Thoughts on grammaticalization

Focusing on the concept of grammaticalization, this influential work offers an advanced introduction to the subject, tracing its research history and defining key concepts. It extensively exemplifies grammaticalization across various languages and grammatical domains, including verbal and nominal forms. The concluding chapter presents a theory that emphasizes the autonomy of linguistic signs, laying out structural parameters that make degrees of grammaticalization measurable. This edition includes corrections from the original 1995 publication, enhancing its scholarly value.