Exploring and recycling
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Albert Wall
Abstract
This paper discusses the concept of syntactic exaptation (see Traugott 2004) by considering two changes which involve re-use of highly grammaticalized linguistic material and have as yet received little attention. We claim that exaptation is an appropriate label to describe the outcome of both processes and suggest defining exaptation as a derived notion, which allows for a quite restricted definition. The case studies focus on (i) Brazilian Portuguese, which allows for preverbal bare singular subjects with a generic reading, but also with definite/specific referents (Wall 2013), an extension presumably due to their common interpretation as topics; and (ii) Spanish, which extended the definite article around 1600 to the head of completive that-clauses (Lapesa 1984). Later on, the article was reinterpreted as introducing sentences that convey ‘thematic’ (Serrano 2014) or topical information. Both changes concern the same category (article marking), and show recycling into a novel use through information structural properties.
Abstract
This paper discusses the concept of syntactic exaptation (see Traugott 2004) by considering two changes which involve re-use of highly grammaticalized linguistic material and have as yet received little attention. We claim that exaptation is an appropriate label to describe the outcome of both processes and suggest defining exaptation as a derived notion, which allows for a quite restricted definition. The case studies focus on (i) Brazilian Portuguese, which allows for preverbal bare singular subjects with a generic reading, but also with definite/specific referents (Wall 2013), an extension presumably due to their common interpretation as topics; and (ii) Spanish, which extended the definite article around 1600 to the head of completive that-clauses (Lapesa 1984). Later on, the article was reinterpreted as introducing sentences that convey ‘thematic’ (Serrano 2014) or topical information. Both changes concern the same category (article marking), and show recycling into a novel use through information structural properties.
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
