1887
Volume 36, Issue 3
  • ISSN 0176-4225
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9714
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

In this paper we propose an alternative scenario for the grammaticalization of passive constructions in German and English. According to the received view, the development starts with the frequent combinations of copula verbs with past participles, which then increasingly gain in frequency during the grammaticalization process. In contrast to the received view, we argue that marginal – i.e., atypical and infrequent – constellations of constructions play an important role in the grammaticalization process. These constellations are ambiguous in their interpretation, and consequently have an inherent potential to trigger semantic reinterpretation and syntactic reanalysis. The alternative scenario is more consistent with theoretical considerations and the patterns in corpus data of German and English between 1050 and 1350. Our paper supports the hypothesis that the grammaticalization of the passive in German started from constellations of the copula with past participles of atelic verbs, i.e., activities and semelfactives. By contrast, no such change can be observed in the corresponding construction in English. We discuss the implications of our findings for constructional change and grammaticalization in general.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/dia.16033.smi
2019-09-17
2025-02-15
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Agresti, Alan
    2007An introduction to categorical data analysis. 2nd edn.Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Interscience. 10.1002/0470114754
    https://doi.org/10.1002/0470114754 [Google Scholar]
  2. Asher, Nicholas
    2011A web of words: Lexical meaning in context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511793936
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511793936 [Google Scholar]
  3. Cennamo, Michela
    2006 The rise and grammaticalization paths of Latin fieri and facere as passive auxiliaries. In Werner Abraham & Larisa Leisiö (eds.), Passivization and typology, 311–336. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/tsl.68.18cen
    https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.68.18cen [Google Scholar]
  4. Cohen, Ayala
    1980 On the graphical display of the significant components in two-way contingency tables. Communications in Statistics: Theory and Methods9(10). 1025–1041. 10.1080/03610928008827940
    https://doi.org/10.1080/03610928008827940 [Google Scholar]
  5. De Smet, Hendrik
    2012 The course of actualization. Language88. 601–633. 10.1353/lan.2012.0056
    https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2012.0056 [Google Scholar]
  6. Filip, Hana
    2012 Lexical aspect. In Robert I. Binnick (ed.), The Oxford handbook of tense and aspect, 721–751. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Flach, Susanne
    . Forthcoming. From movement into action to manner of causation: Changes in argument mapping in the into-causative. Linguistics.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Gaeta, Livio
    2018 Im Passiv sprechen in den Alpen. In Elena Smirnova & Robert Mailhammer (eds.), Aktuelle Ansichten zur Synchronie und Diachronie von Passivkonstruktionen. Special Issue of Sprachwissenschaft43(2). 221–250.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Gehrke, Berit
    2015 Adjectival participles, event kind modification and pseudo-incorporation. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory33(3). 897–938. 10.1007/s11049‑015‑9295‑7
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-015-9295-7 [Google Scholar]
  10. Goldberg, Adele
    1995Constructions: A construction grammar approach to argument structure. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. 2006Constructions at work: The nature of generalization in language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Harris, Alice C. & Lyle Campbell
    1995Historical syntax in cross-linguistic perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511620553
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511620553 [Google Scholar]
  13. Haspelmath, Martin
    1990 The grammaticization of passive morphology. Studies in Language14(1). 25–71. 10.1075/sl.14.1.03has
    https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.14.1.03has [Google Scholar]
  14. 1994 Passive participles across languages. In Barbara Fox & Paul J. Hopper (eds.), Voice: Form and function, 151–177. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/tsl.27.08has
    https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.27.08has [Google Scholar]
  15. 1999 Why is grammaticalization irreversible?Linguistics37(6). 1043–1068. doi:  10.1515/ling.37.6.1043
    https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.37.6.1043 [Google Scholar]
  16. Helbig, Gerhard & Joachim Buscha
    2001Deutsche Grammatik: Ein Handbuch für den Ausländerunterricht. Berlin: Langenscheidt.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Hopper, Paul J. & Elizabeth C. Traugott
    2003Grammaticalization, 2nd, revised edn.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139165525
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139165525 [Google Scholar]
  18. Jackendoff, Ray
    1997The architecture of the language faculty. Cambridge: MIT Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Jones, Howard
    2009Aktionsart in the Old High German passive with special reference to the Tatian and Isidor translations. Hamburg: Buske.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Klein, Thomas , Klaus-Dieter Wegera , Stefanie Dipper , & Claudia Wich-Reif
    2016 Referenz-korpus Mittelhochdeutsch (1050–1350), Version 1.0, https://www.linguistics.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/rem/. ISLRN 332-536-136-099-5.
  21. Kotin, Michail L.
    2003Die werden-Perspektive und die werden-Periphrasen im Deutschen. Frankfurt a.M.: Peter Lang.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Lauwers, Peter & Dominique Willems
    2011 Coercion: Definition and challenges, current approaches, and new trends. Linguistics49(6). 1219–1235. 10.1515/ling.2011.034
    https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.2011.034 [Google Scholar]
  23. Lightfoot, David
    1979 Rule classes and syntactic change. Linguistic Inquiry10. 83–108.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Maienborn, Claudia
    2007 Das Zustandspassiv: Grammatische Einordnung – Bildungsbeschränkung – Interpretationsspielraum. Zeitschrift für Germanistische Linguistik35. 83–114. 10.1515/ZGL.2007.005
    https://doi.org/10.1515/ZGL.2007.005 [Google Scholar]
  25. Mailhammer, Robert & Elena Smirnova
    2013 Incipient grammaticalization: Sources of passive constructions in English and German. In Gabriele Diewald , Ilse Wischer & Leena Kahlas-Tarkka (eds.), Comparative studies in early Germanic languages: With a focus on verbal categories, 41–70. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/slcs.138.03mai
    https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.138.03mai [Google Scholar]
  26. Meyer, David , Achim Zeileis & Kurt Hornik
    2003 Visualizing independence using extended association plots. Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Distributed Statistical Computing, 1–8. www.R-project.org/conferences/DSC-2003/Proceedings/
    [Google Scholar]
  27. 2016vcd: Visualizing categorical data. R package version 1.4-3.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Michaelis, Laura A.
    2004 Type shifting in Construction Grammar: An integrated approach to aspectual coercion. Cognitive Linguistics15. 1–67. 10.1515/cogl.2004.001
    https://doi.org/10.1515/cogl.2004.001 [Google Scholar]
  29. 2005 Entity and event coercion in a symbolic theory of syntax. In Jan-Ola Oestman & Mirjam Fried (eds.), Construction Grammar(s): Cognitive grounding and theoretical extensions, 45–87. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/cal.3.04mic
    https://doi.org/10.1075/cal.3.04mic [Google Scholar]
  30. Moens, Marc & Mark Steedman
    1988 Temporal ontology and temporal reference. Computational Linguistics14(2). 15–28.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Nübling, Damaris
    2000Prinzipien der Irregularisierung: Eine kontrastive Untersuchung von zehn Verben in zehn germanischen Sprachen. Tübingen: Narr. 10.1515/9783110915082
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110915082 [Google Scholar]
  32. Partee, Barbara & Mats Roth
    1983Generalized conjunction and type ambiguity in meaning, use and interpretation of language. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Petré, Peter & Hubert Cuyckens
    2009 Constructional change in Old and Middle English copular constructions and its impact on the lexicon. Folia Linguistica Historica30. 311–366.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Petré, Peter
    2014Constructions and environments: Copular, passive, and related constructions in Old and Middle English. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199373390.001.0001
    https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199373390.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  35. R Core Team
    R Core Team 2019R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. URLhttps://www.R-project.org/
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Rapp, Irene
    1996 Zustand? Passiv? – Überlegungen zum sogenannten „Zustandspassiv“. Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft15(2). 231–265. 10.1515/zfsw.1996.15.2.231
    https://doi.org/10.1515/zfsw.1996.15.2.231 [Google Scholar]
  37. Schirmunski, Victor
    1962Deutsche Mundartkunde. Vergleichende Laut- und Formenlehre der deutschen Mundarten. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Smith, Carlota
    1997The parameter of aspect. 2nd edn.Dordrecht: Kluwer. 10.1007/978‑94‑011‑5606‑6
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5606-6 [Google Scholar]
  39. Sonnenhauser, Barbara
    2006Yet there’s method in it: Semantics, pragmatics and the interpretation of the Russian imperfective aspect. Munich: Sager.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Toyota, Junichi
    2008Diachronic change in the English passive. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9780230594654
    https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230594654 [Google Scholar]
  41. Wiemer, Björn
    2011The grammaticalization of passives. In Bernd Heine & Heiko Narrog (eds.), The Oxford handbook of grammaticalization, 535–546. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Ziegeler, Debra
    2007 A word of caution on coercion. Journal of Pragmatics39(5). 990–1028. 10.1016/j.pragma.2006.07.014
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2006.07.014 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/dia.16033.smi
Loading
/content/journals/10.1075/dia.16033.smi
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error