Rethinking Grammaticalization

“Diversity is a core ingredient in the volume edited by María José López-Couso & Elena Seoane, which, despite some rather marginal deficiencies, stands on its own as a comment on the current state of grammaticalization as a theoretical and methodological enterprise. Through a series of thoughtful and cogent case studies and broader theoretical perspective papers, the collection introduces the reader to fundamental issues in language change via an unmistakably typological point of view. It is this perspective that makes the volume innovative. While readers unfamiliar with the foundational literature is this area may take longer to orient themselves, they will certainly come away from these papers with a clear appreciation for the explanatory import gained with a cross-linguistic approach. In sum, this book is an engaging survey of critical issues in grammaticalization that promotes the advantages of a global perspective in our attempt to explain basic questions about the origins of grammar.”