Studying word order changes in Latin
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Lieven Danckaert
Abstract
The main aim of this contribution is to argue that a linear string of Latin words can correspond to more than one syntactic structure, and that this potential for structural ambiguity has important methodological consequences for the synchronic and diachronic study of Latin word order. On the basis of a detailed case study on the much-discussed OV/VO alternation in the history of Latin, it will be shown that whether or not one controls for structural ambiguity is not a theory-internal choice, but that it has major empirical consequences. The conclusion is that quantitative results that emerge from a study that only takes into account syntactically non-ambiguous environments provide a more accurate characterization of the syntactic changes that took place during the evolution from Latin towards the (early) Romance languages.
Abstract
The main aim of this contribution is to argue that a linear string of Latin words can correspond to more than one syntactic structure, and that this potential for structural ambiguity has important methodological consequences for the synchronic and diachronic study of Latin word order. On the basis of a detailed case study on the much-discussed OV/VO alternation in the history of Latin, it will be shown that whether or not one controls for structural ambiguity is not a theory-internal choice, but that it has major empirical consequences. The conclusion is that quantitative results that emerge from a study that only takes into account syntactically non-ambiguous environments provide a more accurate characterization of the syntactic changes that took place during the evolution from Latin towards the (early) Romance languages.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Introduction
- Historical syntax 3
-
Syntactic change
- Manner deixis as source of grammatical markers in Indo-European languages 35
- Time for change 61
-
Syntactic reconstruction
- Reconstructing non-canonical argument structure for Proto-Indo-European 95
- An approach to syntactic reconstruction 117
- Anatolian morphosyntax 155
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Historical syntax and corpus linguistics
- Treebanks in historical linguistic research 187
- Traces of discourse configurationality in older Indo-European languages? 203
- Studying word order changes in Latin 233
- Problematizing syndetic coordination 251
- What role for inscriptions in the study of syntax and syntactic change in the old Indo-European languages? 271
-
Historical syntax and language contact
- The Gulf of Guinea creoles 293
- Syntactic diversity and change in Austroasiatic languages 317
- Register of Subjects 341
- Register of Languages 345
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Introduction
- Historical syntax 3
-
Syntactic change
- Manner deixis as source of grammatical markers in Indo-European languages 35
- Time for change 61
-
Syntactic reconstruction
- Reconstructing non-canonical argument structure for Proto-Indo-European 95
- An approach to syntactic reconstruction 117
- Anatolian morphosyntax 155
-
Historical syntax and corpus linguistics
- Treebanks in historical linguistic research 187
- Traces of discourse configurationality in older Indo-European languages? 203
- Studying word order changes in Latin 233
- Problematizing syndetic coordination 251
- What role for inscriptions in the study of syntax and syntactic change in the old Indo-European languages? 271
-
Historical syntax and language contact
- The Gulf of Guinea creoles 293
- Syntactic diversity and change in Austroasiatic languages 317
- Register of Subjects 341
- Register of Languages 345
