The Synchrony and Diachrony of the Balkan Infinitive
A Study in Areal, General and Historical Linguistics

This study offers a comprehensive and illuminating account of the loss of the infinitive and its replacement by finite verb forms by the languages of the Balkan peninsula.

Brian D. Joseph (Author)

9780521105330, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 March 2009

356 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.52 kg

This study offers a comprehensive and illuminating account of one of the characteristics shared to some degree by the languages of the Balkan peninsula - Greek, Albanian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian and Romanian - namely the loss of the infinitive and its replacement by finite verb forms. Dr Joseph meticulously examines the documentary evidence for this loss and, in the light of his findings, many of the oversimplifications, misinterpretations and omissions in earlier accounts are rectified. Many of the issues raised in his discussion, for example how 'infinitive' or 'finiteness' should be defined, have important implications for synchronic syntactic theory and description. In addition, the study is of significance for diachronic linguistics, for it makes a valuable contribution to the debate on constraining possible syntactic changes and syntactic borrowing. This study will also offer insights to linguistics interested in areal typology, since it is one of the fullest accounts available.

1. Introductory remarks
2. Towards a definition of finiteness and infinitives
3. The history of the infinitive in Greek
4. Albanian
5. South Slavic
6. Romanian
7. On the causes of the Balkan infinitive-loss
9. Conclusions
Notes
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Historical & comparative linguistics [CFF]