ISSN:
1477-8556
Content:
This paper is aimed at describing the Akkadian construction iprus from the perspective of the unidirectional theory of grammaticalization. First, general notions of grammaticalization, unidirectionality and source determination are given. Next, in the first part of the article, the author presents the development of the resultative construction as posited by Dahl (1985, 2000) and Bybee, Perkins and Pagliuca (1994). These famous definitions will be modified in view of observations of Maslov (1988) and Andrason (2009a and 2009b). In the second part, the author proceeds to the analysis of the iprus gram. Firstly, the core and peripheral uses of the iprus are presented. Secondly, employing the unidirectional model of the development of resultative constructions established in the first part, the author explains all meanings and functions of the iprus as realizations of different stages of the regular resultative evolution. In consequence, from the unidirectional perspective, the synchronic set of chaotic and unrelated values displayed by the iprus turns into a homogeneous and regular picture — a single resultative diachrony, i.e., one original resultative input that follows a determined diachronic path. Finally, the author shows how this proposal fits into the proto-Semitic model and how other Semitic languages may support the unidirectional resultative interpretation of the iprus .
In:
Journal of Semitic studies, Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1956, 55(2010), 2, Seite 325-345, 1477-8556
In:
volume:55
In:
year:2010
In:
number:2
In:
pages:325-345
Language:
English
URL:
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