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Article published In: Diachronic Dimensions of Alignment Typology
Edited by Eystein Dahl
[Diachronica 38:3] 2021
► pp. 358–412

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Evolutionary dynamics of Indo-European alignment patterns

 | Lund University
 | University of Zurich
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

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Published online: 23 July 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.19043.car
Abstract
This paper employs phylogenetic modeling to reconstruct the alignment system of Indo-European. We use a data set of categorical morphosyntactic features, which take states such as ‘nominative-accusative’, ‘active-stative’, or ‘ergative’. We analyze these characters with a standard Bayesian comparative phylogenetic method, inferring transition rates between character states on the basis of a phylogenetic representation of the languages in the data. Using these rates, we then reconstruct the probability of presence of traits at the root and nodes of Indo-European. We find that the most probable alignment system for Proto-Indo-European is a nominative-accusative system, with low probabilities of neutral marking and ergativity in the categories lower in grammatical hierarchies (nouns, past). Using a test of phylogenetic signal, we find that characters pertaining to categories higher in hierarchies show greater phylogenetic stability than categories lower in hierarchies. We examine our results in relation to theories of Proto-Indo-European alignment as well as to general typology.
Résumé
Cet article utilise un model phylogénétique pour reconstruire le système d’alignement de l’indo-européen. Nous utilisons des propriétés morphosyntaxiques catégoriques, qui prennent des états tels que « nominatif-accusatif », « actif-statif » ou « ergatif ». Par une méthode phylogénétique comparative bayésienne, nous déduisons les taux de transition entre les caractères sur la base d’une représentation phylogénétique des langues dans les données. En utilisant ces taux, nous reconstruisons la probabilité de présence de traits à la racine et aux branches de l’indo-européen. Nous constatons que le système le plus probable pour le proto-indo-européen est un système nominatif-accusatif, avec de faibles probabilités d’ergativité dans les catégories inférieures dans les hiérarchies grammaticales (noms, temps passé). En utilisant un test de signal phylogénétique, nous constatons que les caractères appartenant à des catégories plus élevées dans les hiérarchies grammaticales montrent une plus grande stabilité phylogénétique que les catégories inférieures dans les hiérarchies. Nous examinons nos résultats par rapport aux théories antérieures sur l’alignement proto-indo-européen ainsi qu’à la typologie générale.
Zusammenfassung
In diesem Artikel wird ein phylogenetisches Modell verwendet, um das Alinierungssystem des Indogermanischen zu rekonstruieren. Die Daten liegen dabei in Form morphosyntaktischer Merkmale vor, die Zustände wie „Nominativ-Akkusativ“, „Aktiv-Stativ“ oder „Ergativ“ annehmen. Mittels einer Bayesschen Standardmethode zum phylogenetischen Vergleich schätzen wir zunächst auf der Grundlage einer phylogenetischen Darstellung der in den Daten vorkommenden Sprachen Übergangsraten zwischen den Merkmalswerten ab. Anhand dieser Raten rekonstruieren wir anschließend Wahrscheinlichkeiten für das Vorhandensein der verschiedenen Merkmale sowohl am Wurzelknoten als auch den intermediären Knoten des indogermanischen Stammbaums. Im Ergebnis ergibt sich als das wahrscheinlichste System für das Proto-Indogermanische ein Nominativ-Akkusativ-System, während der neutralen Markierung und der Ergativität geringere Wahrscheinlichkeiten in denjenigen Kategorien zugeordnet werden (Substantive, Vergangenheitstempus), die in üblichen grammatischen Hierarchien niedriger platziert sind. Bei einem Test des phylogenetischen Signals stellen wir fest, dass Merkmale, die sich auf in grammatikalischen Hierarchien höher platzierte Kategorien beziehen, eine größere phylogenetische Stabilität aufweisen als niedriger stehende Kategorien. Diese Ergebnisse werden abschließend in Bezug zu früheren Theorien zur Alinierung im Indogermanischen sowie zur allgemeinen Typologie gestellt.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1The study: An overview
    • 1.2Comparative, typological and phylogenetic models of reconstruction
    • 1.3Indo-European alignment – reconstructions by comparative syntax
    • 1.4Marking and animacy hierarchies in alignment
    • 1.5General trends in the family
  • 2.Data, model and method
    • 2.1Data: Languages and coding models
    • 2.2The Bayesian phylogenetic comparative reconstruction model
    • 2.3The model for assessing phylogenetic stability across characters
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Result overview
    • 3.2Proto-language probabilities in the light of reconstruction by the comparative method and diachronic typology
    • 3.3Probability levels and grammatical hierarchies of alignment
    • 3.4Phylogenetic strength
    • 3.5Summary of results
  • 4.Concluding discussion: Reconstructing the evolution of alignment
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Appendices: Data and results
    • Appendix 1.
    • Appendix 2.
    • Appendix 3.
  • References
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