A comparative study of semantic change in grammaticalization and lexicalization in Chinese and Germanic languages

• Janet Zhiqun Xing ^[1]
  1. [1] Western Washington University

     Western Washington University

     Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Studies in language: International Journal Sponsored by The Foundation "Foundations of Language", ISSN 0378-4177, Vol. 39, Nº 3, 2015, págs. 593-633
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1075/sl.39.3.03xin
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This study explores the typological regularity of semantic change in grammaticalization and lexicalization in Chinese and Germanic languages. Earlier studies, mostly done on Indo-European languages (e.g. Heine et al. 1991, Traugott & Dasher 2002), suggest that semantic change follows the cline A>A, B>B. Based on numerous case studies of semantic change in grammaticalization and lexicalization in Chinese, this paper provides evidence that semantic change in Chinese follows a somewhat different pattern: A>A, B>A,B,C. The key factors responsible for this, as it will be argued, are twofold: Chinese grammar is typologically structured without inflections and Chinese words have become increasingly disyllabic. Indo-European languages, which exhibit quite different grammatical and morphological structures and diachronic evolution, therefore show a different tendency.