Type frequency, productivity and schematicity in the evolution of the Latin secundum NP construction
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Caterina Guardamagna
Abstract
This paper adopts a constructional approach as a heuristic to explore the changes undergone by Latin secundum NP ‘according to NP’, considering both its frequency and its network organisation. My data demonstrate a significant syntactic and host-class expansion of secundum NP between the years BC 106 – AD 17 and a support to Barðdal’s (2008) model of productivity. The vocabulary growth curve for the construction also suggests that the productivity of secundum NP remains high in all the periods considered. Finally, the discussion highlights the role played by the social context in stimulating some of the changes observed, which is crucial in order to interpret the quantitative data.
Abstract
This paper adopts a constructional approach as a heuristic to explore the changes undergone by Latin secundum NP ‘according to NP’, considering both its frequency and its network organisation. My data demonstrate a significant syntactic and host-class expansion of secundum NP between the years BC 106 – AD 17 and a support to Barðdal’s (2008) model of productivity. The vocabulary growth curve for the construction also suggests that the productivity of secundum NP remains high in all the periods considered. Finally, the discussion highlights the role played by the social context in stimulating some of the changes observed, which is crucial in order to interpret the quantitative data.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Theoretical issues
- Grammaticalization meets Construction Grammar 3
- Three open questions in Diachronic Construction Grammar 21
-
Verb constructions
- Grammaticalisation cut short 43
- Pseudocoordination in Norwegian 75
- Evaluating grammaticalization and constructional accounts 107
-
Noun constructions
- Reduction or expansion? A bit of both 137
- Type frequency, productivity and schematicity in the evolution of the Latin secundum NP construction 169
-
Constructions at sentence level
- The development of the conditional caso construction in Spanish 205
- Constructionalization areas 241
- A Radical Construction Grammar approach to construction split in the diachrony of the spatial particles of Ancient Greek 277
- Construction index 312
- Index 313
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Theoretical issues
- Grammaticalization meets Construction Grammar 3
- Three open questions in Diachronic Construction Grammar 21
-
Verb constructions
- Grammaticalisation cut short 43
- Pseudocoordination in Norwegian 75
- Evaluating grammaticalization and constructional accounts 107
-
Noun constructions
- Reduction or expansion? A bit of both 137
- Type frequency, productivity and schematicity in the evolution of the Latin secundum NP construction 169
-
Constructions at sentence level
- The development of the conditional caso construction in Spanish 205
- Constructionalization areas 241
- A Radical Construction Grammar approach to construction split in the diachrony of the spatial particles of Ancient Greek 277
- Construction index 312
- Index 313
