- Home
- e-Journals
- Diachronica
- Previous Issues
- Volume 33, Issue, 2016
Diachronica - Volume 33, Issue 2, 2016
Volume 33, Issue 2, 2016
-
When something becomes a bit
Author(s): Patrícia Amaralpp.: 151–186 (36)More LessThis paper analyzes the mechanisms of syntactic and semantic change involved in the development of the degree modifier algo “a bit, a little” in Spanish from an indefinite pronoun with inanimate reference meaning “something”. Specifically, it focuses on the distribution of the pronoun in the Medieval and Classical periods of Spanish and its interpretation in partitive and pseudo-partitive constructions. I argue for combination of structural and pragmatic factors in the creation of the degree modifier and relate this change to other diachronic developments of indefinites across languages. I also discuss implications for models of the distribution of degree modifiers crosslinguistically.
-
Chindamani and reconstruction of Thai tones in the 17th century
Author(s): Pittayawat Pittayapornpp.: 187–219 (33)More LessChindamani, the oldest surviving text about the Thai language, contains a direct but equivocal description of Thai orthography and prosody. Combining careful textual study with findings and analytical tools from Comparative Tai, I argue that 17th century Thai had already established a five-tone system that only differs from present-day Thai in two respects. First, some tones were pronounced differently from their present-day counterparts. While Tone 2 and Tone 3 are now low falling and high falling respectively, they were both pronounced with medium pitch. Second, the set of tones allowed on syllables ending in stop consonants was smaller than today. Currently, Tones 2, 3 and 4 can occur in stop-final syllables, but only the first two were allowed in the 17th century.
-
Tone and registrogenesis in Quiaviní Zapotec
Author(s): Hiroto Uchiharapp.: 220–254 (35)More LessTone and phonation type are known to show complex interactions. I argue that breathy vowels in one Central Zapotec variety, San Lucas Quiaviní Zapotec (Otomanguean, Mexico), has resulted from an original tonal contrast between the low and rising tones (registrogenesis), based both on language-internal and comparative evidence with other closely-related Central Zapotec varieties. The case of Central Zapotec is unusual in that the direction of the sound change is from a tonal contrast to a phonation contrast, while in other known cases the direction is usually the opposite.
Volumes & issues
-
Volume 41 (2024)
-
Volume 40 (2023)
-
Volume 39 (2022)
-
Volume 38 (2021)
-
Volume 37 (2020)
-
Volume 36 (2019)
-
Volume 35 (2018)
-
Volume 34 (2017)
-
Volume 33 (2016)
-
Volume 32 (2015)
-
Volume 31 (2014)
-
Volume 30 (2013)
-
Volume 29 (2012)
-
Volume 28 (2011)
-
Volume 27 (2010)
-
Volume 26 (2009)
-
Volume 25 (2008)
-
Volume 24 (2007)
-
Volume 23 (2006)
-
Volume 22 (2005)
-
Volume 21 (2004)
-
Volume 20 (2003)
-
Volume 19 (2002)
-
Volume 18 (2001)
-
Volume 17 (2000)
-
Volume 16 (1999)
-
Volume 15 (1998)
-
Volume 14 (1997)
-
Volume 13 (1996)
-
Volume 12 (1995)
-
Volume 11 (1994)
-
Volume 10 (1993)
-
Volume 9 (1992)
-
Volume 8 (1991)
-
Volume 7 (1990)
-
Volume 6 (1989)
-
Volume 5 (1988)
-
Volume 4 (1987)
-
Volume 3 (1986)
-
Volume 2 (1985)
-
Volume 1 (1984)
Most Read This Month

-
-
What happened to English?
Author(s): John McWhorter
-
- More Less