John Benjamins Publishing Company
The Old Nordic Middle Voice in the pre-literary period: Questions of grammaticalisation and cliticisation
Abstract
In this paper, data from sources predating the earliest preserved manuscripts, runic inscriptions as well as poetry, is used to shed light on the earliest history of the morphologically defined Nordic Middle Voice, ending in -sk in Old West Nordic and in -s in Old East Nordic. This category has not only the reflexive meaning inherited from the reflexive clitic –sk, but also i.a. reciprocal and anticausative meaning. The semantic development must be independent from the formal development including cliticisation, as shown by comparison with the German Middle Voice, which lacks cliticisation. The formal development includes generalisation of the clitic -sk from the 3rd person and infinitive as well as from the accusative to the dative (and genitive). The cliticisation is not restricted to arguments to the verbal hosts, but can involve elements very loosely connected to the verb. Morphological and syntactic arguments show that the clitic must have become an affix as early as the 9th and 10th centuries.
Abstract
In this paper, data from sources predating the earliest preserved manuscripts, runic inscriptions as well as poetry, is used to shed light on the earliest history of the morphologically defined Nordic Middle Voice, ending in -sk in Old West Nordic and in -s in Old East Nordic. This category has not only the reflexive meaning inherited from the reflexive clitic –sk, but also i.a. reciprocal and anticausative meaning. The semantic development must be independent from the formal development including cliticisation, as shown by comparison with the German Middle Voice, which lacks cliticisation. The formal development includes generalisation of the clitic -sk from the 3rd person and infinitive as well as from the accusative to the dative (and genitive). The cliticisation is not restricted to arguments to the verbal hosts, but can involve elements very loosely connected to the verb. Morphological and syntactic arguments show that the clitic must have become an affix as early as the 9th and 10th centuries.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Introduction 1
- Synchronic and diachronic evidence for parallels between noun phrases and sentences 13
- The development of tense, mood, and aspect in the creole languages, and the typology of affix order 43
- Aspectual oppositions from Proto-Indo-European to Latin 61
- On the development of actionality, tense, and viewpoint from Early to Late Latin 73
- Continuity and change: The history of two Greek tenses 105
- Actionality and aspect in Hittite 131
- Imperfectivity and complete events 149
- Predicative verbs of transition in Portuguese and Spanish: A cognitive approach to aspect, aktionsart, and tense 167
- The Old Nordic Middle Voice in the pre-literary period: Questions of grammaticalisation and cliticisation 185
- The relevance of tense and aspect in Semitic Languages: The case of Hebrew and Arabic 221
- The verb phrase in the Kerebe language 249
- Comparative TAM morphology in Niger-Congo: The case of persistive, and some other markers in Bantu 283
- Indexicals as sources of case markers in Australian languages 299
- Differential object marking in Sahidic Coptic 323
- Index 345
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Introduction 1
- Synchronic and diachronic evidence for parallels between noun phrases and sentences 13
- The development of tense, mood, and aspect in the creole languages, and the typology of affix order 43
- Aspectual oppositions from Proto-Indo-European to Latin 61
- On the development of actionality, tense, and viewpoint from Early to Late Latin 73
- Continuity and change: The history of two Greek tenses 105
- Actionality and aspect in Hittite 131
- Imperfectivity and complete events 149
- Predicative verbs of transition in Portuguese and Spanish: A cognitive approach to aspect, aktionsart, and tense 167
- The Old Nordic Middle Voice in the pre-literary period: Questions of grammaticalisation and cliticisation 185
- The relevance of tense and aspect in Semitic Languages: The case of Hebrew and Arabic 221
- The verb phrase in the Kerebe language 249
- Comparative TAM morphology in Niger-Congo: The case of persistive, and some other markers in Bantu 283
- Indexicals as sources of case markers in Australian languages 299
- Differential object marking in Sahidic Coptic 323
- Index 345
