R: Re: Degrees of volition inactivelanguages(wasRe:Chevraqis: asketch)

"Thomas R. Wier" wrote:
> Well, I had been under the impression that lack of do-support was a
> somewhat artificial, archaic usage that still then obtained only in some
> parts of Britain.
Actually, do-support didn't completely win out until the 18th century.
When Shakespeare was writing, lack of do-support was still fairly
common, according to one source (a textbook on the History of English),
in 1600, do-support in affirmative sentences was still only used about
65% of the time, while in negative declarative sentences and negative
imperatives, nonuse of do-support was still more common than not.

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