Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Grammaticalization and syntax: a functional view

Scott Delancey

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterResearch

    Abstract

    This article analyses the role of grammaticalisation theory in functional-typological syntax. It explains that the role of grammaticalisation theory is to explain how fixed, recurrent constructions develop from transparent, motivated concatenations of words. Since such syntactic, often synchronically arbitrary grammatical structure is characteristic of all but the very freshest pidgin protogrammars, a theory of grammaticalization is essential to the functionalist programme. This article also discusses the origin and nature of syntactic categories and describes complex syntax constructions.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of Grammaticalization
    EditorsHeiko Narrogk, Bernd Heine
    Place of PublicationLondon, United Kingdom
    PublisherOxford University Press
    Pages365-377
    Edition1
    ISBN (Print)9780199586783, 9780191618055
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2011

    Publication series

    NameOxford Handbooks in Linguistics

    Keywords

    • Language in Time and Space (incl Historical Linguistics, Dialectology)

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Grammaticalization and syntax: a functional view'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this