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Article: The Scots -- Northern English continuum of marking noun plurality.(Statistical Data Included)
- Article from:
- Studia Anglica Posnaniensia: international review of English Studies
- Article date:
- January 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Adam Mickiewicz University. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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0. Introduction
The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of nominal plural markers within the language continuum on both sides of the Solway-Tweed line in the period between the late 14th -- early 16th centuries.
The Scots -- English border in the Middle English period certainly was an area of political tension and one could infer that in the linguistic domain certain mechanisms must have operated as well. For instance, one of the phenomena which seem to be natural in these socio-political circumstances, would be the strife to mark own identity also in language. However, one should avoid jumping to conclusions in the case of Scots and its southern ...