Grammaticalization And The Rise Of Configurationality In Indo-aryan University Press Scholarship Online

This book examines historical changes in the grammar of the Indo-Aryan languages from the period of their earliest attestations in Vedic Sanskrit (around 1000 bc) to contemporary Hindi. Uta Reinöhl focuses specifically on the rise of configurational structure as a by-product of the grammaticalization of postpositions: while Vedic Sanskrit lacks function words that constrain nominal expressions into phrasal units - one of the characteristics of a non-configurational language - New Indo-Aryan languages have postpositions which organize nominal expressions into postpositional phrases. The grammaticalization of postpositions and the concomitant syntactic changes are traced through the three millennia of Indo-Aryan attested history with a focus on Vedic Sanskrit, Middle Indic Pali and Apabhramsha, Early New Indic Old Awadhi, and finally Hindi. Among the topics discussed are the constructions in which the postpositions grammaticalize, the origins of the postpositional template, and the paradigmatization of the various elements involved into a single functional class of postpositions. The book outlines how it is semantic and pragmatic changes that induce changes on the expression side, ultimately resulting in the establishment of phrasal, and thus low-level configurational, syntax. This Work Examines Historical Changes In The Grammar Of The Indo-aryan Languages From The Period Of Their Earliest Attestations In Vedic Sanskrit (around 1000 Bc) To Contemporary Hindi, With Specific Focus On The Rise Of Configurational Structure As A By-product Of The Grammaticalization Of Postpositions. Grammaticalization And Configurationality -- The Diverse Origins Of The Indi Simple Postpositions -- Local Particles : The Unique Source Of Adpositions And Configurationality In Indo-european? -- The Components Of The Source Constructions -- The Origin Of The Postpositional Syntagm -- From Group To Phrase -- Paradigmatization : A Process Sui Generis? Uta Reinöhl. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 211-227) And Indexes. Title_Pages (1) 1 Series_preface 5 Acknowledgements 7 Abbreviations 9 Introduction (1) 13 Grammaticalization_and_configurationality 31 The_diverse_origins_of_the_Hindi_simple_postpositions 65 Local_particlesThe_unique_source_of_adpositions_and_configurationality_in_IndoEuropean 77 The_components_of_the_source_constructions 97 The_origin_of_the_postpositional_syntagm 131 From_group_to_phrase 159 ParadigmatizationA_process_sui_generis 187 Conclusion 213 Appendix_Attested_examples_of_MADHYEUPARI 217 References (1) 223 Language_index 241 Subject_index 243 This book examines historical changes in the grammar of the Indo-Aryan languages from the period of their earliest attestations in Vedic Sanskrit (around 1000 BC) to contemporary Hindi, with specific focus on the rise of configurational structure as a by-product of the grammaticalization of postpositions.