Friday, November 21 2008, 3p.m.

Speaker: Peter Siemund, Universität Hamburg

Title: Grammaticalization, Lexicalization and Intensification

Place: Woodsworth College, Room 126
(Woodsworth is located at 119 St. George)

A reception will follow in the department lounge.

Abstract:

English itself as a marker of middle situation types

The study discusses the grammaticalization of reflexive pronouns into 
markers of middle situation types and explores if and to what extent 
the English reflexive itself participates in such processes. Based on 
an analysis of approximately 2000 examples drawn from the British 
National Corpus, it provides a typology of the middle situation types 
in which the form itself occurs and analyzes the processes that give 
rise to the use of itself in such contexts. While some incipient 
grammaticalization processes can be found, the study argues that 
self-intensification as well as various lexicalization processes need 
to be considered, too. It also provides an extensive quantitative 
analysis of the contexts in which itself occurs. The study tentatively 
concludes that the traditional grammaticalization account given for 
the occurrence of reflexive pronouns as markers of middle situation 
types may be too simplistic, possibly also for languages other than 
English.