This paper provides a detailed comparison of the referential behaviour of noun phrases and nominal and verbal gerunds from Middle to Late Modern English. It will be shown that in earlier stages of English, nominal and verbal gerunds to a large extent resemble prototypical noun phrases in their referential functioning, but also exhibit ‘non-nominal’ uses that depend on clausal rather than nominal grounding strategies. It is argued that the study of (diachronic changes in) the semantic and functional behaviour of nominal and verbal gerunds in Middle and Modern English should take into account that these are functionally hybrid constructions, showing referential traits of both prototypical noun phrases and clauses. This functional hybridity, then, was gradually sorted out, with nominal gerunds specializing to nominal reference and verbal gerunds continuing to adhere to the functional apparatus associated with subordinate clauses.

中文翻译：

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从名词动名词到动词动名词：指称类型学

本文详细比较了中后期现代英语中名词短语和名词性动名词和动名词的指称行为。将表明，在英语的早期阶段，名词和动词动名词在很大程度上类似于原型名词短语的指称功能，但也表现出依赖于从句而不是名词基础策略的“非名词性”用法。有人认为，研究中现代英语中名词和动词动名词的语义和功能行为（历时变化）应该考虑到这些是功能混合结构，显示出原型名词短语和从句的指称特征。然后，这种功能性的杂种被逐渐整理出来，