Syntactic Change in Akkadian: The Evolution of Sentential ComplementationAkkadian is one of the earliest attested languages and the oldest recorded Semitic language. It exists in written record between 2500BC and 500BC, much of it in letters and reports concerned with domestic and business matters, and written in colloquial language. It provides a unique and valuable source for the study of linguistic change but which, perhaps because of the impenetrability of its writing system, has rarely been exploited by linguists. In this book, Guy Deutscher examines the historical development of subordinate structures in Akkadian. A case study comprises the first two parts of the book, presenting an historical grammar of sentential complementation. Part I traces the emergence of new structures and describes how the finite complements first emerged in Babylonian. It also explains the grammaticalization of the quotative construction. Part II is a functional history which examines the changes in the functional roles of different structures. It shows how, during the history of the language, finite complements and embedded questions became more widespread, whereas other structures (e.g. infinite complements, parataxis, etc.) receded. Part III seeks to explain the historical developments in a theoretical light, showing how the development in Akkadian is mirrored in many other languages. It goes on to suggest that the emergence of finite complementation may be seen as 'adaptive' and related to the development of more complex communication patterns. This book will be of interest to both specialists and general linguists alike. For specialists it offers a contribution towards a badly-needed historical grammar of the Akkadian language. For general linguists this book will be of interest not only for the questions which it raises about the nature of complementation, but also for the window which it provides on to this little-known language. |
Contents
Structural History The Emergence of Complementizers and Quotatives | 35 |
Functional History The Changes in the Functional Domain of Complementation from 2500 BC to 500 BC | 93 |
The Development of Complementation as an Adaptive Process | 149 |
Glossary | 187 |
Other editions - View all
Syntactic Change in Akkadian: The Evolution of Sentential Complementation Guy Deutscher Limited preview - 2000 |
Syntactic Change in Akkadian: The Evolution of Sentential Complementation Guy Deutscher Limited preview - 2000 |
Syntactic Change in Akkadian: The Evolution of Sentential Complementation Guy Deutscher No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
AbB 9 adverbial clauses ana PN appear argument aššum asyndetic parataxis atta attested Babylon Babylonian letters barley because/that causal meaning chapter comp complement clause complex contexts coordination diachronic direct object direct speech distinction Domain of Complementation Dyirbal early Old Babylonian embedded emergence of finite enma example factive finite complements Functional Domain glossed grammaticalization Hittite iconicity independent clause indirect questions Indo-European languages infinitival infinitive ıde k¯ıma k¯ıma clauses kima king language linguistic logograms lord lord-my manipulation marker me-p ments Middle Babylonian period Neo-Babylonian Neo-Babylonian period Nevertheless Nippur Old Akkadian Old Babylonian period parallel paratactic parataxis perception predicate proving verbs quotative construction quotative particle reported speech Šamaš Semitic Semitic languages sentential complements Sippar speech verbs speech-related verbs strategies structures subordinate clauses Sumerian syntactic texts they.said-to tion umm¯a umma clause umma construction umma X-ma verb know verbal word order write you-p you.know