UID:
almahu_9949481487102882
Format:
1 online resource (179 p.)
Edition:
Reprint 2017
ISBN:
9783110929904
,
9783110238570
Series Statement:
Linguistische Arbeiten , 422
Content:
Using a data base of more than 86,000 verb tokens from texts written by Nurembergers between 1356 and 1619, this book explores some of the many changes in verbal inflection that took place during this period and their implications for a number of important questions in morphological and diachronic theory. The changes discussed include the leveling of stem-vowel and consonant alternations and regularizations and irregularizations. The theoretical issues addressed include the directionality of analogical leveling, the adequacy of connectionist and related models of morphological processing, and the relationship between sociolinguistic variation and diachronic change.
Content:
Using a data base of more than 86,000 verb tokens taken from a collection of autograph texts written by fifty-one different natives of Nuremberg between 1356 and 1619, this book explores some of the many changes in verbal inflection that took place during the Early New High German period and the implications of these changes for a number of important issues in morphological and diachronic theory. Nearly all instances of change or variation in verbal inflection observable in the texts are described. Changes discussed at greater length include: the leveling of certain stem-vowel alternations among the strong, weak, and preterite-present verbs; the leveling of the consonant alternations attributed to Verner's Law; regularizations of originally strong and preterite-present verbs and irregularizations of originally weak verbs; shifts in the lexical distribution of the past-participle prefix ge-; and changes in many forms of the verb sein. The nature and size of the data base, the number and diversity of writers included, and innovative methods of data collection and analysis make possible a description of these changes that is in many cases more detailed than any previously available account. This empirical work provides a foundation for the discussion of a number of theoretical questions, including: the role of factors such as iconicity, system congruity and type and token frequency in morphological change; the directionality of analogical leveling; the adequacy of connectionist and related models of morphological processing; the nature of morphological haplology; and the relationship between sociolinguistic variation and diachronic change.
Note:
Frontmatter --
,
Acknowledgments --
,
Contents --
,
1. Introduction --
,
2. Texts, database and methodology --
,
3. Morphological change --
,
4. Inflectional endings --
,
5. Stem alternations --
,
6. Inflectional-class transfer --
,
7. The ge- participle prefix --
,
8. Sociolinguistic variation and its relation to change --
,
Appendix A: Verb frequency list --
,
Appendix B: Sample lines from data tables --
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Appendix C: Text sources --
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References
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Issued also in print.
,
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
,
In English.
In:
DGBA Backlist Complete English Language 2000-2014 PART1, De Gruyter, 9783110238570
In:
DGBA Backlist Linguistics and Semiotics 2000-2014 (EN), De Gruyter, 9783110238457
In:
DGBA Linguistics and Semiotics 2000 - 2014, De Gruyter, 9783110636970
Additional Edition:
ISBN 9783484304222
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1515/9783110929904
URL:
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110929904
URL:
https://www.degruyter.com/isbn/9783110929904
