On the reconstruction of experiential constructions in (Late) Proto-Indo-European
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Vit Bubenik
Abstract
In this paper I will attempt to reconstruct the (Late) PIE syntax of experiential constructions for three classes of verbs: in (1) and (2) for verbs of cognition and perception, in (3) verbs denoting changes in bodily states, and in (4) verbs of deontic and epistemic modality. In (5) I will make some proposals regarding typology and syntax of experiential constructions in terms of several diachronic layers. I will also try to ascertain whether we can reconstruct the so-called ‘oblique subject’ typology for the (Late) PIE and, if not, at which intermediate period in its trajectory to the current state of affairs we can discern the appearance of oblique (or rather ‘secondary’) subjects. On the whole, I will be more preoccupied with morphological, semantic and pragmatic properties of the experiential constructions in Ancient IE (Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Gothic, Old Slavic) and Modern Germanic, Baltic and Slavic languages than with the issue of ‘subjecthood’ in terms of formal syntax. In conclusion, I will submit that the cognitive approach presents a number of important correctives to more formal syntactic approach into the typology and diachrony of experiential constructions across the spectrum of Indo-European languages.
Abstract
In this paper I will attempt to reconstruct the (Late) PIE syntax of experiential constructions for three classes of verbs: in (1) and (2) for verbs of cognition and perception, in (3) verbs denoting changes in bodily states, and in (4) verbs of deontic and epistemic modality. In (5) I will make some proposals regarding typology and syntax of experiential constructions in terms of several diachronic layers. I will also try to ascertain whether we can reconstruct the so-called ‘oblique subject’ typology for the (Late) PIE and, if not, at which intermediate period in its trajectory to the current state of affairs we can discern the appearance of oblique (or rather ‘secondary’) subjects. On the whole, I will be more preoccupied with morphological, semantic and pragmatic properties of the experiential constructions in Ancient IE (Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Gothic, Old Slavic) and Modern Germanic, Baltic and Slavic languages than with the issue of ‘subjecthood’ in terms of formal syntax. In conclusion, I will submit that the cognitive approach presents a number of important correctives to more formal syntactic approach into the typology and diachrony of experiential constructions across the spectrum of Indo-European languages.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & Acknowledgements vii
- Editors’ introduction ix
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Part I. General and specific issues of language change
- Competing reinforcements 3
- On the reconstruction of experiential constructions in (Late) Proto-Indo-European 31
- Criteria for differentiating inherent and contact-induced changes in language reconstruction 49
- Misparsing and syntactic reanalysis 69
- How different is prototype change? 89
- The syntactic reconstruction of alignment and word order 107
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Part II. Linguistic variation and change in Germanic
- The Dutch-Afrikaans participial prefix ge- 131
- Diachronic changes in long-distance dependencies 155
- Changes in the use of the Frisian quantifiers ea/oait “ever” between 1250 and 1800 171
- On the development of the perfect (participle) 191
- OV and V-to-I in the history of Swedish 211
- Ethnicity as an independent factor of language variation across space 231
- The sociolinguistics of spelling 253
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Part III. Linguistic variation and change in Greek
- Dative loss and its replacement in the history of Greek 277
- Word order variation in New Testament Greek wh-questions 293
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Part IV. Linguistic change in Romance
- The morphological evolution of infinitive, future and conditional forms in Occitan 317
- The evolution of the encoding of direction in the history of French 333
- Velle -type prohibitions in Latin 355
- The use and development of habere + infinitive in Latin 373
- Index 399
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & Acknowledgements vii
- Editors’ introduction ix
-
Part I. General and specific issues of language change
- Competing reinforcements 3
- On the reconstruction of experiential constructions in (Late) Proto-Indo-European 31
- Criteria for differentiating inherent and contact-induced changes in language reconstruction 49
- Misparsing and syntactic reanalysis 69
- How different is prototype change? 89
- The syntactic reconstruction of alignment and word order 107
-
Part II. Linguistic variation and change in Germanic
- The Dutch-Afrikaans participial prefix ge- 131
- Diachronic changes in long-distance dependencies 155
- Changes in the use of the Frisian quantifiers ea/oait “ever” between 1250 and 1800 171
- On the development of the perfect (participle) 191
- OV and V-to-I in the history of Swedish 211
- Ethnicity as an independent factor of language variation across space 231
- The sociolinguistics of spelling 253
-
Part III. Linguistic variation and change in Greek
- Dative loss and its replacement in the history of Greek 277
- Word order variation in New Testament Greek wh-questions 293
-
Part IV. Linguistic change in Romance
- The morphological evolution of infinitive, future and conditional forms in Occitan 317
- The evolution of the encoding of direction in the history of French 333
- Velle -type prohibitions in Latin 355
- The use and development of habere + infinitive in Latin 373
- Index 399
