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Chapter 4. On arguing from diachrony for paradigms

  • Brian D. Joseph
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Paradigm Change
This chapter is in the book Paradigm Change

Abstract

Paradigms hold a special place in most linguistic descriptions and are often crucial in linguistic reconstruction and in the determining genealogical relations. Nonetheless, theoreticians debate whether paradigms constitute a necessary basic construct or instead are secondary, deriving from other basic constructs. This debate impacts the usefulness of the paradigm in typological and historical comparisons, for if the paradigm itself is derivative, it may not offer anything tangible for comparison. However, the diachronic evidence from analogical change demonstrates that speakers clearly recognize the importance of paradigms, for analogies often are restricted to just the paradigm, not extending to derivationally related forms. The role of paradigms for cross-linguistic comparisons, for establishing morphological cognates or for determining typological patterns is thus reaffirmed.

Abstract

Paradigms hold a special place in most linguistic descriptions and are often crucial in linguistic reconstruction and in the determining genealogical relations. Nonetheless, theoreticians debate whether paradigms constitute a necessary basic construct or instead are secondary, deriving from other basic constructs. This debate impacts the usefulness of the paradigm in typological and historical comparisons, for if the paradigm itself is derivative, it may not offer anything tangible for comparison. However, the diachronic evidence from analogical change demonstrates that speakers clearly recognize the importance of paradigms, for analogies often are restricted to just the paradigm, not extending to derivationally related forms. The role of paradigms for cross-linguistic comparisons, for establishing morphological cognates or for determining typological patterns is thus reaffirmed.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of tables ix
  4. List of figures xv
  5. List of contributors xvii
  6. Acknowledgements xix
  7. Chapter 1. When paradigms change 1
  8. Part I. Paradigm change
  9. Chapter 2. On the strength of morphological paradigms 23
  10. Chapter 3. Derivational paradigms in diachrony and comparison 61
  11. Chapter 4. On arguing from diachrony for paradigms 89
  12. Chapter 5. Reconstructing the Niger-Congo Verb Extension Paradigm 103
  13. Part II. The continuation of paradigms
  14. Chapter 6. Perceived formal and functional equivalence 129
  15. Chapter 7. Comparative consequences of the tongue root harmony analysis for proto-Tungusic, proto-Mongolic, and proto-Korean 141
  16. Chapter 8. Old Japanese bigrade paradigms and Korean passives and causatives 177
  17. Chapter 9. The Japanese inflectional paradigm in a Transeurasian perspective 197
  18. Part III. The innovation of paradigms
  19. Chapter 10. A Yakut copy of a Tungusic viewpoint aspect paradigm 235
  20. Chapter 11. Amdo Altaic directives and comparatives based on the verb ‘to see’ 243
  21. Chapter 12. Innovations and archaisms in Siberian Turkic spatial case paradigms 257
  22. Chapter 13. Paradigm copying in Tungusic 287
  23. Chapter 14. Ural-Altaic 311
  24. Language index 337
  25. Subject index 343
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.161.09jos

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of tables ix
  4. List of figures xv
  5. List of contributors xvii
  6. Acknowledgements xix
  7. Chapter 1. When paradigms change 1
  8. Part I. Paradigm change
  9. Chapter 2. On the strength of morphological paradigms 23
  10. Chapter 3. Derivational paradigms in diachrony and comparison 61
  11. Chapter 4. On arguing from diachrony for paradigms 89
  12. Chapter 5. Reconstructing the Niger-Congo Verb Extension Paradigm 103
  13. Part II. The continuation of paradigms
  14. Chapter 6. Perceived formal and functional equivalence 129
  15. Chapter 7. Comparative consequences of the tongue root harmony analysis for proto-Tungusic, proto-Mongolic, and proto-Korean 141
  16. Chapter 8. Old Japanese bigrade paradigms and Korean passives and causatives 177
  17. Chapter 9. The Japanese inflectional paradigm in a Transeurasian perspective 197
  18. Part III. The innovation of paradigms
  19. Chapter 10. A Yakut copy of a Tungusic viewpoint aspect paradigm 235
  20. Chapter 11. Amdo Altaic directives and comparatives based on the verb ‘to see’ 243
  21. Chapter 12. Innovations and archaisms in Siberian Turkic spatial case paradigms 257
  22. Chapter 13. Paradigm copying in Tungusic 287
  23. Chapter 14. Ural-Altaic 311
  24. Language index 337
  25. Subject index 343
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