Pleonastic morphology dies hard
-
Thomas Stolz
Abstract
Lithuanian displays a variety of morphological phenomena which languageindependently pass as highly marked. This paper looks at one particularly intriguing feature, namely definiteness inflection in the guise of pleonastic morphology. The synchronic facts of modern standard Lithuanian are presented and assessed first. Their diachronic development from the earliest Lithuanian records to the present is surveyed. Variation on the non-standard level and the state-of-affairs in the Latvian dialect cluster are addressed too, in order to determine whether or not the dynamics of pleonastic morphology conform to the predictions by extant theories of morphological change. It is shown that, within the Lithuanian diasystem, pleonastic morphology proves remarkably resistant to reductive change. On the other hand, the attested variation in the dialects suggests that when changes affect the system they do not necessarily lead to a wholesale disintegration of the marked kind of inflection.
Abstract
Lithuanian displays a variety of morphological phenomena which languageindependently pass as highly marked. This paper looks at one particularly intriguing feature, namely definiteness inflection in the guise of pleonastic morphology. The synchronic facts of modern standard Lithuanian are presented and assessed first. Their diachronic development from the earliest Lithuanian records to the present is surveyed. Variation on the non-standard level and the state-of-affairs in the Latvian dialect cluster are addressed too, in order to determine whether or not the dynamics of pleonastic morphology conform to the predictions by extant theories of morphological change. It is shown that, within the Lithuanian diasystem, pleonastic morphology proves remarkably resistant to reductive change. On the other hand, the attested variation in the dialects suggests that when changes affect the system they do not necessarily lead to a wholesale disintegration of the marked kind of inflection.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword and acknowledgements vii
- Editors’ introduction 1
- Affixation vs. conversion. 15
- The -alis/-aris allomorphy revisited 33
- French property nouns based on toponyms or ethnic adjectives 53
- Morphological variation in the construction of French names for inhabitants 75
- The invisible hand of grammaticalization 89
- Paradigmatic realignment and morphological change 107
- Areal-typological aspects of word-formation 129
- Variation and change in morphology and syntax 149
- Optional multiple plural marking in Maay 177
- Lettered words 193
- Word creation 201
- Pleonastic morphology dies hard 217
- Index of languages and terms 245
- Index of subjects and terms 247
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword and acknowledgements vii
- Editors’ introduction 1
- Affixation vs. conversion. 15
- The -alis/-aris allomorphy revisited 33
- French property nouns based on toponyms or ethnic adjectives 53
- Morphological variation in the construction of French names for inhabitants 75
- The invisible hand of grammaticalization 89
- Paradigmatic realignment and morphological change 107
- Areal-typological aspects of word-formation 129
- Variation and change in morphology and syntax 149
- Optional multiple plural marking in Maay 177
- Lettered words 193
- Word creation 201
- Pleonastic morphology dies hard 217
- Index of languages and terms 245
- Index of subjects and terms 247
