Herb,

You know much more about the history of the language than I do.

However, I have no idea why you say the following:

>>> "STAHLKE, HERBERT F" <[log in to unmask]> 11/03/07 10:41 PM >>>
For one thing, it means calling "do" a modal, which makes no semantic or morphological
sense, since "do" can take both tense suffixes and does not participate
in the deontic/epistemic contrast true of all other modals.   

******
Unlike German, main verbs in modern English don't move for questions and then there is obligatory-do support for negation when there is no other helping verb.  

Why must one posit do as a modal to account for these facts?  You know there is another account available.

Bob Yates, University of Central Missouri 

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