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Document Details : Title: Microvariation of Alignment and its (Ir)relevance for Cognitive Linguistics Author(s): JÜGEL, Thomas Journal: Bibliotheca Orientalis Volume: 79 Issue: 5-6 Date: 2022 Pages: 455-469 DOI: 10.2143/BIOR.79.5.3292080 Abstract : Neo-Aramaic varieties vary significantly in their morphological alignment patterns, while syntax largely displays accusative alignment. This review article discusses Noorlander’s (P.M. Noorlander, Ergativity and Other Alignment Types in Neo-Aramaic. Investigating Morphosyntactic Microvariation, Leiden 2021) study and examines the pertinence of morphological structures for typology and diachrony. It appears that the identification of alignment patterns is particularly difficult for languages where transitivity is not a relevant parameter in morphological realisation. Yet, paradigmatic levelling does not happen at random and sequences of micro-changes can result in motivated subsystems. Contrary to Noorlander, I argue that despite the emergence of divergent subsystems the overall development leads from ergative to accusative alignment. |
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