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Article published In:
Journal of Historical Linguistics
Vol. 14:1 (2024) ► pp.108–141
Thematic section

Alignment variations in the diachrony of Basque

The case of periphrastic constructions

ORCID logo | Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour – Iker UMR 5478
Besides highly grammaticalized analytic verb forms that constitute the system’s main tense, aspect, and mood forms, Basque has a handful of less grammaticalized periphrases for secondary aspectual and modal meanings. In both older and more recent texts, some of these periphrases have been reanalyzed as monoclausal and readjusted in accordance with the auxiliated verb’s argument structure. This readjustment or actualization process involves changes in two respects: case-marking and indexation through auxiliary change. The reanalysis and actualization of theses periphrases seem to be driven by analogy with highly extended and frequent analytic verb forms. With regard to their actualization, it seems to depend on three factors: word order, valency of the auxiliated verb, and plural patient agreement.
Keywords: Basque, verbal periphrases, reanalysis, actualization, analogy
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Generalities of the Basque verb
    • 2.1Verbal morphology
    • 2.2Argument coding and verbal indexing
    • 2.3Transitivity and ergative alignment
  • 3.Accusative alignments in the ergative language
    • 3.1Simplex verbs
    • 3.2Light verb compounds
    • 3.3TAM periphrases
  • 4.Alignment adjustments within periphrastic constructions
    • 4.1The progressive periphrasis ari izan
    • 4.2Modal periphrases based on behar *edun ‘need’ and nahi *edun ‘want’
    • 4.3Periphrases based on joan ‘go’
    • 4.4The imperfective analytic verb form
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 15 August 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.21037.mou
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