Being exacting about exapting
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Brian D. Joseph
Abstract
For historical linguists, exaptation is an attractive notion, offering an overt link with biological evolution. Nonetheless, one can ask whether it represents something substantive about linguistic change or is merely an appealing metaphor. I critically assess exaptation, using case studies suggesting that speakers in crafting new “grammar” simply make use of material on hand. Whether it is “junk” (Lass 1990) or not is immaterial to the speaker; what matters is a model’s availability, often a very “localised” one. Through these examples, I argue that “exaptation” reduces to regular and well-understood processes of diachronic morphology, particularly analogy, not limited to any component of grammar. The material forming the model for innovation can be highly restricted and can itself be an irregular bit of the grammar. Similarly, any parallels with “grammaticalization” derive from these developments all being ways that speakers creatively make connections among elements in their language and act on them.
Abstract
For historical linguists, exaptation is an attractive notion, offering an overt link with biological evolution. Nonetheless, one can ask whether it represents something substantive about linguistic change or is merely an appealing metaphor. I critically assess exaptation, using case studies suggesting that speakers in crafting new “grammar” simply make use of material on hand. Whether it is “junk” (Lass 1990) or not is immaterial to the speaker; what matters is a model’s availability, often a very “localised” one. Through these examples, I argue that “exaptation” reduces to regular and well-understood processes of diachronic morphology, particularly analogy, not limited to any component of grammar. The material forming the model for innovation can be highly restricted and can itself be an irregular bit of the grammar. Similarly, any parallels with “grammaticalization” derive from these developments all being ways that speakers creatively make connections among elements in their language and act on them.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Exaptation 1
- Being exacting about exapting 37
- Co-opting exaptation in a theory of language change 57
- Exaptation in Japanese and beyond 93
- Functional changes and (meta-)linguistic evolution 121
- Exaptation from the perspective of construction morphology 163
- Exaptation and degrammaticalization within an acquisition-based model of abductive reanalysis 197
- Allogenous exaptation 227
- How functionless is junk and how useful is exaptation? 261
- The history of nominative -er in Danish and Swedish 287
- Is the development of linking elements in German a case of exaptation? 317
- Exploring and recycling 341
- Exaptation and adaptation 377
- Language index 403
- Subject index 407
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Exaptation 1
- Being exacting about exapting 37
- Co-opting exaptation in a theory of language change 57
- Exaptation in Japanese and beyond 93
- Functional changes and (meta-)linguistic evolution 121
- Exaptation from the perspective of construction morphology 163
- Exaptation and degrammaticalization within an acquisition-based model of abductive reanalysis 197
- Allogenous exaptation 227
- How functionless is junk and how useful is exaptation? 261
- The history of nominative -er in Danish and Swedish 287
- Is the development of linking elements in German a case of exaptation? 317
- Exploring and recycling 341
- Exaptation and adaptation 377
- Language index 403
- Subject index 407
