The rise of DP-internal possessors
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Helmut Weiß
Abstract
The traditional explanation of the emergence of DP-internal possessors (due to H. Paul and O. Behaghel) assumes a kind of structural reanalysis: The DP-internal possessor originated from an adverbal dative DP which became reanalysed as part of the possessee-DP since both DPs supposedly happened to appear adjacent in most cases. This paper proposes a new explanation, based on the development of possessive pronouns. Possessive pronouns evolved out of genitive forms of personal pronouns and Old High German still lacked true possessive pronouns. They developed into adjectives only later in the Middle High German period and into determiners in New High German. Adopting a small clause analysis for possessive constructions, the development of possessive pronouns and the emergence of DP-internal possessors can be reconstructed as follows: As personal pronouns they occupied the possessor position within the small clause, and only when they developed into adjectives and determiners, their base position must be higher within the DP leaving the DP-internal possessor position empty which thus could be filled by a full DP which then moves to Spec-DP. This possessor DP was originally case-marked with genitive and not with dative.
Abstract
The traditional explanation of the emergence of DP-internal possessors (due to H. Paul and O. Behaghel) assumes a kind of structural reanalysis: The DP-internal possessor originated from an adverbal dative DP which became reanalysed as part of the possessee-DP since both DPs supposedly happened to appear adjacent in most cases. This paper proposes a new explanation, based on the development of possessive pronouns. Possessive pronouns evolved out of genitive forms of personal pronouns and Old High German still lacked true possessive pronouns. They developed into adjectives only later in the Middle High German period and into determiners in New High German. Adopting a small clause analysis for possessive constructions, the development of possessive pronouns and the emergence of DP-internal possessors can be reconstructed as follows: As personal pronouns they occupied the possessor position within the small clause, and only when they developed into adjectives and determiners, their base position must be higher within the DP leaving the DP-internal possessor position empty which thus could be filled by a full DP which then moves to Spec-DP. This possessor DP was originally case-marked with genitive and not with dative.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The dialect laboratory 1
- The evolutionary-emergence model of language change 33
- Dialect data, lexical frequency and the usage-based approach 53
- Dialect areas and linguistic change 73
- The role of implicational universals in language change 107
- On the genesis of the German recipient passive – Two competing hypotheses in the light of current dialect data 121
- Paths to tone in the Tamang branch of Tibeto-Burman (Nepal) 139
- Dialect choice in Fiji 179
- When diachrony meets synchrony. 197
- Geolinguistic data and the past tense debate 227
- Tense and aspect systems of Western and Eastern dialects in Japan 249
- The rise of DP-internal possessors 271
- Index 295
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The dialect laboratory 1
- The evolutionary-emergence model of language change 33
- Dialect data, lexical frequency and the usage-based approach 53
- Dialect areas and linguistic change 73
- The role of implicational universals in language change 107
- On the genesis of the German recipient passive – Two competing hypotheses in the light of current dialect data 121
- Paths to tone in the Tamang branch of Tibeto-Burman (Nepal) 139
- Dialect choice in Fiji 179
- When diachrony meets synchrony. 197
- Geolinguistic data and the past tense debate 227
- Tense and aspect systems of Western and Eastern dialects in Japan 249
- The rise of DP-internal possessors 271
- Index 295
