Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 177-215 |
| Number of pages | 39 |
| Journal | Funkctions of Language |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Aug 2019 |
Abstract
Cross-linguistic diachronic studies have focused on the parallel or divergent development of cognate or functionally equivalent items. This paper traces the diachronic convergent development of two unrelated items by means of a case study, the development of the German verb scheinen 'shine, emit light' and English seem '(originally) befit, beseem'. Despite their different source meanings, the two verbs have grammaticalized into evidential markers, as is evidenced by the constructions scheinen + zu + infinitive and seem + to + infinitive. We use historical corpus data to show that the two verbs have converged both semantically and syntactically. Semantically the verbs converge when they acquire the sense 'appear, become visible', a well-known source of evidentials. Syntactically, scheinen and seem come to occur in the same range of constructional patterns. This development is more advanced in English, so that it is ahead of German by at least four centuries.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities(all)
- Language and Linguistics
- Social Sciences(all)
- Linguistics and Language
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In: Funkctions of Language, Vol. 26, No. 2, 02.08.2019, p. 177-215.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Two distinct sources - one target
T2 - A diachronic contrastive study of the grammaticalization of German scheinen and English seem
AU - Diewald, Gabriele
AU - Stathi, Katerina
PY - 2019/8/2
Y1 - 2019/8/2
N2 - Cross-linguistic diachronic studies have focused on the parallel or divergent development of cognate or functionally equivalent items. This paper traces the diachronic convergent development of two unrelated items by means of a case study, the development of the German verb scheinen 'shine, emit light' and English seem '(originally) befit, beseem'. Despite their different source meanings, the two verbs have grammaticalized into evidential markers, as is evidenced by the constructions scheinen + zu + infinitive and seem + to + infinitive. We use historical corpus data to show that the two verbs have converged both semantically and syntactically. Semantically the verbs converge when they acquire the sense 'appear, become visible', a well-known source of evidentials. Syntactically, scheinen and seem come to occur in the same range of constructional patterns. This development is more advanced in English, so that it is ahead of German by at least four centuries.
AB - Cross-linguistic diachronic studies have focused on the parallel or divergent development of cognate or functionally equivalent items. This paper traces the diachronic convergent development of two unrelated items by means of a case study, the development of the German verb scheinen 'shine, emit light' and English seem '(originally) befit, beseem'. Despite their different source meanings, the two verbs have grammaticalized into evidential markers, as is evidenced by the constructions scheinen + zu + infinitive and seem + to + infinitive. We use historical corpus data to show that the two verbs have converged both semantically and syntactically. Semantically the verbs converge when they acquire the sense 'appear, become visible', a well-known source of evidentials. Syntactically, scheinen and seem come to occur in the same range of constructional patterns. This development is more advanced in English, so that it is ahead of German by at least four centuries.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070363228&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1075/fol.15062.sta
DO - 10.1075/fol.15062.sta
M3 - Article
VL - 26
SP - 177
EP - 215
JO - Funkctions of Language
JF - Funkctions of Language
SN - 0929-998X
IS - 2
ER -