Grammaticalization in creoles
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Adrienne Bruyn
Abstract
Cases from Sranan are presented in order to illustrate the various processes and mechanisms involved in developments in a creole language that could be interpreted as grammaticalization. While we do find “ordinary” grammaticalization, substrate patterns sometimes provided a model. In the extreme case, where the development consists of a large shortcut, grammaticalization as a usage-based process is no longer at issue, but rather a kind of local relexification variously referred to as “calquing” (Keesing 1991), “apparent grammaticalization” (Bruyn 1996), or “polysemy copying” (Heine and Kuteva 2005). Yet other cases involve reanalysis of a lexifier form without grammaticalization (Detges 2000). Distinguishing between the various types of developments is essential both for understanding the processes shaping creoles, and for delimiting the concept of grammaticalization.
Abstract
Cases from Sranan are presented in order to illustrate the various processes and mechanisms involved in developments in a creole language that could be interpreted as grammaticalization. While we do find “ordinary” grammaticalization, substrate patterns sometimes provided a model. In the extreme case, where the development consists of a large shortcut, grammaticalization as a usage-based process is no longer at issue, but rather a kind of local relexification variously referred to as “calquing” (Keesing 1991), “apparent grammaticalization” (Bruyn 1996), or “polysemy copying” (Heine and Kuteva 2005). Yet other cases involve reanalysis of a lexifier form without grammaticalization (Detges 2000). Distinguishing between the various types of developments is essential both for understanding the processes shaping creoles, and for delimiting the concept of grammaticalization.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Language change in contact languages 1
-
Articles
- The contribution of relexification, grammaticalization, and reanalysis to creole genesis and development 19
- Grammaticalization in creoles 53
- One in Singapore English 79
- Contact-induced grammaticalization 107
- Tone inventories and tune-text alignments 137
- Subsystem interface and tone typology in Papiamentu 177
- A twice-mixed creole? 199
- Index 239
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Language change in contact languages 1
-
Articles
- The contribution of relexification, grammaticalization, and reanalysis to creole genesis and development 19
- Grammaticalization in creoles 53
- One in Singapore English 79
- Contact-induced grammaticalization 107
- Tone inventories and tune-text alignments 137
- Subsystem interface and tone typology in Papiamentu 177
- A twice-mixed creole? 199
- Index 239
