John Benjamins Publishing Company
Reorganising voice in the history of Greek
Abstract
In this study, I analyse the reorganisation of voice variation in Greek in terms of an increase or decrease in complexity. I support the view of split complexity (E[xternal]- vs. I[nternal]-complexity), and I add the role of parametric routes to the whole picture of grammatical complexity in cases of reorganisation of variation. In this respect, the new active anticausatives resulted in a lower degree of complexity in terms of derivation; conversely, the parametric route became more complex because a microparameter determines the lexically constrained group of active anticausatives. In terms of E-complexity, the option of this microparameter results in lower complexity because it is related to frequent elements. However, E-complexity is also affected by a prescriptive rule that favours elements that are less frequent (nonactive anticausatives).
Abstract
In this study, I analyse the reorganisation of voice variation in Greek in terms of an increase or decrease in complexity. I support the view of split complexity (E[xternal]- vs. I[nternal]-complexity), and I add the role of parametric routes to the whole picture of grammatical complexity in cases of reorganisation of variation. In this respect, the new active anticausatives resulted in a lower degree of complexity in terms of derivation; conversely, the parametric route became more complex because a microparameter determines the lexically constrained group of active anticausatives. In terms of E-complexity, the option of this microparameter results in lower complexity because it is related to frequent elements. However, E-complexity is also affected by a prescriptive rule that favours elements that are less frequent (nonactive anticausatives).
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
