scholarly journals The Hieroglyphic Luwian genitive case

2021 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-204
Author(s):  
Axel I. Palmér
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Conditioning Factor ◽  
Translation Errors ◽  
Genitive Case

Abstract Descriptions of Hieroglyphic Luwian grammar assert that the genitive endings ‑as(a) and ‑asi are interchangeable; their distribution is said to be random rather than governed by any conditioning factor. However, recent studies have shown that the ending ‑asi is geographically and chronologically restricted in the corpus of Hieroglyphic Luwian texts, which suggests that the distribution is not entirely random. In this paper, it is argued that in texts from the “‑asi area” - where texts containing both endings are found - the genitive endings are distributed in a non-random way. Genitives in ‑as(a) are dependent on neuter gender head nouns, whereas genitives in ‑asi are dependent on common gender head nouns. This means that, syntactically, Hieroglyphic Luwian genitives resemble genitival adjectives by agreeing with the gender of their head. Although several counterexamples exist, they are probably caused by translation errors, by language change in late Hieroglyphic Luwian, and possibly by the fact that -as(a) may reflect -asa as well as -as. Finally, a new account of the historical development of Luwian genitives is presented.

The growth of the transitivising Reaction Object Construction

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Bouso
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Construction Grammar ◽  
Traditional Form ◽  
Historical Trend ◽  
Object Construction ◽  
Early Modern English

Abstract This paper explores the growth of the Reaction Object Construction (ROC) as in Pauline smiled her thanks, offering new insights into its characterisation and historical development from the perspective of Construction Grammar (Goldberg 1995, 2006, 2019) and its application to patterns of language change (Hilpert 2013; Traugott & Trousdale 2013). It is argued that the modern ROC qualifies as a traditional form-meaning pairing and, at a deeper level, as a polysemous construction that follows the path of development of other transitivising constructions such as the way-construction (Israel 1996), and of processes of constructionalisation in general. Once the ROC imposes a coreferential constraint on its object argument, acquiring in this way its status as a form-meaning pairing over the Early Modern English period (1500–1700), the construction increases its productivity and schematicity; at the same time it decreases its compositionality since the link between the form/syntax and the overall meaning of the construction becomes less transparent, as in The door jingled a welcome. The ROC can thus be argued to be part and result of a broader development in the grammar of English, namely the historical trend towards transitivisation.

Morphological exceptionality and pathways of change

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-339
Author(s):  
Parker L. Brody
Keyword(s):  
Change Process ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Strong Tendency ◽  
Language Family

Abstract This paper explores the notion of analyzing cross-linguistically uncommon morphosyntactic structures in terms of their historical development. What may seem extraordinary in the synchronic snapshot of a language can often be clearly accounted for through diachronic considerations. To illustrate this, the current study examines the typologically uncommon phenomenon of multiple exponence, the realization of the same grammatical information in multiple places within an inflected word, in the Kiranti (Tibeto-Burman) languages. Typologically speaking, we do see a strong tendency cross-linguistically towards encoding grammatical information once within an inflected word, and against multiple exponence. Yet the phenomenon of multiple exponence is attested in a number of languages. This paper presents comparative evidence from the Kiranti languages that supports the claim that multiple exponence in synthetic verbs in the modern Kiranti languages comes as a result of the interaction between language(family)-specific typology (multiple agreement in periphrastic verbs) and an uncontroversial language change process (coalescence of periphrastic forms into synthetic forms).

Spatial Reasoning and GIS in Linguistic Prehistory. Two Case Studies from Lower Fungom (Northwest Cameroon)

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierpaolo Di Carlo ◽  
Giovanna Pizziolo
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Geographic Information Systems ◽  
Real World ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Spatial Relations ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Ongoing Project

Being an ontologically multidisciplinary topic, language change is among the best candidates to be addressed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS can integrate datasets from diverse disciplines along with real-world geographical information, hence facilitating the investigation of (i) the spatial relations existing between research items and (ii) (past) landscapes. Drawing from an ongoing project focused on the historical development of the extremely diverse linguistic situation documented in the Lower Fungom region (Northwest Cameroon), this article explores the possibility of placing authentic interdisciplinary research pivoting on linguistic issues within a GIS framework.

scholarly journals Determinanten der Erkennung und Bewertung von Objekttypen. Eine linguistisch-differenziell-psychologische Studie zum Genitiv

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Wich-Reif ◽  
Anja Leue ◽  
André Beauducel
Keyword(s):  
Language Change ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Verbal Intelligence ◽  
Psychological Study ◽  
Methodological Basis ◽  
Genitive Case

AbstractIt is self-evident that language changes across time; how this process of language change takes place has been investigated for specific domains, such as the genitive case. Language change may induce a heterogeneity of verbal competences. However, in differential psychology theoretical models on verbal intelligence imply that verbal competence is a rather homogeneous. Accordingly, the question of homogeneity and heterogeneity of verbal competences is a rather open one. Therefore, this study investigates the competence of differentiating sentences with genitive verbs from other object types and of evaluating the familiarity with these object types. It was examined whether homogeneous or heterogeneous linguistic competences are relevant for the evaluation of the grammatical correctness of sentences. The methodological basis for the linguistic and differential psychological study was a questionnaire of 22 groups of sentences with verbs requiring the genitive as an object case and/or verbs requiring another object case. Participants (

scholarly journals The development of English each other: grammaticalization, lexicalization, or both?

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
FLORIAN HAAS
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Syntactic Structures ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Reciprocal Expression

The historical development of the English reciprocal expression each other exemplifies different aspects of language change, both morphosyntactic and semantic. This article examines the formation of the reciprocal marker from the perspective of grammaticalization theory, with a special focus on the relationship between grammaticalization and lexicalization. It will be argued that an adequate distinction between lexicalization and grammaticalization can only be achieved if we define the two concepts with reference not to an expression's grammatical status before and after the change, but rather to the diachronic processes involved, namely context expansion in the case of grammaticalization, and univerbation combined with fossilization in the case of lexicalization. The development of each other provides evidence for this view. It has its origin in syntactic structures of the type Each of the kings hates the others and has undergone univerbation and fossilization as well as context expansion. It will also be shown that definitions of lexicalization and grammaticalization that are too closely linked to the opposition between lexicon and grammar are problematic for an analysis of the changes undergone by the reciprocal marker. Furthermore, our analysis regards the development of each other as a case of simultaneous lexicalization and grammaticalization.

Rule exceptions, functionalism, and language change

1975 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-182
Author(s):  
Martha Laferriere
Keyword(s):  
Surface Structure ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Grammatical Categories ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Phonological Rules

In certain cases the difference between consecutive stages of a language may be explained as a change in the system of rules of the grammar of that language (Chomsky & Halle 1968, 249-252; King 1969; Kiparsky 1968). Between consecutive stages a rule may be added, lost, structurally simplified, or reordered relative to the earlier order. Such changes among phonological rules, when phonetically conditioned, represent an increase in grammatical simplicity in a measurable sense (King 1969, 39-63, 65; Kiparsky 1968; Halle 1962).It has also been recognized that grammatical categories can condition phonological rules. The function of such conditioning appears to be the preservation of surface structure organization defined by grammatical categories, or what Kiparsky has termed “paradigm coherence” (1972, 208). Yet grammatical (non-phonetic) conditioning of phonological rules has been regarded as decreasing, rather than increasing, simplicity (King 1969, 134-139). In this paper I shall be concerned with the historical development of grammatical conditioning on phonological rules, and the role which paradigm coherence, or paradigmatic regularization, plays in grammatical simplification.

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