Grannatical Change
Fall 1995; Nigel Vincent, Kate Burridge
The course aims to develop an understanding of morphological
and syntactic change, to describe the mechanisms and possible causes
for these changes and to see how the data of language change contributes
to our understanding of language structure. Development of the nature
and problems of historical data in linguistics, different theoretical
approaches to modelling language change, competing roles of psycholinguistic
and sociolinguistic factors in explaining language change.
I really enjoyed this class, which turned out to be the basis for my
honors thesis (despite the fact that I have grown to loathe my thesis
topic).
Selected Topics from the Syllabus
- Methodological preliminaries
- Continuity and discontinuity
- Reanalysis
- Analogy
- Abduction and exaptation
- Grammaticalization-- mechanisms and motives
- English modals
- The history of like
- Parameter resetting and obsolescence
- Semantic change
- Word order change
- Language contact and borrowing
- Universals
- Functional categories
Papers and Projects
Basic regurgitation paper. Relatively short
definitional essay on different topics in the course. I may put
this one up sometime, but can't be bothered at the moment.
Texts and Readings
McMahon, A. 1994. Understanding
Language Change. CUP.
Harris & Campbell. 1995.Historical Syntax in Cross-linguistic
Perspective. CUP.
Hopper & Traugott. 1993. Grammaticalization. CUP
- Berkeley Linguistics Society 14 (1988).
- Bybee, J. "Semantic Substance vs. Contrast in the Development
of Grammatical Meaning" (247-264)
- Sweetser, E. "Grammaticalization and Semantic Bleaching" (389-405)
- Bybee et al. 1994. The Grammaticalization of Tense, Aspect,
and Modality in Languages of the World. Chicago: UCP.
- Heine & Reh. 1984. Grammaticalization and Reanalysis in African
Languages. Hamburg: Helmut Buske.
- Heine et al. 1991. Grammaticalization: A Conceptual Framework.
Chicago: UCP.
- Traugott & Heine (eds.) 1991. Approaches to Grammaticalization, 2 vol. Amsterdam:
John Benjamins.
- Hopper, P. "On Some Principles of Grammaticalization"
- 20:3.303-318 (1985).
- Lehmann, C. "Grammaticalization: Synchronic Variation and
Diachronic Change"
- Thomason & Kaufman. 1988. Language Contact, Creolization, and Genetic Linguistics.
Berkeley: UCP.
- Lehmann, W. & Malkiel (eds.) 1982. Perspectives on Historical
Linguistics. Amsterdam: JB.
- Traugott, E. "From Propositional to Textual and Expressive
Meanings: Some Semantic-pragmatic Aspects of Grammaticalization"
- Language
- Traugott, E. "On the Rise of Epistemic Meanings in English: An
Example of Subjectification in Semantic Change" 65.31-55 (1989)
- Andersen, H. "Abductive and Deductive Change" 49.756-793 (1973)
- Anderson & Jones (eds.) 1974. Historical Linguistics. Amsterdam: North Holland.
- Vincent, N. "Analogy Reconsidered"
- H. Andersen (ed.) 1995. Historical Linguistics 1993. Amsterdam: JB.
- Vincent, N. "Exaptation and Grammaticalization"
- Denison, D. 1993. English Historical Syntax. London: Longman.
- Lightfoot, D. 1979. Principles of Diachronic Syntax. CUP.
- Studies in Language 8.305-364.
- Plank, F. "The Modals Story Retold"
- Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 3.21-58.
- Roberts, I. "Agreement Parameters and the Development of English
Modal Auxiliaries"
- Journal of Linguistics.
- Warner, A. "Review of Lightfoot 1979" 19.187-209 (1983)
- Allen, C. "Reconsidering the History of Like" 22.375-409 (1986)
- Lightfoot, D. "Grammars for People" 31.393-399 (1995)
- Traugott & Smith "Review of Lightfoot 1991" 29.431-447 (1993)
- Lightfoot, D. 1991. How to Set Parameters. MIT.
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences 12:2.360-361 (1989)
- Vincent, N. "Observing Obsolescence"
- Corbett, G et al. 1993. Heads in Grammatical Theory. CUP.
- Vincent, N. "Head versus Dependent Marking: The Case of the Clause"
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