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Whensomethingbecomesa bit
- Source :
- Diachronica. :151-186
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2021.
-
Abstract
- This paper analyzes the mechanisms of syntactic and semantic change involved in the development of the degree modifieralgo“a bit, a little” in Spanish from an indefinite pronoun with inanimate reference meaning “something”. Specifically, it focuses on the distribution of the pronoun in the Medieval and Classical periods of Spanish and its interpretation in partitive and pseudo-partitive constructions. I argue for combination of structural and pragmatic factors in the creation of the degree modifier and relate this change to other diachronic developments of indefinites across languages. I also discuss implications for models of the distribution of degree modifiers crosslinguistically.
- Subjects :
- 060201 languages & linguistics
Linguistics and Language
Pronoun
Interpretation (logic)
Computer science
05 social sciences
06 humanities and the arts
Degree (music)
050105 experimental psychology
Language and Linguistics
Partitive
Linguistics
Semantic change
Indefinite pronoun
0602 languages and literature
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Meaning (existential)
Syntactic change
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15699714 and 01764225
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Diachronica
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........2bebda3561277dea14e50f768af0678f