Kulikov, Leonid
[UCL]
This chapter offers a cross-linguistic survey of the main types of possible developments in case systems. Section 28.1 focuses on the main mechanisms of the rise of new cases and expansion of case systems (case-increasing). New cases may arise (i) by adding adverbs, postpositions, and (rarely) prepositions (see section 28.l.l); (ii) by adding existing case markers to other case forms, which results in 'multilayer' case marking (see 28.1.2); (iii) from demonstrative pronouns or articles (see 28.1.4). New case forms may also go back to (iv) denominal adjectives and adverbials incorporated into the case paradigm (see 28.1.3). An important mechanism of the rise of new case(s) is (v) splitting of one case into two by borrowing of a new case marker from a different declension type (see 28.1.5). Section 28.2 discusses the main processes within case systems that do not lead to quantitative changes but help to resist phonetic erosion (stable case systems). The mechanisms used to avoid merger of cases include the borrowing of new inflections from other cases and adding free morphemes to old case forms. On the basis of this diachronic typological overview, section 28.3 offers a tentative classification of the evolutionary types of languages and briefly discusses the main factors determining the evolutionary type of a language.
Bibliographic reference |
Kulikov, Leonid. Evolution of Case Systems. In: Andrej Malchukov, Andrew Spencer (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Case, Oxford University Press : Oxford 2009, p. 439-457 |
Permanent URL |
http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/267317 |