Martin Haspelmath
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198235606
- eISBN:
- 9780191851971
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198235606.003.0007
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology, Language Families
This chapter focuses on diachronic sources of indefinite pronouns that cannot be easily subsumed under grammaticalization. It first considers indefinite pronouns marked by scalar focus particles such ...
More
This chapter focuses on diachronic sources of indefinite pronouns that cannot be easily subsumed under grammaticalization. It first considers indefinite pronouns marked by scalar focus particles such as ‘even’ and ‘at least’ before discussing the possibility that the disjunctive conjunction ‘or’ may be used as an indefiniteness marker. It then examines bare interrogative pronouns that are used as indefinites, taking into account strategies of disambiguation and bare interrogatives in Indo-European. It also explains why indefinites tend to be identical to interrogatives and goes on to analyse reduplicated indefinite pronouns. After formulating a number of generalizations, the chapter describes some further diachronic issues, including the change from generic nouns and the numeral ‘one’ into indefinite pronouns, along with the borrowing of indefinite pronouns.Less
This chapter focuses on diachronic sources of indefinite pronouns that cannot be easily subsumed under grammaticalization. It first considers indefinite pronouns marked by scalar focus particles such as ‘even’ and ‘at least’ before discussing the possibility that the disjunctive conjunction ‘or’ may be used as an indefiniteness marker. It then examines bare interrogative pronouns that are used as indefinites, taking into account strategies of disambiguation and bare interrogatives in Indo-European. It also explains why indefinites tend to be identical to interrogatives and goes on to analyse reduplicated indefinite pronouns. After formulating a number of generalizations, the chapter describes some further diachronic issues, including the change from generic nouns and the numeral ‘one’ into indefinite pronouns, along with the borrowing of indefinite pronouns.
Martin Haspelmath
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198235606
- eISBN:
- 9780191851971
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198235606.003.0003
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology, Language Families
This chapter examines formal and functional types of indefinite pronoun. It first presents some examples of different indefinite pronoun series in a variety of languages, focusing on a formal element ...
More
This chapter examines formal and functional types of indefinite pronoun. It first presents some examples of different indefinite pronoun series in a variety of languages, focusing on a formal element shared by all members of an indefinite pronoun series, such as some and any in English. This element is called indefiniteness marker, an affix or a particle which stands next to the pronoun stem. The chapter proceeds by discussing two main types of derivational bases from which indefinite pronouns are derived in the world's languages: interrogative pronouns and generic ontological category nouns like person, thing or place. It also looks at the main functional types of indefinite pronoun, namely: negative indefinite pronouns and negative polarity (or scale reversal). Finally, it analyses some alternatives to indefinite pronouns, including generic nouns, existential sentences, non-specific free relative clauses, and universal quantifiers.Less
This chapter examines formal and functional types of indefinite pronoun. It first presents some examples of different indefinite pronoun series in a variety of languages, focusing on a formal element shared by all members of an indefinite pronoun series, such as some and any in English. This element is called indefiniteness marker, an affix or a particle which stands next to the pronoun stem. The chapter proceeds by discussing two main types of derivational bases from which indefinite pronouns are derived in the world's languages: interrogative pronouns and generic ontological category nouns like person, thing or place. It also looks at the main functional types of indefinite pronoun, namely: negative indefinite pronouns and negative polarity (or scale reversal). Finally, it analyses some alternatives to indefinite pronouns, including generic nouns, existential sentences, non-specific free relative clauses, and universal quantifiers.
Martin Maiden, Adina Dragomirescu, Gabriela Pană Dindelegan, Oana Uță Bărbulescu, and Rodica Zafiu
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198829485
- eISBN:
- 9780191867989
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198829485.003.0003
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
What are the nature and the history of the distinction between stressed and clitic pronouns? What are the morphological characteristics of clitics and combinations of clitics? How did morphological ...
More
What are the nature and the history of the distinction between stressed and clitic pronouns? What are the morphological characteristics of clitics and combinations of clitics? How did morphological markers of distance and respect emerge in pronouns? How are gender, number, and case expressed in pronouns? What is the nature of relative and interrogative pronouns? What is the history of indefinite pronouns? What is alde and where does it come from?Less
What are the nature and the history of the distinction between stressed and clitic pronouns? What are the morphological characteristics of clitics and combinations of clitics? How did morphological markers of distance and respect emerge in pronouns? How are gender, number, and case expressed in pronouns? What is the nature of relative and interrogative pronouns? What is the history of indefinite pronouns? What is alde and where does it come from?
Martin Haspelmath
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198235606
- eISBN:
- 9780191851971
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198235606.003.0009
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology, Language Families
This book has explored indefinite pronouns in the world's languages in order to identify cross-linguistic generalizations. The study of indefinite pronouns has important implications for semantics, ...
More
This book has explored indefinite pronouns in the world's languages in order to identify cross-linguistic generalizations. The study of indefinite pronouns has important implications for semantics, pragmatics, syntax, and morphology. This chapter summarizes the book's main findings and considers possible further typological connections. One significant finding is that most languages have indefinite pronouns of some kind, and that their shapes are fairly uniform across languages. In particular, such pronouns are generally of one of two types: either derived from interrogative pronouns by means of an indefiniteness marker or based on generic nouns such as ‘person’ or ‘thing’. The book has also shown that functional explanations are prominent in negative indefinite pronouns, and that the regularities of diachronic change are explained by the theory of grammaticalization. The main synchronic typological generalizations took the form of universal implications among different functions of indefinite pronouns, expressed by the implicational map.Less
This book has explored indefinite pronouns in the world's languages in order to identify cross-linguistic generalizations. The study of indefinite pronouns has important implications for semantics, pragmatics, syntax, and morphology. This chapter summarizes the book's main findings and considers possible further typological connections. One significant finding is that most languages have indefinite pronouns of some kind, and that their shapes are fairly uniform across languages. In particular, such pronouns are generally of one of two types: either derived from interrogative pronouns by means of an indefiniteness marker or based on generic nouns such as ‘person’ or ‘thing’. The book has also shown that functional explanations are prominent in negative indefinite pronouns, and that the regularities of diachronic change are explained by the theory of grammaticalization. The main synchronic typological generalizations took the form of universal implications among different functions of indefinite pronouns, expressed by the implicational map.
JAN TERJE FAARLUND
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199235599
- eISBN:
- 9780191709401
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199235599.003.0005
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology
This chapter focuses on demonstratives, and personal and interrogative pronouns. The book adheres to the DP analysis, whereby noun phrases are embedded under determiners. In Old Norse a definite ...
More
This chapter focuses on demonstratives, and personal and interrogative pronouns. The book adheres to the DP analysis, whereby noun phrases are embedded under determiners. In Old Norse a definite article may thus follow a demonstrative, unlike the modern Scandinavian languages and most other Germanic languages. In this language personal pronouns may also be followed by a noun phrase.Less
This chapter focuses on demonstratives, and personal and interrogative pronouns. The book adheres to the DP analysis, whereby noun phrases are embedded under determiners. In Old Norse a definite article may thus follow a demonstrative, unlike the modern Scandinavian languages and most other Germanic languages. In this language personal pronouns may also be followed by a noun phrase.
Julia Bacskai-Atkari and Éva Dékány
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- April 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198832584
- eISBN:
- 9780191871115
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198832584.003.0003
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Syntax and Morphology, Theoretical Linguistics
Relative operators stem from demonstratives or from wh-operators and may subsequently be reanalyzed as complementizers. In Hungarian, unlike English, the reanalysis of wh-operators into relative ...
More
Relative operators stem from demonstratives or from wh-operators and may subsequently be reanalyzed as complementizers. In Hungarian, unlike English, the reanalysis of wh-operators into relative operators preceded the reanalysis of the matrix demonstrative pronoun, and the demonstrative was reanalyzed into [Spec,CP] via cliticization onto the wh-based relative pronoun, rendering morphologically complex relative pronouns. This change was enabled by environments in which a morphologically unmarked (singular, nominative) matrix demonstrative was immediately followed by a relative operator. The demonstrative was subsequently renewed in the main clause. We argue that this had two important prerequisites. First, the original wh-based relative operator did not lose its lexical features and was not grammaticalized into a functional head. Second, the matrix demonstrative lost its original definiteness feature, [+def], and became unspecified for this feature. Ultimately, it is this feature change that brought about the emergence of a new morphosyntactic paradigm, in line with the Borer-Chomsky Conjecture.Less
Relative operators stem from demonstratives or from wh-operators and may subsequently be reanalyzed as complementizers. In Hungarian, unlike English, the reanalysis of wh-operators into relative operators preceded the reanalysis of the matrix demonstrative pronoun, and the demonstrative was reanalyzed into [Spec,CP] via cliticization onto the wh-based relative pronoun, rendering morphologically complex relative pronouns. This change was enabled by environments in which a morphologically unmarked (singular, nominative) matrix demonstrative was immediately followed by a relative operator. The demonstrative was subsequently renewed in the main clause. We argue that this had two important prerequisites. First, the original wh-based relative operator did not lose its lexical features and was not grammaticalized into a functional head. Second, the matrix demonstrative lost its original definiteness feature, [+def], and became unspecified for this feature. Ultimately, it is this feature change that brought about the emergence of a new morphosyntactic paradigm, in line with the Borer-Chomsky Conjecture.
Gerjan van Schaaik
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198851509
- eISBN:
- 9780191886102
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198851509.003.0007
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Phonetics / Phonology, Syntax and Morphology
Besides an outline of how interrogative pronouns (those for people, things, location, reason, purpose, quality, quantity, etc.), personal, and demonstrative pronouns are inflected and used, a ...
More
Besides an outline of how interrogative pronouns (those for people, things, location, reason, purpose, quality, quantity, etc.), personal, and demonstrative pronouns are inflected and used, a thorough discussion is devoted to their plural, possessive, and case-marked forms. Also the use of personal pronouns in invective expressions is elucidated, as well as the use of the possessive marker first-person singular to express affection or respect in addressing a person. Indefinite pronouns are not really a different kettle of fish, since most of them can be inflected throughout, and this holds for reflexive and reciprocal pronouns as well. The properties of the invariant suffix –ki(n) placed after a genitive case marker form the topic of the final section, in which special attention is given to possessive pronouns.Less
Besides an outline of how interrogative pronouns (those for people, things, location, reason, purpose, quality, quantity, etc.), personal, and demonstrative pronouns are inflected and used, a thorough discussion is devoted to their plural, possessive, and case-marked forms. Also the use of personal pronouns in invective expressions is elucidated, as well as the use of the possessive marker first-person singular to express affection or respect in addressing a person. Indefinite pronouns are not really a different kettle of fish, since most of them can be inflected throughout, and this holds for reflexive and reciprocal pronouns as well. The properties of the invariant suffix –ki(n) placed after a genitive case marker form the topic of the final section, in which special attention is given to possessive pronouns.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781846311314
- eISBN:
- 9781781380680
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/UPO9781846315596.004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
This chapter discusses Manx pronouns. It discusses personal pronouns; possessive pronouns/particles; alternative construction when the object is a pronoun; emphatic forms; indefinite pronouns; and ...
More
This chapter discusses Manx pronouns. It discusses personal pronouns; possessive pronouns/particles; alternative construction when the object is a pronoun; emphatic forms; indefinite pronouns; and interrogative pronouns.Less
This chapter discusses Manx pronouns. It discusses personal pronouns; possessive pronouns/particles; alternative construction when the object is a pronoun; emphatic forms; indefinite pronouns; and interrogative pronouns.
