Possession
Cognitive Sources, Forces, and Grammaticalization

Bernd Heine argues that the structure of grammatical categories is predictable to a large extent once we know the range of possible cognitive structures from which they are derived.

Bernd Heine (Author)

9780521024136, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2006

292 pages, 3 b/w illus. 16 tables
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.444 kg

In this new work, Bernd Heine claims that the structure of grammatical categories is predictable to a large extent once we know the range of possible cognitive structures from which they are derived. The author uses as his example the structure of predicative possession, and shows how most of the possessive constructions to be found in the world's languages can be traced back to a small set of basic conceptual patterns. Heine identifies these patterns, and using grammaticalization theory he describes how each affects the word order and morphosyntax of the resulting possessive construction. He argues that grammaticalization theory explains much of the observable typological diversity which characterizes 'have'-constructions in the world's languages. Illustrated by a wealth of examples, this is an original and important statement from a leading linguist.

List of tables and figures
Preface
Abbreviations
1. The state
2. The process
3. On attributive possession
4. From possession to aspect
5. Evaluation
Appendix
References
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]