TO THE QUESTION OF DIACHRONIC VARIABILITY IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE

Abstract

This paper is focused on the study of number variability of predicate - singular or plural - in the sentences with the subjects expressed by a quantitative noun, on the extended by adjective or participle word combinations of the type Nquant+AdjN (eine Menge handelnder Personen), in particular. Word combinations of this type reveal variability in the selection of form of connectivity. They can be organized by means of the genitive case - eine Menge handelnder Personen, prepositional case - eine Menge von handelnden Personen, and coordination - eine Menge handelnde Personen. To the variability of the syntactic organization of the subject is added the variability of the form of the predicate. Variability is characteristic of undistributed subject - Eine Menge Fabriken werden nach Kambodscha kommen, but the paper is focused exclusively on extended word combinations - Da waren eine Menge blonder Deutscher dabei. The factors effecting the selection of singular or plural form of predicate are analyzed. The texts of the German authors of the XV11-XX centuries, in which all quantitative nouns of the combinations in question are equally presented, serve as the material for the analysis.