Camilleri, Maris & Sadler, Louisa: Schematising (Morpho)Syntactic Change in LFG: Insights from grammaticalisation in Arabic
This paper explores the grammaticalisation of two particular
constructions in the Arabic vernaculars, seeking to provide an account
of the relevant grammaticalisations paths and the commonality between
then, using LFG as the theoretical model of morphosyntactic change.
The two constructions express the progressive and the Universal
perfect respectively. While their synchronic syntax has been recently
analysed, we here take to the task to explore how hypotheses of
reconstructed developmental paths that have led to the
formation/grammaticalisation of these constructions could be accounted
for by using the machinery of LFG. We particularly observe how change
does not necessarily constitute, or equate to changes at the
c-structure level. Alternatively, changes in function need not be
accompanied by, or correlated with changes in form. While appreciating
that the synchronic syntax of the two constructions under
consideration are distinct, we observe how they share part of the
developmental path that has led to their respective formation, and
that is the shift from adjunction to embedding; a shift also observed
in syntactic developments in Indo-European.
December 22, 2022 |
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