Binominal quantifiers in Spanish: syntagmatic and paradigmatic analogy in interaction

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Within the framework of grammaticalization, analogy is usually considered as a precondition for change. One of the hotly debated topics is its status as a mechanism or a motivation for change. The present paper aims to investigate the role of analogy in the development of Spanish binominal quantifiers and zooms in on the histories of seven quantifying nouns, viz., aluvión, barbaridad, (h)atajo, letanía, mar, montón and pila. The distinct nature of the developmental pathways followed tones down the triggering force or coercing impact of rather schematic constructions. Analogy is operationalized as a two-dimensional process: a clear distinction is made between paradigmatic analogical thinking (which motivates change) and syntagmatic analogical thinking (which also constrains change and interacts with conceptual persistence). In addition, analogical mechanisms are at work both construction-internally and construction-externally.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Binominal quantifiers in Spanish: syntagmatic and paradigmatic analogy in interaction journaltitle: Language Sciences articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2015.05.008 content_type: article copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.status: publishe

Towards a constructional account of binominal quantifiers in Spanish and the interplay between analogy and conceptual persistence

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The binominal quantifier construction in Spanish and conceptual persistence. A cognitive-functional analysis.

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Review of Martina Drescher et Barbara Frank-Job (éds.). (2006). Les marqueurs discursifs dans les langues romanes. Approches théoriques et méthodologiques. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang

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Towards a constructional account of high and low frequency binominal quantifiers in Spanish

This paper aims to provide a clearer understanding of the widely discussed topic of grammaticalization of constructions. One unresolved problem concerns the identification of the relevant constructional level of language change, i.e., either the substantial level of specific occurrences or the schematic level of generalizations. Another issue addressed in many current analyses is the degree of schematicity of analogical forces. The present case study addresses these questions in the context of Spanish binominal quantifiers, basing its claims on synchronic and diachronic corpus analysis. The synchronic layering of uses in Present-Day Spanishwhich encompasses quantifying and premodifying uses in addition to literal head useswill be argued to reflect the outcome of grammaticalization. The synchronic as well as diachronic semantic clustering of binominal quantifiers and the prototype function of high-frequency montÃn de heap of are hypothesized to result from the close interaction between analogical thinking and conceptual persistence. In line with the usage-based approach to language change, the dramatic increase in frequency observed for quantifying montÃn de will lead me to distinguish several constructional levels of change and to establish a schematic N1 de N2 pattern linked to quantity as a driving force. The strong collocational preferences characterizing the individual binominal constructions, the systematicity of the premodifying use and the tendency to reinforce conceptual elements of the original head use will be accounted for by considering the quantity assessment of the (schematic) binominal string as just one possible realization of co-extensiveness, in addition to quality assessment. © 2012 Walter de Gruyter.nrpages: 21status: publishe

Gramaticalización y gramática de construcciones: el caso de los nombres cuantificadores y/o categorizadores

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Partitive Construction

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Conceptually driven analogy in the grammaticalization of Spanish binominal quantifiers

In the long-running and framework-independent discussion among historical linguists on the dominant mechanism in grammaticalization, viz. "reanalysis" or "analogy", recent case studies (De Smet 2009, 2012, forthcoming; Fischer 2007, 2008, 2012) have proposed in favor of analogy that syntagmatic associations often precede and to some extent trigger structural reanalysis. This article supports analogical thinking in both the grammaticalization (diachrony) and functional organization (synchrony) of binominal quantifiers in Spanish (e.g., un montón de gente 'a lot of people'). The corpus-based analysis starts off from the "hybrid" status of quantifying nouns (e.g., montón 'heap, lot'), as they continue to exploit typical noun features in functional uses. The variation in the co-selection patterns is shown to arise from the complex interaction between (conceptual) persistence, analogy and discourse integration. In addition to providing additional evidence for the prevalence and driving force of syntagmatic associations over paradigmatic pressure, the paper characterizes conceptually driven analogy as a two-way discourse phenomenon and zooms in on the reasons for some grammaticalization processes to remain (at least temporarily) "on hold." © 2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston.status: publishe

Un tas de façons de conceptualiser la quantité : la persistance conceptuelle dans les quantificateurs binomiaux

International audienceThe aim of the article is to illustrate the productivity of the binominal quantifier construction of the type [un N1 de N2] ‘a N1 of N2’, e.g. un montón de años ‘a heap of years’. The hypothesis is that to each quantifying noun corresponds a proper conceptualization of the constituting entities (N2, e.g. años) due to the conceptual persistence of N1’s lexical meaning (N1, e.g. montón).El objetivo es ilustrar la productividad de la construcción binominal cuantitativa del tipo [un N1 de N2], e.g. un montón de años. La hipótesis es que a cada N1 corresponde una conceptualización propia de las entidades constituyentes (N2, e.g. años) debido a la persistencia conceptual del significado léxico del nombre cuantificador (N1, e.g. montón).L’objectif est d’illustrer la productivité de la construction binominale quantitative du type [un N1 de N2], p.ex. un montón de años ‘un tas d’années’. L’hypothèse est qu’à chaque N1 correspond une conceptualisation particulière des entités constituantes (N2, p.ex. años) en raison de la persistance conceptuelle de la signification lexicale du nom quantifieur (N1, p.ex. montón)

On the development of binominal quantifiers in Spanish: the notion of lexical persistence revisited

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