Lexicalization and Language Change

by Laurel J. Brinton , Elizabeth Closs Traugott

• ISBN13: 9780521540636
• ISBN10: 0521540631
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-11-14
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Lexicalization, a process of language change, has been conceptualized in a variety of ways. Broadly defined as the adoption of concepts into the lexicon, it has been viewed by syntacticians as the reverse process of grammaticalization, by morphologists as a routine process of word-formation, and by semanticists as the development of concrete meanings. In this up-to-date survey, Laurel Brinton and Elizabeth Traugott examine the various conceptualizations of lexicalization that have been presented in the literature. In light of contemporary work on grammaticalization, they then propose a new, unified model of lexicalization and grammaticalization. Their approach is illustrated with a variety of case studies from the history of English, including present participles, multi-word verbs, adverbs, and discourse markers, as well as some examples from other Indo-European languages. The first review of the various approaches to lexicalization, this book will be invaluable to students and scholars of historical linguistics and language change.

Author Biography

Laurel J. Brinton is Professor in the Department of English, University of British Columbia Elizabeth Closs Traugott is Emerita Professor of Linguistics and English at Stanford University

Table of Contents

List of figures	vii
List of tables	viii
Preface	ix
List of abbreviations	xi
1 Theoretical contexts for the study of lexicalization and grammaticalization	1	(31)
1.0 Purpose of the present study	1	(1)
1.1 Debates concerning grammar and language change	2	(7)
1.2 Concepts of the lexicon	9	(9)
1.3 Lexicalization	18	(4)
1.4 Grammaticalization	22	(9)
1.5 Conclusion	31	(1)
2 Lexicalization: definitions and viewpoints	32	(30)
2.0 Introduction	32	(1)
2.1 Ordinary processes of word formation	33	(12)
2.2 Institutionalization	45	(2)
2.3 Lexicalization as fusion	47	(10)
2.4 Lexicalization as increase in autonomy	57	(3)
2.5 Conclusion	60	(2)
3 Views on the relation of lexicalization to grammaticalization	62	(27)
3.0 Introduction	62	(1)
3.1 Some examples of fusion and coalescence treated as either lexicalization or grammaticalization	63	(5)
3.2 Similarities between lexicalization and grammaticalization	68	(8)
3.3 Differences between lexicalization and grammaticalization	76	(10)
3.4 Status of derivation	86	(1)
3.5 Conclusion	87	(2)
4 Toward an integrated approach to lexicalization and grammaticalization	89	(22)
4.0 Introduction	89	(2)
4.1 Basic assumptions	91	(4)
4.2 Definitions revisited	95	(7)
4.3 "Reversals" of lexicalization and grammaticalization	102	(2)
4.4 Degrees of parallelism between lexicalization and grammaticalization	104	(5)
4.5 Conclusion	109	(2)
5 Case studies	111	(30)
5.0 Introduction	111	(1)
5.1 Present participles	111	(11)
5.2 Multi-word verbs	122	(8)
5.3 Composite predicates	130	(2)
5.4 Adverbs formed with -ly	132	(4)
5.5 Discourse markers	136	(5)
6 Conclusion and research questions	141	(20)
6.0 Introduction	141	(1)
6.1 Summary	141	(6)
6.2 Research questions	147	(14)
References	161	(24)
Index of names	185	(4)
Index of subjects	189	(5)
Index of words and forms	194