On the grammaticalization of 'come' and 'go' into markers of textual connectivity

Abstract

There is crosslinguistic evidence that verbs of ‘coming’ and ‘going’ are prone to grammaticalize into sequential markers and, more generally, into textual connectives. This paper shows how, in the grammaticalization cline from directional deictics to sequentials, some of these markers have preserved their original semantics to varying degrees, while others have developed further into markers of past tense. The grammaticalization of ‘come’ and ‘go’ into markers of textual connectivity also exhibits a wide range of morphosyntactic variation: while in some languages they have retained all their formal verbal characteristics, in others they have become affixes, have followed the auxiliation or the serialization routes, or have fossilized. Three potential triggers for grammaticalization are discussed in the paper: the role of deicticity, the iteration hypothesis and the futurity scenario.

Venir de (+ infinitive)

“…[Lange M., Les Cabines de bain, 1982] . The construction has also been referred to as expressing récence (introduced by Flydal 1943, see also Bourdin 1999, and Bres & Labeau 2012, or précédence for Damourette & Pichon (1911-1936, who thereby avoid our criticism of the designation 'passé récent'.…”

On Auxiliary Chains: Lexical and Functional Auxiliaries at the syntax-semantics interface

“…As far as Spanish is concerned, these constructions have been studied -among others-in Coseriu (1966) and, more recently, Arnaiz and Camacho (1999) and Garachana (2015). See also Bybee, Perkins and Pagliuca (1994: 59), Bourdin (2008), Bravo (2013: 188), and Heine and Kuteva (2002: 156-157).…”

Motion verbs in Shangaci: lexical semantics and discourse functions

“…A distinction is made between propositional, textual and interpersonal functions. Bourdin (2008), who looks at textual and related uses of 'come' and 'go' verbs from a cross linguistic perspective, indicates that the 'iteration scenario' could indeed be one of the triggering factors in the grammaticalization of these verbs as markers of textual connectivity. Ebert (1987Ebert ( , 2003 describes the use of 'come' and 'go' verbs as deictic explicators in Kera and other Chadic languages.…”