Approaching the typology and diachrony of morphological reversals
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Iván Igartua
Abstract
Inverse marking in inflectional morphology represents a particular type of mismatch between morphological form and syntactic or semantic function. This kind of morpheme interchange has been found in several languages thus far, but it is not usually included in morphological studies. There have been significant advances in recent times regarding the synchronic description and theoretical assessment of morphological reversals, but the diachronic treatment of this set of phenomena is at most in its incipient stage. Despite the overall scarcity of historical data on the rise of inverse marking patterns, there is, nonetheless, a certain amount of evidence that allows for an understanding of the dynamics of morphological polarity in a diachronic perspective. This paper first provides a revised typology of morphological reversals and then examines two processes of change leading to the appearance of inverse encoding patterns in two inflectional systems (declensional paradigms in Old French and the feature of number in Upper Sorbian). Although differing in important respects (such as the extent to which they can be considered reversals), both innovations demonstrate some of the motives, mechanisms, and functional principles underlying the emergence of inverse marking patterns in inflectional morphology.
Abstract
Inverse marking in inflectional morphology represents a particular type of mismatch between morphological form and syntactic or semantic function. This kind of morpheme interchange has been found in several languages thus far, but it is not usually included in morphological studies. There have been significant advances in recent times regarding the synchronic description and theoretical assessment of morphological reversals, but the diachronic treatment of this set of phenomena is at most in its incipient stage. Despite the overall scarcity of historical data on the rise of inverse marking patterns, there is, nonetheless, a certain amount of evidence that allows for an understanding of the dynamics of morphological polarity in a diachronic perspective. This paper first provides a revised typology of morphological reversals and then examines two processes of change leading to the appearance of inverse encoding patterns in two inflectional systems (declensional paradigms in Old French and the feature of number in Upper Sorbian). Although differing in important respects (such as the extent to which they can be considered reversals), both innovations demonstrate some of the motives, mechanisms, and functional principles underlying the emergence of inverse marking patterns in inflectional morphology.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface ix
- Perspectives on language structure and language change 1
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Part I. On the theory of language change
- Andersen (1973) and dichotomies of change 13
- Induction and tradition 35
- Approaching the typology and diachrony of morphological reversals 81
- Deconstructing markedness in sound change typology 107
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Part II. Indexicality
- Diachronic morphology, indexical function and a critique of the morphome analysis 125
- Word order as grammaticalised semiotic systems 151
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Part III. Problems of reanalysis
- Anticausative and passive in Vedic 181
- Grammaticalization and degrammati(calizati)on in the development of the Iranian verb system 193
- Aspects of grammaticalization and reanalysis in the voice domain in the transition from Latin to early Italo-Romance 205
- From preverbal to postverbal in the early history of Japanese 233
- Reanalysis in the Russian past tense 253
- From a single lexical unit to multiple grammatical paradigms 271
- Morphosyntactic reanalysis in Australian languages 295
- Definiteness in Germanic and Balto-Slavic 311
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Part IV. Actualization
- Diatopy and frequency as indicators of spread 327
- Suppletion or illusion? 345
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Part V. Language change and diachronic typology in Balto-Slavic
- A complicated relationship 359
- Name-calling 381
- Changes of tense and modality in Late Mediaeval Slovene 395
- Index 411
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface ix
- Perspectives on language structure and language change 1
-
Part I. On the theory of language change
- Andersen (1973) and dichotomies of change 13
- Induction and tradition 35
- Approaching the typology and diachrony of morphological reversals 81
- Deconstructing markedness in sound change typology 107
-
Part II. Indexicality
- Diachronic morphology, indexical function and a critique of the morphome analysis 125
- Word order as grammaticalised semiotic systems 151
-
Part III. Problems of reanalysis
- Anticausative and passive in Vedic 181
- Grammaticalization and degrammati(calizati)on in the development of the Iranian verb system 193
- Aspects of grammaticalization and reanalysis in the voice domain in the transition from Latin to early Italo-Romance 205
- From preverbal to postverbal in the early history of Japanese 233
- Reanalysis in the Russian past tense 253
- From a single lexical unit to multiple grammatical paradigms 271
- Morphosyntactic reanalysis in Australian languages 295
- Definiteness in Germanic and Balto-Slavic 311
-
Part IV. Actualization
- Diatopy and frequency as indicators of spread 327
- Suppletion or illusion? 345
-
Part V. Language change and diachronic typology in Balto-Slavic
- A complicated relationship 359
- Name-calling 381
- Changes of tense and modality in Late Mediaeval Slovene 395
- Index 411
