The Fate of Mood and Modality in Language Death: Evidence from Minor Finnic (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [TiLSM], 307)

Research into the “grammar of language death” is often biased toward formal processes (e.g. __paradigmatic levelling__). In this study the author changes the perspective and shows that the relative susceptibility of linguistic elements to loss, change and innovation in language death circumstances can be dependent on meaning and thus organized along semantic notions rather than along structure.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks, as well as studies that provide new insights by approaching language from an interdisciplinary perspective.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.

To discuss your book idea or submit a proposal, please contact Birgit Sievert.

Acknowledgments 7 Table of contents 9 Transliteration and transcription conventions 13 Abbreviations of languages, dialects and names of settlements (in Russian and in the respective Finnic variety) 14 Abbreviations of linguistic notions 15 List of figures. List of maps. List of tables 17 1. Introduction 21 2 Language death: current state of the research 25 3. Mood and modality: definitions, semantic values and their organization 38 4. Mood and modality meets language death 72 5. The languages studied 87 6. Methods of inquiry 116 7. Intensity of the language contact and the degree of contraction outside MM-domain 134 8. MM in the receding varieties 190 9. Toward a uniform account of the phenomena observed in the domain of MM 315 10. Conclusions 346 Appendices: examples of elicited linguistic data 350 Appendix I. Q5: materials from Eastern Seto 351 Appendix II. Non-controlled elicitation: materials from Central Lude 358 References 365 Language index: Finnic varieties 395 Subject index 397 The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. The series considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems Petar Kehayov. Revised Version Of The Author's Habilitation--ludwig-maximilians-universität, München. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 345-374) And Indexes.