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Chapter 6. Underspecification and ambiguity of voice markers

Synchrony and diachrony
  • Riccardo Giomi and Guglielmo Inglese
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Vagueness, Ambiguity, and All the Rest
This chapter is in the book Vagueness, Ambiguity, and All the Rest

Abstract

Voice markers have a notorious cross-linguistic tendency towards multifunctionality, in that a given marker can encode more than one voice operation at a time, such as reflexive and passive. In addition, diachronic typological research has also shown that patterns of multifunctionality of voice markers historically come about following paths that are not necessarily unidirectional. Taking stock of these premises, in this paper we propose a new typology of voice markers grounded on the notion of underspecification and ambiguity, and, by adopting the perspective of Functional Discourse Grammar, we argue that the lack of unidirectionality in the grammaticalization of voice markers follows from their status as interface operators.

Abstract

Voice markers have a notorious cross-linguistic tendency towards multifunctionality, in that a given marker can encode more than one voice operation at a time, such as reflexive and passive. In addition, diachronic typological research has also shown that patterns of multifunctionality of voice markers historically come about following paths that are not necessarily unidirectional. Taking stock of these premises, in this paper we propose a new typology of voice markers grounded on the notion of underspecification and ambiguity, and, by adopting the perspective of Functional Discourse Grammar, we argue that the lack of unidirectionality in the grammaticalization of voice markers follows from their status as interface operators.

Chapters in this book

  1. 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Vagueness and ambiguity
  5. Chapter 2. The role of ambiguity and vagueness in language change 10
  6. Chapter 3. The role of ambiguity in intentional vagueness 29
  7. Chapter 4. Vagueness and ambiguity are very different (persuasion devices) 51
  8. Chapter 5. Ambiguity in discourse 84
  9. Part II. Vagueness and ambiguity in language change and use
  10. Chapter 6. Underspecification and ambiguity of voice markers 110
  11. Chapter 7. Vague stuff 148
  12. Chapter 8. Vagueness explored 177
  13. Chapter 9. Using ambiguity and vagueness to avoid problematic answers 208
  14. Chapter 10. Vagueness and ambiguity of perlocutionary effects in Prime Minister’s Question time sessions 234
  15. Chapter 11. Place names in legal texts 259
  16. Index 281
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.347.06gio

Chapters in this book

  1. 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Vagueness and ambiguity
  5. Chapter 2. The role of ambiguity and vagueness in language change 10
  6. Chapter 3. The role of ambiguity in intentional vagueness 29
  7. Chapter 4. Vagueness and ambiguity are very different (persuasion devices) 51
  8. Chapter 5. Ambiguity in discourse 84
  9. Part II. Vagueness and ambiguity in language change and use
  10. Chapter 6. Underspecification and ambiguity of voice markers 110
  11. Chapter 7. Vague stuff 148
  12. Chapter 8. Vagueness explored 177
  13. Chapter 9. Using ambiguity and vagueness to avoid problematic answers 208
  14. Chapter 10. Vagueness and ambiguity of perlocutionary effects in Prime Minister’s Question time sessions 234
  15. Chapter 11. Place names in legal texts 259
  16. Index 281
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