Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression
-
Rena Torres Cacoullos
Abstract
Third person subject pronouns are widely hypothesized to arise from the grammaticalization of demonstratives. Analysis of variation between pronominal and unexpressed subjects in 13th–16th century Spanish texts (N = 1,947) reveals that subjects referring to women favored pronominal expression and were more sensitive to the syntactic role of the previous mention. The data distribution shows that feminine referents were less topical, or more deictically distant: they occurred less frequently than masculine ones as subjects, and their previous mention was more likely to have been in non-subject role – a particularly favorable environment for pronoun ella ‘she’. Thus, as a vestige of demonstrative origins, variable subject pronoun use could express topicality. An intermediate stage of demonstrative > pronoun grammaticalization may be use of the pronoun for unexpected subjects.
Abstract
Third person subject pronouns are widely hypothesized to arise from the grammaticalization of demonstratives. Analysis of variation between pronominal and unexpressed subjects in 13th–16th century Spanish texts (N = 1,947) reveals that subjects referring to women favored pronominal expression and were more sensitive to the syntactic role of the previous mention. The data distribution shows that feminine referents were less topical, or more deictically distant: they occurred less frequently than masculine ones as subjects, and their previous mention was more likely to have been in non-subject role – a particularly favorable environment for pronoun ella ‘she’. Thus, as a vestige of demonstrative origins, variable subject pronoun use could express topicality. An intermediate stage of demonstrative > pronoun grammaticalization may be use of the pronoun for unexpected subjects.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
- Introduction xv
- Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
- Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
- know and understand in ASL 59
- Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
- The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
- Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
- A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
- Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
- The evidence add ups 199
- LOOK up about 225
- About the authors 247
- Index 249
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- The authors’ reflections on Joan ix
- Introduction xv
- Features of some ergative languages that impact on acquisition 1
- Constructional pressures on ‘sit’ in Modern Greek 17
- know and understand in ASL 59
- Traces of demonstrative grammaticalization in Spanish variable subject expression 89
- The company that word-boundary sounds keep 107
- Cumulative exposure to phonetic reducing environments marks the lexicon 127
- A usage-based account for the historical reflexes of ain’t in AAE 155
- Gradient conventionalization of the Spanish expression of ‘becoming’ quedar(se) + ADJ in seven centuries 175
- The evidence add ups 199
- LOOK up about 225
- About the authors 247
- Index 249
