Divergence (linguistics)
Encyclopedia
Divergence in linguistics
refers to one of the five principles by which you can detect grammaticalisation
while it is taking place. The other four are: layering
, specialisation
, persistence
, and de-categorialisation.
Divergence names a state of affairs subsequent to some change, namely the result of the process called "split" by Heine
and Reh. “When a lexical
form undergoes grammaticalization to a clitic
or affix
, the original form may remain as an autonomous lexical element and undergo the same changes as ordinary lexical items.” (Hopper 1991: 22) A possible formal distinction between divergence and split would be that the latter seems to be confined to cases where one and the same source has several targets, whereas the former merely refers to the drifting apart of previously more similar items.
The form of a lexical item may undergo different changes from its grammaticalized counterpart.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
refers to one of the five principles by which you can detect grammaticalisation
Grammaticalisation
In linguistics, grammaticalization is a process by which words representing objects and actions transform through sound change and language migration to become grammatical objects...
while it is taking place. The other four are: layering
Layering (linguistics)
Layering in linguistics refers to one of the five principles by which you can detect grammaticalisation while it is taking place. The other four are: divergence, specialisation, persistence, and de-categorialisation....
, specialisation
Specialization (linguistics)
In linguistics, the term specialization , refers to one of the five principles by which grammaticalization can be detected while it is taking place...
, persistence
Persistence (linguistics)
Persistence in linguistics refers to one of the five principles by which you can detect grammaticalisation while it is taking place. The other four are: layering, divergence, specialisation, and de-categorialisation....
, and de-categorialisation.
Divergence names a state of affairs subsequent to some change, namely the result of the process called "split" by Heine
Bernd Heine
Bernd Heine is a German linguist and specialist in African studies.From 1978 to 2004 Heine held the chair for African Studies at the University of Cologne, Germany. His main focal points in research and teaching are African linguistics, language sociology, grammaticalization theory and language...
and Reh. “When a lexical
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
form undergoes grammaticalization to a clitic
Clitic
In morphology and syntax, a clitic is a morpheme that is grammatically independent, but phonologically dependent on another word or phrase. It is pronounced like an affix, but works at the phrase level...
or affix
Affix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
, the original form may remain as an autonomous lexical element and undergo the same changes as ordinary lexical items.” (Hopper 1991: 22) A possible formal distinction between divergence and split would be that the latter seems to be confined to cases where one and the same source has several targets, whereas the former merely refers to the drifting apart of previously more similar items.
The form of a lexical item may undergo different changes from its grammaticalized counterpart.