Frequency as a key to language change and reorganisation
-
Magnus Breder Birkenes
Abstract
This paper deals with the case of apparent subtraction in number and case morphology, which is a special phenomenon shared by many German dialects. Taking a vast amount of material from all over the German-speaking area into consideration, this paper treats subtraction within a usage-based approach. Subtractive forms are seen as diachronically transparent, but synchronically a case of weak suppletion, whose retention is governed by frequency. It is argued that phonological rules lead to grammatical variation (allomorphy) that is eliminated over time. In most dialects, other more type-frequent patterns like zero-marking or additive endings prevail (perhaps due to influence from the standard language), but in a few dialects, the subtractive pattern remains strong and even expands to other lexemes. This aspect of variation has, as of yet, not been adequately explained by previous rule-based approaches to subtraction in German dialects.
Abstract
This paper deals with the case of apparent subtraction in number and case morphology, which is a special phenomenon shared by many German dialects. Taking a vast amount of material from all over the German-speaking area into consideration, this paper treats subtraction within a usage-based approach. Subtractive forms are seen as diachronically transparent, but synchronically a case of weak suppletion, whose retention is governed by frequency. It is argued that phonological rules lead to grammatical variation (allomorphy) that is eliminated over time. In most dialects, other more type-frequent patterns like zero-marking or additive endings prevail (perhaps due to influence from the standard language), but in a few dialects, the subtractive pattern remains strong and even expands to other lexemes. This aspect of variation has, as of yet, not been adequately explained by previous rule-based approaches to subtraction in German dialects.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Plural inflection in North Sea Germanic languages 17
- Frequency as a key to language change and reorganisation 57
- The history of the mixed inflection of German masculine and neuter nouns 93
- Ablaut reorganisation 149
- Reorganising voice in the history of Greek 175
- Making sense of grammatical variation in Norwegian 209
- Manner of motion and semantic transitivity 231
- Active and passive tough -infinitives 269
- Genesis and diachronic persistence of overabundance 119
- Index 297
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Plural inflection in North Sea Germanic languages 17
- Frequency as a key to language change and reorganisation 57
- The history of the mixed inflection of German masculine and neuter nouns 93
- Ablaut reorganisation 149
- Reorganising voice in the history of Greek 175
- Making sense of grammatical variation in Norwegian 209
- Manner of motion and semantic transitivity 231
- Active and passive tough -infinitives 269
- Genesis and diachronic persistence of overabundance 119
- Index 297
