German so-relatives

Abstract

The paper presents a corpus-based analysis of the loss of the relativizer so in New High German. The corpus data show that the frequencies dropped in the 18th century, with significant differences among regions and genres. The distributions underpin a relation to chancery language (as assumed in the literature), but the particle was also used in all other domains when sophisticated style was aimed at. Since the demise of chancery language does not fully account for the disappearance of so relatives, a broader socio-historical background and general language change of the time needs to be taken into account. Large-scale developments, such as increasing literacy and the Enlightenment, are shown to have induced fundamental language changes. Overall, written German underwent a typological drift to overt, morphosyntax-based complexity. This is evidenced by a number of general grammatical developments. Specifically, the increase of nominal concord conflicted with so relativizers, as they were uninflected. Overall, aggregative and indistinct structures were given up in favor of more integrative and precise constructions. The study reveals the fundamental importance of considering the entire language system and general socio-cultural and socio-linguistic changes in the study of grammatical obsolescence.