The development of Classical Armenian prepositions and its implications for universals of language change
-
Christopher Wilhelm
Abstract
It is common to find examples of case morphology derived from grammaticalized postpositions. However, the grammaticalization of independent prepositions into prefixed case markers is documented far less frequently. Classical Armenian is one language where such phenomena do appear; as such, it offers some intriguing implications regarding patterns of language change and typology. In particular, the proclitic preposition z- ‘concerning, around’ takes on some characteristics of a case-marking morpheme, and prefixed z- continues to exhibit some case-marking functions in Modern Western Armenian. Comparisons with some northern Australian languages with prefixes carrying out case-marking functions are also drawn. This effort will thus demonstrate that case-marking systems with preposed morphemes, while not common, are a viable outcome of the mechanisms of language change.
Abstract
It is common to find examples of case morphology derived from grammaticalized postpositions. However, the grammaticalization of independent prepositions into prefixed case markers is documented far less frequently. Classical Armenian is one language where such phenomena do appear; as such, it offers some intriguing implications regarding patterns of language change and typology. In particular, the proclitic preposition z- ‘concerning, around’ takes on some characteristics of a case-marking morpheme, and prefixed z- continues to exhibit some case-marking functions in Modern Western Armenian. Comparisons with some northern Australian languages with prefixes carrying out case-marking functions are also drawn. This effort will thus demonstrate that case-marking systems with preposed morphemes, while not common, are a viable outcome of the mechanisms of language change.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- The contributors 13
- French compound prepositions, prepositional locutions and prepositional phrases in the scope of the absolute use 17
- "Over the hills and far away" or "far away over the hills": English place adverb phrases and place prepositional phrases in tandem? 37
- Structures with omitted prepositions: Semantic and pragmatic motivations 67
- A closer look at the Hebrew Construct and free locative PPs: The analysis of mi- locatives 85
- Pragmatics of prepositions: A study of the French connectives pour le coup and du coup 115
- Particles and postpositions in Korean 133
- French prepositions à and de in infinitival complements: A pragma-semantic analysis 171
- Prepositional wars: When ideology defines preposition 191
- "Ago" and its grammatical status in English and in other languages 209
- Case marking of Turkic adpositional objects 229
- The logic of addition: Changes in the meaning of the Hebrew preposition im ("with"). 257
- A monosemic view of polysemic prepositions 273
- The development of Classical Armenian prepositions and its implications for universals of language change 289
- Author index 301
- Languages index 303
- Subject index 305
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- The contributors 13
- French compound prepositions, prepositional locutions and prepositional phrases in the scope of the absolute use 17
- "Over the hills and far away" or "far away over the hills": English place adverb phrases and place prepositional phrases in tandem? 37
- Structures with omitted prepositions: Semantic and pragmatic motivations 67
- A closer look at the Hebrew Construct and free locative PPs: The analysis of mi- locatives 85
- Pragmatics of prepositions: A study of the French connectives pour le coup and du coup 115
- Particles and postpositions in Korean 133
- French prepositions à and de in infinitival complements: A pragma-semantic analysis 171
- Prepositional wars: When ideology defines preposition 191
- "Ago" and its grammatical status in English and in other languages 209
- Case marking of Turkic adpositional objects 229
- The logic of addition: Changes in the meaning of the Hebrew preposition im ("with"). 257
- A monosemic view of polysemic prepositions 273
- The development of Classical Armenian prepositions and its implications for universals of language change 289
- Author index 301
- Languages index 303
- Subject index 305
