Wild variation, random patterns, and uncertain data*
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Dieter Wanner
Abstract
The sequencing between an infinitive and clitics in pre-modern Spanish changed from the absence of any principle in Latin to variable proclisis (13th century), prevalent proclisis (15th century), and finally categorical enclisis as a complete trend reversal (17th century). The strong increase in proclisis up to the 15th century is driven by dominant models in the language (with preceding negation, preposition, etc., following the sequencing with finite verb forms). Since standard analyses are not adequate here, an analysis relying on analogy will be compared with an interpretation based on the unreliability of documentation. This second approach leads to an explanatory impasse. While analogical modeling of unruly data implies a diminished role for strict regularity, it provides a much better fit with the data than standard rules, or a blunt challenge to the data, making it the preferred solution by far.
Abstract
The sequencing between an infinitive and clitics in pre-modern Spanish changed from the absence of any principle in Latin to variable proclisis (13th century), prevalent proclisis (15th century), and finally categorical enclisis as a complete trend reversal (17th century). The strong increase in proclisis up to the 15th century is driven by dominant models in the language (with preceding negation, preposition, etc., following the sequencing with finite verb forms). Since standard analyses are not adequate here, an analysis relying on analogy will be compared with an interpretation based on the unreliability of documentation. This second approach leads to an explanatory impasse. While analogical modeling of unruly data implies a diminished role for strict regularity, it provides a much better fit with the data than standard rules, or a blunt challenge to the data, making it the preferred solution by far.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Phonology
- Middle English vowel length in French loanwords 9
- Dental fricatives and stops in Germanic 19
- Dialect variation and the Dutch diminutive 37
-
Part II. Morphology, syntax and semantics
- On the disappearance of genitive types in Middle English 49
- An asymmetric view on stage II in Jespersen’s cycle in the West Germanic languages 61
- Temporal reference and grammaticalization in the Spanish perfect(ive) 73
- (Un)-interpretable features and grammaticalization 83
- Imperative morphology in diachrony evidence from the Romance languages 99
- VO vs V(…)O en Français 109
- On the development of Recipient passives in DO languages 123
- The emergence of DP in the history of English 135
- A diachronic view of Psychological verbs with Dative Experiencers in Spanish and Romanian 149
- On the loss of the masculine genitive plural in Cypriot Greek 161
- The rise of peripheral modifiers in the noun phrase 175
- Wild variation, random patterns, and uncertain data* 185
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Part III. Sociolinguistics and dialectology
- Le changement linguistique dans la langue orale selon deux recherches sur le terrain séparées d’un siècle 197
- Patrons sociolinguistiques chez trois générations de locuteurs acadiens 211
- Change of functions of the first person pronouns in Chinese 223
- Vinderup in real time 233
- Variation in real time 245
-
Part IV. Tools and methodology
- UNIDIA 259
- Visualization, validation and seriation 269
- Quantifying linguistic changes 285
- Historical core vocabulary: Spring and/or anchor 295
- Index of languages and terms 307
- Index of subjects and terms 309
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Phonology
- Middle English vowel length in French loanwords 9
- Dental fricatives and stops in Germanic 19
- Dialect variation and the Dutch diminutive 37
-
Part II. Morphology, syntax and semantics
- On the disappearance of genitive types in Middle English 49
- An asymmetric view on stage II in Jespersen’s cycle in the West Germanic languages 61
- Temporal reference and grammaticalization in the Spanish perfect(ive) 73
- (Un)-interpretable features and grammaticalization 83
- Imperative morphology in diachrony evidence from the Romance languages 99
- VO vs V(…)O en Français 109
- On the development of Recipient passives in DO languages 123
- The emergence of DP in the history of English 135
- A diachronic view of Psychological verbs with Dative Experiencers in Spanish and Romanian 149
- On the loss of the masculine genitive plural in Cypriot Greek 161
- The rise of peripheral modifiers in the noun phrase 175
- Wild variation, random patterns, and uncertain data* 185
-
Part III. Sociolinguistics and dialectology
- Le changement linguistique dans la langue orale selon deux recherches sur le terrain séparées d’un siècle 197
- Patrons sociolinguistiques chez trois générations de locuteurs acadiens 211
- Change of functions of the first person pronouns in Chinese 223
- Vinderup in real time 233
- Variation in real time 245
-
Part IV. Tools and methodology
- UNIDIA 259
- Visualization, validation and seriation 269
- Quantifying linguistic changes 285
- Historical core vocabulary: Spring and/or anchor 295
- Index of languages and terms 307
- Index of subjects and terms 309
