A. Malchukov, “Remarks on the typology of grammaticalization”
13 mars 2026, 14h00-17h00
Andrej Malchukov (Mainz University)
Remarks on the typology of grammaticalization
1.
1. 1. On unity and diversity in grammaticalization scenarios
While grammaticalization theory has been one of the most successful grammatical paradigms over the last decades, there are very few quantitative typological studies of grammaticalization processes. One of the few studies is a classic study by Bybee et al (1994), which presented typological evidence for systematic co-variation between form and function in processes of grammaticalization. Yet, this claim has been challenged by another influential approach of Heine and colleagues (e.g., Heine 2018), which claims that meaning is affected first in grammaticalization processes. In view of these controversies, a recent Mainz Grammaticalization Project (MAGRAM, 2015-2020) set out to clarify how different aspects of grammaticalization relate to each other (Bisang & Malchukov eds 2020). Taking as a starting point a modified list of Lehmann’s (1995) grammaticalization parameters, MAGRAM studied coevolution of parameters (‘grammaticalization scenarios’) across ca 1000 grammaticalization paths in 30 odd languages. I will report some quantitative findings about codependencies between parameters, assessed through a number of statistical methods. Our overall conclusion is that that co-dependencies between individual parameters are much more complex than assumed under the meaning-form co-evolution hypothesis and furthermore there is a certain clustering between parameters, which can be given a functional interpretation (meaning vs. form-related clusters). Another finding, of methodological nature, is that interpretation of the results depends on whether covariation in grammaticalization processes is measured in relative or absolute terms (cf. correlation maps, involving ‘binary’ features vs. ‘feature values’).
2. 2. “Grammaticalization and Co”: grammaticalization, reanalysis, constructionalization and exaptation
Unlike proposals in the literature trying to reduce grammaticalization to reanalysis, or reanalysis to grammaticalization, I view the domains of the two phenomena as overlapping rather than coextensive (cf. Lehmann 2004). In my talk I will discuss phenomena on the margins of grammaticalizaton research, which are more naturally described in terms of reanalysis. Some of such phenomena are briefly discussed in (Bisang, Malchukov et al. 2020) in terms of “exocentric” grammaticalization paths. “Exocentric grammaticalization” differ from “endocentric grammaticalization” by lacking a single ‘nucleus’ (cf. “construction marker” in Himmelmann 2005) with a clear source-target relation on a grammaticalization path. In more general terms, the talk addresses the challenge of constructing a typological catalogue of reanalysis, without doubling the catalogue of grammaticalizaton paths (in the work by Heine & Kuteva 2002 and its offshoots).
Next I will comment on the relation of grammaticalization and constructionalization. Again this is a point of some controversy. Some authors suggest that grammaticalization can be subsumed under constructionalization (Gildea & Barðdal. 2023), while some other argue that the approaches are rather complementary (Heine et al 2025 et passim). While I am generally more sympathetic to the latter stance, the question remains how to integrate the two approaches in practice. In my talk I will make a specific proposal how an approach that captures context sensitivity in grammaticalization can be extended cross-linguistically.
Finally, I will discuss how a similar approach can be extended to cases of exaptation and, more generally, to semantic shifts, which do not represent a change from ‘less grammatical’ to ‘more grammatical’ in an obvious way. While exaptation is frequently regarded as idiosyncratic developments, defying generalization, I will show how this can be done for a subset of data. While doing so I will draw on my research on ‘infelicitous combinations’ and grammatical category interaction (see Malchukov 2011 and its offshoots), which aims at constraining syntagmatic interaction between grammatical categories (individual grammemes) in a principled way.
References
Bisang, Walter & Malchukov, Andrej L. (eds.), 2020. Grammaticalization Scenarios: Cross-linguistic Variation and Universal Tendencies, Volume 1-2: Grammaticalization Scenarios from Europe and Asia. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter. 2020.