Lexical categories and processes of category change. Perspectives for a constructionist approach
(2017) Zeitschrift für Wortbildung / Journal of Word Formation — Vol. 1, n° 2, p. 31-61 (2017)
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- Abstract
- This paper revisits the notions of lexical category and category change from a constructionist perspective. I distinguish between four processes of category change (affixal derivation, conversion, transposition and reanalysis) and demonstrate how these category-changing processes can be analyzed in the framework of Construction Grammar. More particularly, it will be claimed that lexical categories can be understood as abstract instances of constructions (i.e., form-function pairings) and category change will be assumed to be closely connected to the process of constructionalization, i.e., the creation of new form-meaning pairings. Furthermore, it will be shown that the constructionist approach offers the advantage of accounting for the variety of input categories (ranging from morphemes to multi-word units) as well as for some problematic characteristics related to certain types of category change, such as context-sensitivity, counterdirectionality and gradualness of the changes.
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Van Goethem, K. (2017). Lexical categories and processes of category change. Perspectives for a constructionist approach. Zeitschrift für Wortbildung / Journal of Word Formation, 1(2), 31-61. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/177860 (Original work published 2017)