La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistique
This paper deals with the nature of linguistic change, and, taking examples from the history of English, seeks to show that, contrary to what appears to be a widely held assumption, there is no reason to suppose that because one language undergoes a certain type of change, a similar change will nece...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Presses Universitaires du Midi
2009-01-01
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| Series: | Anglophonia |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/acs/12420 |
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| author | Brian Lowrey |
| author_facet | Brian Lowrey |
| author_sort | Brian Lowrey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper deals with the nature of linguistic change, and, taking examples from the history of English, seeks to show that, contrary to what appears to be a widely held assumption, there is no reason to suppose that because one language undergoes a certain type of change, a similar change will necessarily take place in other, related languages. On the contrary, purely local factors may, and indeed often do decide which potential innovations will succeed, and which will fail. We look at two areas of English grammar in particular, the so-called ‘narrative perfect’ and infinitival complements of causative verbs, and compare the changes which have taken place within these fields in English to those which have occurred in French. The comparison shows not only that French and English have evolved in completely different directions, but also that assuming language change to be teleological in nature can lead to the wrong predictions being made as to which developments are likely to take place in the future |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7211823aca6a4c10bf69e801c39a32a3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1278-3331 2427-0466 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2009-01-01 |
| publisher | Presses Universitaires du Midi |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Anglophonia |
| spelling | doaj-art-7211823aca6a4c10bf69e801c39a32a32025-01-30T12:33:32ZengPresses Universitaires du MidiAnglophonia1278-33312427-04662009-01-011323124610.4000/anglophonia.907La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistiqueBrian LowreyThis paper deals with the nature of linguistic change, and, taking examples from the history of English, seeks to show that, contrary to what appears to be a widely held assumption, there is no reason to suppose that because one language undergoes a certain type of change, a similar change will necessarily take place in other, related languages. On the contrary, purely local factors may, and indeed often do decide which potential innovations will succeed, and which will fail. We look at two areas of English grammar in particular, the so-called ‘narrative perfect’ and infinitival complements of causative verbs, and compare the changes which have taken place within these fields in English to those which have occurred in French. The comparison shows not only that French and English have evolved in completely different directions, but also that assuming language change to be teleological in nature can lead to the wrong predictions being made as to which developments are likely to take place in the futurehttps://journals.openedition.org/acs/12420linguistic changeunidirectionalityteleologycausativesnarrative perfect |
| spellingShingle | Brian Lowrey La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistique Anglophonia linguistic change unidirectionality teleology causatives narrative perfect |
| title | La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistique |
| title_full | La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistique |
| title_fullStr | La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistique |
| title_full_unstemmed | La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistique |
| title_short | La directionnalité et la nature non-téléologique de l’évolution linguistique |
| title_sort | la directionnalite et la nature non teleologique de l evolution linguistique |
| topic | linguistic change unidirectionality teleology causatives narrative perfect |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/acs/12420 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brianlowrey ladirectionnaliteetlanaturenonteleologiquedelevolutionlinguistique |