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Article published In:
Diachronica
Vol. 36:1 (2019) ► pp.1–36

Using phonotactics to reconstruct degrammaticalization

The origin of the Sirva pronoun be

| University of Oregon

The principle of directionality is an important part of the comparative method: in order to arrive at a reconstruction, historical linguists need a robust theory that informs them in what direction linguistic change is likely to proceed. But any such theory will have exceptions. How are these to be spotted? I examine one case in which a counter-directional change, degrammaticalization, can be reconstructed by invoking the phonotactics of the proto-language. The degrammaticalized form is the Sirva 3sg pronoun be, and the proto-language is Proto-Sogeram. After making this reconstruction, I also demonstrate that it can be used to enhance our understanding of degrammaticalization. Be spawned a small family of related forms, which shows us that degrammaticalized forms can become polygrammaticalized in the same way as other grammatical morphemes.

Keywords: comparative reconstruction, directionality, degrammaticalization, polygrammaticalization, focus, pronouns, Trans New Guinea languages, Sogeram languages, Sirva
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Reconstruction and directionality
    • 1.2Sirva and the Sogeram languages
  • 2.The Sirva pronoun be ‘3sg’
  • 3.Comparative Sogeram data
    • 3.1Nominative markers in Nend and Manat
    • 3.2Emphatic pronouns
  • 4.Reconstruction
    • 4.1Proto-Sogeram phonology and phonotactics
    • 4.2The reconstructed scenario
  • 5.A family of related forms
    • 5.1 Bira ‘3pl’
    • 5.2The emphatic forms bibi and =vibi
    • 5.3 Beau ‘def.acc’
    • 5.4Summary
  • 6.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Less common abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 5 April 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.18015.dan
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