Zygmunt Frajzyngier | University of Colorado, Boulder (original) (raw)
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Papers by Zygmunt Frajzyngier
Language and Linguistics, 2018
The present volume consists of fourteen comparative and descriptive studies dealing with the synt... more The present volume consists of fourteen comparative and descriptive studies dealing with the syntax and the morphology of the simple clause in Chadic. Chadic languages are the largest and the most diversified branch of the Afroasiatic family. Among the issues discussed in the volume are the underlying forms of verbs in West Chadic, nominal and verbal plurality, ergative characteristics, coding of grammatical relations in proto-Chadic, double coding of the subject (also known as "intransitive copy pronouns"). Also discussed are the use of verbal extensions in the coding of causative and benefactive, the ventive and the centrifugal, logophoric systems, the interrogative clause, and grammaticalization from preposition to copula. The volume concludes with a discussion of the implications of Chadic for the theory and methodology of diachronic syntax. The studies are of interest to scholars of Afroasiatic languages, African languages, typologists, scholars interested in grammati...
The Emergence of Functions in Language
Chapter 6 defines semantic properties of the point of view of the subject, illustrating the issue... more Chapter 6 defines semantic properties of the point of view of the subject, illustrating the issue on languages familiar to many readers. The category point of view of the subject instructs the listener to consider how the event concerns the subject. This semantic function does not depend on the number and type of arguments with which the verb occurs or on the type of the event described. The chapter demonstrates how the point of view of the subject emerged from the initial state that either coded goal orientation or allowed the proposition to be interpreted as having a goal. The category point of view of the subject can be encoded regardless of whether the subject has control over the event. In German, Italian, Spanish, French, the point of view of the subject is marked by forms referred to as ‘reflexive’, and in Russian, Polish by the so-called short reflexive markers.
De Gruyter eBooks, May 16, 2012
The study demonstrates that some elements of culture may be reflected in the grammatical structur... more The study demonstrates that some elements of culture may be reflected in the grammatical structure of the language. The demonstration is drawn from the coding of directionality of movement in Wandala, a Central Chadic language. In this language, movement to or from a town inhabited by Wandala people is coded in a different way than movement to or from a town not inhabited by speakers of Wandala. It is as if speakers of English were using a different form for the concept of going to New York from the concept of going to Paris.This highly idiosyncratic phenomenon may have a well-motivated explanation.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Dec 10, 2020
The descriptions of individual languages demonstrate that their grammatical systems encode differ... more The descriptions of individual languages demonstrate that their grammatical systems encode different functions. Given common physiological make up, common biological and social needs, and common physical characteristics of the environment (for languages spoken in the same geographical area), one must ask why grammatical systems encode different functions. The present book has offered methodology to study this question as well as a number of conditions and motivations for the emergence of functions which include: forced interpretation; avoiding systemic ambiguity; initial state; principle of functional transparency; properties of lexical items; metonymic change; opportunistic emergence of functions; and language contact. The study also postulates that the availability of rich inflectional systems provides opportunities for the emergence of new types of functions. The study concludes with a set of open questions, viz. whether there is a hierarchy of which functions are grammaticalized more often, and under what conditions a given function becomes a default value of a given formal means.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Dec 10, 2020
A prerequisite for the discovery of functions is the determination of formal means of coding with... more A prerequisite for the discovery of functions is the determination of formal means of coding within the language. The discovery of functions and motivations for the emergence of functions is based on the claim that each function is a member of some functional domain. A determining characteristic of a function is its contrast with other functions within the domain. The chapter postulates that a distinction should be made between structural functions that allow the listener to identify the types of constituents in the clause and functions encoding meaning. The chapter illustrates the discovery of the functions of the following: the ‘progressive’ and the ‘perfect’ forms in English; ‘reflexives’ in some Indo-European languages; point of view of the subject; and goal orientation in several languages; pronouns in several languages.
De Gruyter eBooks, May 9, 2011
Language and Linguistics, 2018
The present volume consists of fourteen comparative and descriptive studies dealing with the synt... more The present volume consists of fourteen comparative and descriptive studies dealing with the syntax and the morphology of the simple clause in Chadic. Chadic languages are the largest and the most diversified branch of the Afroasiatic family. Among the issues discussed in the volume are the underlying forms of verbs in West Chadic, nominal and verbal plurality, ergative characteristics, coding of grammatical relations in proto-Chadic, double coding of the subject (also known as "intransitive copy pronouns"). Also discussed are the use of verbal extensions in the coding of causative and benefactive, the ventive and the centrifugal, logophoric systems, the interrogative clause, and grammaticalization from preposition to copula. The volume concludes with a discussion of the implications of Chadic for the theory and methodology of diachronic syntax. The studies are of interest to scholars of Afroasiatic languages, African languages, typologists, scholars interested in grammati...
The Emergence of Functions in Language
Chapter 6 defines semantic properties of the point of view of the subject, illustrating the issue... more Chapter 6 defines semantic properties of the point of view of the subject, illustrating the issue on languages familiar to many readers. The category point of view of the subject instructs the listener to consider how the event concerns the subject. This semantic function does not depend on the number and type of arguments with which the verb occurs or on the type of the event described. The chapter demonstrates how the point of view of the subject emerged from the initial state that either coded goal orientation or allowed the proposition to be interpreted as having a goal. The category point of view of the subject can be encoded regardless of whether the subject has control over the event. In German, Italian, Spanish, French, the point of view of the subject is marked by forms referred to as ‘reflexive’, and in Russian, Polish by the so-called short reflexive markers.
De Gruyter eBooks, May 16, 2012
The study demonstrates that some elements of culture may be reflected in the grammatical structur... more The study demonstrates that some elements of culture may be reflected in the grammatical structure of the language. The demonstration is drawn from the coding of directionality of movement in Wandala, a Central Chadic language. In this language, movement to or from a town inhabited by Wandala people is coded in a different way than movement to or from a town not inhabited by speakers of Wandala. It is as if speakers of English were using a different form for the concept of going to New York from the concept of going to Paris.This highly idiosyncratic phenomenon may have a well-motivated explanation.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Dec 10, 2020
The descriptions of individual languages demonstrate that their grammatical systems encode differ... more The descriptions of individual languages demonstrate that their grammatical systems encode different functions. Given common physiological make up, common biological and social needs, and common physical characteristics of the environment (for languages spoken in the same geographical area), one must ask why grammatical systems encode different functions. The present book has offered methodology to study this question as well as a number of conditions and motivations for the emergence of functions which include: forced interpretation; avoiding systemic ambiguity; initial state; principle of functional transparency; properties of lexical items; metonymic change; opportunistic emergence of functions; and language contact. The study also postulates that the availability of rich inflectional systems provides opportunities for the emergence of new types of functions. The study concludes with a set of open questions, viz. whether there is a hierarchy of which functions are grammaticalized more often, and under what conditions a given function becomes a default value of a given formal means.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Dec 10, 2020
A prerequisite for the discovery of functions is the determination of formal means of coding with... more A prerequisite for the discovery of functions is the determination of formal means of coding within the language. The discovery of functions and motivations for the emergence of functions is based on the claim that each function is a member of some functional domain. A determining characteristic of a function is its contrast with other functions within the domain. The chapter postulates that a distinction should be made between structural functions that allow the listener to identify the types of constituents in the clause and functions encoding meaning. The chapter illustrates the discovery of the functions of the following: the ‘progressive’ and the ‘perfect’ forms in English; ‘reflexives’ in some Indo-European languages; point of view of the subject; and goal orientation in several languages; pronouns in several languages.
De Gruyter eBooks, May 9, 2011
