英语语法化演变的类型学特征

On Typology Characteristics in English Grammaticalization Evolution

将语法化研究与类型学相结合,通过对英汉语法化进程的比较研究,发现英语语法化演变具有两个显著的类型学特征:英语语法形态标记不断减少,屈折变化逐渐消失,有向孤立语类型发展的趋势;英语越来越依靠语序和词汇手段来表达语法意义,这种连续而渐变的过程,是英语的发展趋势。经过上述演变,从结构和形式上来说,现代英语变得越来越灵活和富于表达力。

Based on the combination of linguistic typology and grammaticalizafion, this article attempts to give a comparative study of Chinese and English grammaticalization so as to show the two remarkable typology characteristics in English grammaticalization evolution. Its first feature is that English grammar shape mark reduces unceasingly and the inflection change vanishes progressively. Its second feature manifests itself in the trend that English is depending upon word order and lexical means to express the grammatical meaning though this is a continual gradation process. After the above evolution, modem English appears to be more and more flexible and expressive in structure and form.