Chapter 3. The expression of nominal possession
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Rafael Orozco
Abstract
This chapter explores the expression of nominal possession by determining the distribution of variants (possessive adjectives, definite articles, possessive periphrases) and the effects of linguistic predictors. Nominal possession is conditioned by eight linguistic predictors (including semantic category of the genitive noun, type of subject, and distance between referent and possessive). As with the expression of futurity, the same conditioning effects obtain in both speaker cohorts. Structurally and diachronically, findings suggest that the incursion of the possessive periphrasis may constitute a manifestation of the crosslinguistic evolutionary process known as diachronic cyclicity which triggers internal syntactic and morphological adjustments. The findings increase our understanding of language variation and change.
Abstract
This chapter explores the expression of nominal possession by determining the distribution of variants (possessive adjectives, definite articles, possessive periphrases) and the effects of linguistic predictors. Nominal possession is conditioned by eight linguistic predictors (including semantic category of the genitive noun, type of subject, and distance between referent and possessive). As with the expression of futurity, the same conditioning effects obtain in both speaker cohorts. Structurally and diachronically, findings suggest that the incursion of the possessive periphrasis may constitute a manifestation of the crosslinguistic evolutionary process known as diachronic cyclicity which triggers internal syntactic and morphological adjustments. The findings increase our understanding of language variation and change.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- About the author xi
- Preface xiii
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. The expression of futurity 27
- Chapter 3. The expression of nominal possession 61
- Chapter 4. Variable subject personal pronoun expression 95
- Chapter 5. Effects of social predictors 123
- Chapter 6. Conclusions 155
- References 169
- Index 187
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- About the author xi
- Preface xiii
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
- Chapter 2. The expression of futurity 27
- Chapter 3. The expression of nominal possession 61
- Chapter 4. Variable subject personal pronoun expression 95
- Chapter 5. Effects of social predictors 123
- Chapter 6. Conclusions 155
- References 169
- Index 187
