hellog〜英語史ブログ / 2024-10-21

■ #5656. 2重属格表現 a friend of mine をめぐる議論の略史 [double_genitive][genitive][syntax]

　連日の話題だが，改めて2重属格 (double_genitive) について．
　Jespersen (§§1.5₁--1.5₉ [pp. 15--23]) に "An old friend of Tom's" と題する詳しい考察がある．とりわけ冒頭の 1.5₁ では，この表現に関する研究史上の諸説が簡便に紹介されていて有用である．

1.5₁. These constructions are treated here, because the genitive is here as in the preceding sections a primary; but here, in contradistinction to the constructions mentioned hitherto, a possessive may be used in the same way, for we may say, "an old friend of yours | that old friend of yours." Much has been written on these constructions, which are so characteristic of English, see E. Beckmann, ESt 8.412 (who explains them from an imaginary and seemingly impossible combination a friend mine); L. Kellner in his ed. of Caxton B. XIX; Einenkel, Anglia 33.504; Trampe Bødtker, Christiania Vidsk. Selsk. 1908 no. 6.34; cf also my own GS §194, PG 111, S.P.E. Tract XXV. This tract was occasioned by Mr. Fowler's mention (in MEU 399), where he ranks that nose of his with certain other constructions as 'plainly illogical' and says: 'a friend of mine, i.e. among my friends, but surely not that nose of his, i.e. among his noses; so the logic-chopper is fain to correct or damn; but even he is likely in unguarded moments to let the forbidden phrases slip out'; so even Mr. Fowler reckons it among recognized idioms, sturdy indefensibles, as he terms them. The belief that there is something illogical in this idiom evidently rests on the assumption that of here has to be taken in its partitive sense, one of or among several. But of has several other meanings---in the N.E.D. they are entered under no less than sixty-three numbers---and it may be worth while to examine if another explanation than the partitive might not be admissible.

　昨日の記事 ([2024-10-20-1]) でみたように，Jespersen は，以前の著書 Growth and Structure of the English Language では，この表現が部分属格の用法から派生したものとみていた．しかし，上の引用ではそうではない可能性に言及しており，実際にこの先の議論を読み進めていくと，そうではないと結論するに至っているのだ．この変節は何故だろうか．
　2重属格表現は学説史の観点からも興味深い．

　・ Jespersen, Otto. A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles. Part III. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1954.
　・ Jespersen, Otto. Growth and Structure of the English Language. 10th ed. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982 [1905].

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