Bühler’s two-field theory of pointing and naming and the deictic origins of grammatical morphemes
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Holger Diessel
Abstract
Current research on grammaticalization argues that grammatical markers are generally derived from content words (or lexical expressions); but earlier research by Brugmann (1904) and Bühler (1934) showed that grammatical markers are also commonly derived from (spatial) deictics (or demonstratives). The present paper provides an overview of this research focusing on Bühler’s two-field theory of pointing and naming. In this theory, there are two basic types of linguistic expressions, deictics (or ‘pointing words’) and symbols (or ‘naming words’), that are functionally and diachronically independent of each other. The paper argues that Bühler’s two-field theory can be seen as an alternative to the standard model of grammaticalization in which all grammatical markers are ultimately based on content words. Elaborating this approach, it is argued that the grammaticalization of deictic expressions involves a different mechanism of change than the grammaticalization of content words and that the two developments give rise to different types of grammatical markers.
Abstract
Current research on grammaticalization argues that grammatical markers are generally derived from content words (or lexical expressions); but earlier research by Brugmann (1904) and Bühler (1934) showed that grammatical markers are also commonly derived from (spatial) deictics (or demonstratives). The present paper provides an overview of this research focusing on Bühler’s two-field theory of pointing and naming. In this theory, there are two basic types of linguistic expressions, deictics (or ‘pointing words’) and symbols (or ‘naming words’), that are functionally and diachronically independent of each other. The paper argues that Bühler’s two-field theory can be seen as an alternative to the standard model of grammaticalization in which all grammatical markers are ultimately based on content words. Elaborating this approach, it is argued that the grammaticalization of deictic expressions involves a different mechanism of change than the grammaticalization of content words and that the two developments give rise to different types of grammatical markers.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
- Bühler’s two-field theory of pointing and naming and the deictic origins of grammatical morphemes 37
- On the origins of grammaticalization and other types of language change in discourse strategies 51
- Lehmann’s parameters revisited 73
- “Paradigmatic integration” 111
- “The ghosts of old morphology” 135
- Grammaticalization, constructions and the grammaticalization of constructions 167
- Gradualness of grammaticalization in Romance. The position of French, Spanish and Italian 199
- Development of periphrastic tense and aspect constructions in Irish and Welsh 227
- Emergence and grammaticalization of constructions within the se me network of Spanish 249
- A discourse-based analysis of object clitic doubling in Spanish 271
- The many careers of negative polarity items 299
- Author Index 327
- Subject Index 331
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Introduction 1
- Bühler’s two-field theory of pointing and naming and the deictic origins of grammatical morphemes 37
- On the origins of grammaticalization and other types of language change in discourse strategies 51
- Lehmann’s parameters revisited 73
- “Paradigmatic integration” 111
- “The ghosts of old morphology” 135
- Grammaticalization, constructions and the grammaticalization of constructions 167
- Gradualness of grammaticalization in Romance. The position of French, Spanish and Italian 199
- Development of periphrastic tense and aspect constructions in Irish and Welsh 227
- Emergence and grammaticalization of constructions within the se me network of Spanish 249
- A discourse-based analysis of object clitic doubling in Spanish 271
- The many careers of negative polarity items 299
- Author Index 327
- Subject Index 331
