The grammaticalization of interrogative pronouns into relative pronouns in South-Caucasian languages
Internal development or replica?
South Caucasian languages spoken in Caucasus (Georgian, Mingrelian and Svan) resort to finite postnominal relative clauses (henceforth RC) introduced by a relative pronoun as one of their main relativization strategies. The relative pronouns are formally identical to the interrogative pronouns with the addition of a subordinating particle, which suggests that the former has developed from the latter. This paper addresses the issue of whether this is an internal development, or a contact-induced one, more specifically, a case of replica grammaticalization.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Postnominal relative clauses introduced by relative pronouns in South Caucasian languages
- 3.The possibility of an internal development
- 3.1Correlative relatives in South Caucasian languages
- 3.2A development from correlative relatives into postnominal finite relatives?
- 3.3An argument in support: Cases of case attraction in Old Georgian
- 4.The possibility of a contact-induced development
- 4.1‘European’ languages in contact with Old Georgian
- 4.2Other languages of the South Caucasus area displaying postnominal finite RCs introduced by relative pronouns built on interrogative pronouns
- 4.3The subordinating particle
- 5.Conclusion
- Abbreviations
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Notes
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References