What a Change! A Diachronic Study of Exclamative What Constructions

Abstract

Exclamative constructions fronted by what are generally agreed to be one of the prototypical realizations of the English exclamative clause type. This paper argues that what acts as a degree modifier in these constructions and aims to investigate how what came to be an introductory degree marker of English exclamatives. It examines the diachronic relation between full exclamative what constructions (What a pity it is!) and verbless exclamative constructions (What a pity!), which are usually assumed to be the result of ellipsis. In addition, this paper comments on what’s role as a degree modifier and a marker of subjectivity and mirativity.