Abstract

In this talk, I will approach the diachronic dynamics of German syntactic constructions from the perspective of (Diachronic) Construction Grammar. Beginning with the central idea of Construction Grammar, which posit that constructions are organised in interconnected networks comprised of nodes (= constructions) and links (= vertical and horizontal connections), I will investigate changes occurring across various levels of schematicity.

Using the example of German syntactic constructions with the verbs kommen ‘come’ and bringen ‘bring’, which exhibit notable diachronic versatility, I will illustrate that certain changes are more prevalent than others. For instance, changes in lower-level constructions occur frequently, whereas changes in mid-level (sub-)schemas are less common. Furthermore, the emergence of new mid- and high-level schemas is exceptionally rare. I will argue that these findings align precisely with expectations within the framework of the usage-based network model.

Auch online via Zoom:
https://uni-freiburg.zoom.us/j/84893358526?pwd=V0JPUjkwdnlCdzhteUZDS0g0Y2JUUT09
Meeting ID: 848 9335 8526
Passcode: 7k9GBZBX7

Die übrigen Termine für dieses Semester finden Sie hier:
http://www.hpcl.uni-freiburg.de/index.php?id=598&language=de