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The evolution of local cases and their grammatical equivalent in Greek and Latin

  • Silvia Luraghi
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The Role of Semantic, Pragmatic, and Discourse Factors in the Development of Case
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch The Role of Semantic, Pragmatic, and Discourse Factors in the Development of Case

Abstract

The Indo-European languages attest to a pie system with three local cases: locative, ablative, and (allative) accusative. I will focus on the system of local cases in Ancient Greek and in Latin. Both languages have a reduced number of case distinctions with respect to the pie system; in the field of spatial relations, they display interesting differences. In Ancient Greek the locative has merged with the dative, the ablative has merged with the genitive, and the accusative is retained as such. The three cases can be reinforced with all types of nouns with three different prepositions, en, ek, and eis and express basic spatial relations. Thus, a connection continues to exist between cases and spatial semantic roles, as shown by the fact that a fourth preposition, pará, could take all three cases and express adessive, ablative, and allative meanings. In Latin the locative and the ablative merged; as a result, location and source could no longer be distinguished through case marking alone. Some toponyms retained the locative case until the end of the Classical period. Consequently, Latin displays a sub-system with three case distinctions for this group of toponyms. Within prepositional phrases, only two cases occur in Latin, i.e., the ablative and the accusative. Source is expressed through the ablative with a special set of prepositions, while location and direction are both expressed with the same set of prepositions. Consequently cases became increasingly disconnected from the semantic roles they used to express.

Abstract

The Indo-European languages attest to a pie system with three local cases: locative, ablative, and (allative) accusative. I will focus on the system of local cases in Ancient Greek and in Latin. Both languages have a reduced number of case distinctions with respect to the pie system; in the field of spatial relations, they display interesting differences. In Ancient Greek the locative has merged with the dative, the ablative has merged with the genitive, and the accusative is retained as such. The three cases can be reinforced with all types of nouns with three different prepositions, en, ek, and eis and express basic spatial relations. Thus, a connection continues to exist between cases and spatial semantic roles, as shown by the fact that a fourth preposition, pará, could take all three cases and express adessive, ablative, and allative meanings. In Latin the locative and the ablative merged; as a result, location and source could no longer be distinguished through case marking alone. Some toponyms retained the locative case until the end of the Classical period. Consequently, Latin displays a sub-system with three case distinctions for this group of toponyms. Within prepositional phrases, only two cases occur in Latin, i.e., the ablative and the accusative. Source is expressed through the ablative with a special set of prepositions, while location and direction are both expressed with the same set of prepositions. Consequently cases became increasingly disconnected from the semantic roles they used to express.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Introduction: The role of semantic, pragmatic and discourse factors in the development of case ix
  5. Part I. Semantically and aspectually motivated synchronic case variation
  6. Case variation in Gothic absolute constructions 3
  7. Some semantic and pragmatic aspects of object alternation in Early Vedic 23
  8. Part II. Discourse motivated subject marking
  9. The case of the shifty ergative marker: A pragmatic shift in the ergative marker of one Australian mixed language 59
  10. How useful is case morphology? The loss of the Old French two-case system within a theory of Preferred Argument structure 93
  11. Part III. Reduction or expansion of case marker distribution
  12. The development of case in Germanic 123
  13. A usage-based approach to change: Old Russian possessive constructions 161
  14. Lacking in Latvian: Case variation from a cognitive and constructional perspective 181
  15. Verb classes and dative objects in Insular Scandinavian 203
  16. Transitive adjectives in Japanese 225
  17. Part IV. Case syncretism motivated by syntax, semantics or language contact
  18. Patterns of development, patterns of syncretism of relational morphology in the Bodic languages 261
  19. The evolution of local cases and their grammatical equivalent in Greek and Latin 283
  20. Argument structure and alignment variations and changes in Late Latin 307
  21. Case loss in Texas German: The influence of semantic and pragmatic factors 347
  22. Part V. Case splits motivated by pragmatics, metonymy and subjectification
  23. Semantic role to new information in Meithei 377
  24. From less personal to more personal: Subjectification of ni -marked NPs in Japanese discourse 401
  25. Author index 423
  26. Subject index 427
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.108.16lur

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Introduction: The role of semantic, pragmatic and discourse factors in the development of case ix
  5. Part I. Semantically and aspectually motivated synchronic case variation
  6. Case variation in Gothic absolute constructions 3
  7. Some semantic and pragmatic aspects of object alternation in Early Vedic 23
  8. Part II. Discourse motivated subject marking
  9. The case of the shifty ergative marker: A pragmatic shift in the ergative marker of one Australian mixed language 59
  10. How useful is case morphology? The loss of the Old French two-case system within a theory of Preferred Argument structure 93
  11. Part III. Reduction or expansion of case marker distribution
  12. The development of case in Germanic 123
  13. A usage-based approach to change: Old Russian possessive constructions 161
  14. Lacking in Latvian: Case variation from a cognitive and constructional perspective 181
  15. Verb classes and dative objects in Insular Scandinavian 203
  16. Transitive adjectives in Japanese 225
  17. Part IV. Case syncretism motivated by syntax, semantics or language contact
  18. Patterns of development, patterns of syncretism of relational morphology in the Bodic languages 261
  19. The evolution of local cases and their grammatical equivalent in Greek and Latin 283
  20. Argument structure and alignment variations and changes in Late Latin 307
  21. Case loss in Texas German: The influence of semantic and pragmatic factors 347
  22. Part V. Case splits motivated by pragmatics, metonymy and subjectification
  23. Semantic role to new information in Meithei 377
  24. From less personal to more personal: Subjectification of ni -marked NPs in Japanese discourse 401
  25. Author index 423
  26. Subject index 427
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Heruntergeladen am 27.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.108.16lur/html
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