How synchronic gradience makes sense in the light of language change (and vice versa)
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Anette Rosenbach
Abstract
The present paper argues for a diachronic approach to synchronic gradience which is based on a mismatch between the syntax and the semantics of constructions. Another central claim made in this paper is that syntactic gradience is not confined to morphosyntactic overlap but may be constituted by semantic overlap (pace Aarts 2007). More precisely, it is argued that there is gradience between constructions with genitives (John’s father, a spare visitor’s chair) and noun+noun constructions (theatre ticket, Bush administration), which stems from their sharing certain semantic features, while their morphosyntax remains distinct. Based on a quantitative corpus analysis it is shown that the constructions gradually come to adopt semantic features of the other construction over time. This process is facilitated by the presence of various ‘bridging constructions’ in the history of English.
Abstract
The present paper argues for a diachronic approach to synchronic gradience which is based on a mismatch between the syntax and the semantics of constructions. Another central claim made in this paper is that syntactic gradience is not confined to morphosyntactic overlap but may be constituted by semantic overlap (pace Aarts 2007). More precisely, it is argued that there is gradience between constructions with genitives (John’s father, a spare visitor’s chair) and noun+noun constructions (theatre ticket, Bush administration), which stems from their sharing certain semantic features, while their morphosyntax remains distinct. Based on a quantitative corpus analysis it is shown that the constructions gradually come to adopt semantic features of the other construction over time. This process is facilitated by the presence of various ‘bridging constructions’ in the history of English.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Preface 1
- Gradience, gradualness and grammaticalization 19
- Grammaticalization, the clausal hierarchy and semantic bleaching 45
- Grammatical interference 75
- Category change in English with and without structural change 105
- Features in reanalysis and grammaticalization 129
- How synchronic gradience makes sense in the light of language change (and vice versa) 149
- What can synchronic gradience tell us about reanalysis? 181
- A paradigmatic approach to language and language change 203
- Grammaticalization and the it-cleft construction 221
- Grammaticalization in Chinese 245
- Grammaticalization and models of language 279
- Language index 301
- Subject index 303
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Preface 1
- Gradience, gradualness and grammaticalization 19
- Grammaticalization, the clausal hierarchy and semantic bleaching 45
- Grammatical interference 75
- Category change in English with and without structural change 105
- Features in reanalysis and grammaticalization 129
- How synchronic gradience makes sense in the light of language change (and vice versa) 149
- What can synchronic gradience tell us about reanalysis? 181
- A paradigmatic approach to language and language change 203
- Grammaticalization and the it-cleft construction 221
- Grammaticalization in Chinese 245
- Grammaticalization and models of language 279
- Language index 301
- Subject index 303
