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Volume :38 Issue : 149 2020
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Transition Paths from Lexicalization to Grammaticalization: A Reading of Some Grammatical Tools (in Arabic).
Auther : Ahmad Alhasan
This research addresses some originally lexical units that underwent one or more linguistic changes. As a result, they transformed into grammatical units that carried either weak (not full) or no lexical meaning.
Adopting the hypothesis that some grammatical units were originally full lexical units is a risky venture due to the absence of historical sequences and any indication that changes had developed throughout time. However, a number of old grammarians had mentioned some information relevant to the topic. Yet, another transitional path from grammaticalization to lexicalization also exists, but this does not disprove the paper’s hypothesis, for both paths aim to preserve grammatical and lexical units.
In view of the above and according to the researcher’s theoretical based methodology, the study is divided into two sections:
The first section is theoretical, in which the researcher strives to frame "grammaticalization" as a modern lingual concept that displays the origin of some tools of lexical units which changed and followed paths that rendered them grammatical items. Literature by Lehmann, Hopper and Traugott as well as other indications in Arab linguists' and grammarians’ writings are mentioned. The theoretical review in this section clarifies that grammaticalization occurs due to social and pragmatic factors.
The second section is a practical one, where the researcher aims to discover transitional paths from lexicalization to grammaticalization of several grammatical tools.
This study provides a vision that could explain the formation of some grammatical tools in the Arabic language.