Analogy, automation and diagrammatic causation: The evolution of Tibeto-Burman *lak

• Jamin Pelkey ^[1]
  1. [1] Ryerson University

     Ryerson University

     Canadá

     
• Localización: Studies in language: International Journal Sponsored by The Foundation "Foundations of Language", ISSN 0378-4177, Vol. 37, Nº 1, 2013, págs. 144-195
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1075/sl.37.1.04pel
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • One areal feature of East and Southeast Asian languages is the grammaticalization of an augmentative-diminutive pair from the nominals ‘mother’ and ‘child’, respectively (Matisoff 1992). Many Sino-Tibetan languages further grammaticalize noun-class affixes from these kinship nominals, adding a parallel ‘father’ analogy in the process. Some Tibeto-Burman (TB) languages further grammaticalize the resulting kinship trio into numeral classifiers and lexical and clausal nominalizers. This paper presents evidence from the Ngwi branch of Burmic demonstrating a novel, yet parallel, polygrammaticalization process involving ‘youth’ (from TB *lak) as an analogous lexical source. Data from 30 languages inform a gradient reconstruction of two integrated, parallel clines: a nominal suffix series, YOUTH > SPROUT > SLENDER > OBLONG > GENERIC, complemented by a numeral classifier series, YOUTH(S) > AFFINAL KIN > CONSANGUINEAL KIN > NARROW > GENERIC. Both paths underlie the emergence of a collectivizing clausal nominalizer. The results support an emerging consensus: Analogy, automation and diagrammatic causation are irreducibly interdependent components of grammaticalization.