Construction Grammar as a tool for diachronic analysis

0336976 - ÚJČ 2010 RIV NL eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Fried, Mirjam
Construction Grammar as a tool for diachronic analysis.
Constructions and Frames. Roč. 1, č. 2 (2009), s. 262-291. ISSN 1876-1933
Výzkumný záměr: CEZ:AV0Z90610518
Klíčová slova: grammatical change * gradualness of change * internal reconstruction * Construction Grammar
Kód oboru RIV: AI - Jazykověda

The study presents a discourse-grounded internal reconstruction that aims at capturing the emergence of grammatical structure. The empirical focus is the development of the subjective epistemic particle jestli ‘[in-my-opinion-] maybe’ in conversational Czech and the relevant change is presented as a metonymy-based conventionalization of a pragmatic meaning implied by certain tokens of indirect Y/N questions into a new modal meaning. Taking a Construction Grammar approach, the analysis shows that we can engage in a systematic treatment of the gradualness of change, by (i) combining the ‘holistic’ dimension with the internal, feature-based and discourse-motivated mechanisms of complex grammatical shifts, and (ii) appealing to the explanatory potential of general cognitive and communicative principles.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0181085