Morphological exceptionality and pathways of change
This paper explores the notion of analyzing cross-linguistically uncommon morphosyntactic structures in terms of
their historical development. What may seem extraordinary in the synchronic snapshot of a language can often be clearly accounted
for through diachronic considerations. To illustrate this, the current study examines the typologically uncommon phenomenon of
multiple exponence, the realization of the same grammatical information in multiple places within an inflected word, in the
Kiranti (Tibeto-Burman) languages. Typologically speaking, we do see a strong tendency cross-linguistically towards encoding
grammatical information once within an inflected word, and against multiple exponence. Yet the phenomenon of multiple exponence is
attested in a number of languages. This paper presents comparative evidence from the Kiranti languages that supports the claim
that multiple exponence in synthetic verbs in the modern Kiranti languages comes as a result of the interaction between
language(family)-specific typology (multiple agreement in periphrastic verbs) and an uncontroversial language change process
(coalescence of periphrastic forms into synthetic forms).
Article outline
- 1.Morphological exceptionality
- 2.Multiple exponence in Kiranti verbal morphology
- 2.1The Kiranti language family
- 2.2Multiple exponence
- 2.3Comparative evidence
- 2.4Diachronic development of Kiranti multiple exponence
- 3.Synthesis of periphrasis
- 4.Simultaneous inflection of main verb and auxiliary
- 5.Multiple exponence and exceptionality
- Notes
- Abbreviations
-
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