express the modal meanings. And the auxiliary ＂do＂ shows its economical tendency in its evolutionary homoplasy with the modal auxiliaries. This tendency meets the need of the human＇s cognition and the development of society.