Conceptually driven analogy in the grammaticalization of Spanish binominal quantifiers

In the long-running and framework-independent discussion among historical linguists on the dominant mechanism in grammaticalization, viz. "reanalysis" or "analogy", recent case studies (De Smet 2009, 2012, forthcoming; Fischer 2007, 2008, 2012) have proposed in favor of analogy that syntagmatic associations often precede and to some extent trigger structural reanalysis. This article supports analogical thinking in both the grammaticalization (diachrony) and functional organization (synchrony) of binominal quantifiers in Spanish (e.g., un montón de gente 'a lot of people'). The corpus-based analysis starts off from the "hybrid" status of quantifying nouns (e.g., montón 'heap, lot'), as they continue to exploit typical noun features in functional uses. The variation in the co-selection patterns is shown to arise from the complex interaction between (conceptual) persistence, analogy and discourse integration. In addition to providing additional evidence for the prevalence and driving force of syntagmatic associations over paradigmatic pressure, the paper characterizes conceptually driven analogy as a two-way discourse phenomenon and zooms in on the reasons for some grammaticalization processes to remain (at least temporarily) "on hold." © 2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston.

Publication year:2014

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Authors from:Higher Education

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