Variation and grammaticisation
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Rena Torres Cacoullos
Abstract
Using multivariate analysis, this study tracks the configuration of factors conditioning variation between the Spanish Progressive (estar “to be (located)” + Gerund (Verb-ndo)) and the simple Present, in 15th, 17th and 19th century data. While the direction of effect remains stable, change is manifested in shifts in magnitude of effect. The Progressive begins as a locative construction with a presentative function, as shown by strong early effects of co-occurring locatives and postverbal full NP subjects. Over time locative meaning weakens and aspectual meaning, which is an implication of the locative construction, strengthens. The aspectual opposition between the Progressive and simple Present then extends to stative predicates. Thus, the changing relative magnitude of effect of the factor groups in the multivariate analyses shows the gradual emergence of the progressive-nonprogressive opposition. In grammaticisation, new constructions gradually evolve from patterns of variation, in the course of speakers’ recurrent choices in discourse.
Abstract
Using multivariate analysis, this study tracks the configuration of factors conditioning variation between the Spanish Progressive (estar “to be (located)” + Gerund (Verb-ndo)) and the simple Present, in 15th, 17th and 19th century data. While the direction of effect remains stable, change is manifested in shifts in magnitude of effect. The Progressive begins as a locative construction with a presentative function, as shown by strong early effects of co-occurring locatives and postverbal full NP subjects. Over time locative meaning weakens and aspectual meaning, which is an implication of the locative construction, strengthens. The aspectual opposition between the Progressive and simple Present then extends to stative predicates. Thus, the changing relative magnitude of effect of the factor groups in the multivariate analyses shows the gradual emergence of the progressive-nonprogressive opposition. In grammaticisation, new constructions gradually evolve from patterns of variation, in the course of speakers’ recurrent choices in discourse.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Clefts in Cypriot Greek 13
- Lexical change, discourse practices and the French press 27
- Arbitrary subjects of infinitival clauses in European and Brazilian Portuguese 47
- Modal verbs in long verb clusters 59
- Changing pronominal gender in Dutch 71
- Meaning variation and change in Greek morphology 81
- Syntactic variation in German-English code-mixing 91
- Sources of phonological variation in a large database for Dutch dialects 103
- Broad vs. localistic dialectology, standard vs. dialect 119
- Intonational variation in Swiss German 135
- Morphological reduction in Aromanian 145
- Greek dialect variation 157
- Using electronic corpora to study language variation 169
- Language attitudes and folk perceptions towards linguistic variation 179
- Salience and resilience in a set of Tyneside English shibboleths 191
- New approaches to describing phonological change 205
- Variation and grammaticisation 215
- Towards establishing the matrix language in Russian-Estonian code-switching 225
- Index 241
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Clefts in Cypriot Greek 13
- Lexical change, discourse practices and the French press 27
- Arbitrary subjects of infinitival clauses in European and Brazilian Portuguese 47
- Modal verbs in long verb clusters 59
- Changing pronominal gender in Dutch 71
- Meaning variation and change in Greek morphology 81
- Syntactic variation in German-English code-mixing 91
- Sources of phonological variation in a large database for Dutch dialects 103
- Broad vs. localistic dialectology, standard vs. dialect 119
- Intonational variation in Swiss German 135
- Morphological reduction in Aromanian 145
- Greek dialect variation 157
- Using electronic corpora to study language variation 169
- Language attitudes and folk perceptions towards linguistic variation 179
- Salience and resilience in a set of Tyneside English shibboleths 191
- New approaches to describing phonological change 205
- Variation and grammaticisation 215
- Towards establishing the matrix language in Russian-Estonian code-switching 225
- Index 241
