Grammaticalization: A Conceptual Framework

by Friederike Hunnemeyer, Ulrike Claudi, Bernd Heine

Book Overview

Grammaticalization, the process of converting regular lexical items and structures into conventionally interpreted grammatical morphemes, has traditionally been perceived as a syntactic or morphological process. Presenting a wealth of evidence from African languages, the authors argue that the development of grammatical categories is in fact strongly influenced by pragmatic and cognitive forces, factors that are located outside the confines of language...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226325164
• ISBN13: 9780226325163
• Release Date: September 1991
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.0" x 9.0"