Morphosyntactic variation in possessive constructions and the accusative in Old East Slavic texts

grantor: University of TorontoA new outlook is provided on morphosyntactic phenomena attested in variation in the original Old East Slavic texts of the 11th-14th centuries. Two sets of constructions manifesting various types of linguistic features are analyzed as mutually related. These include: (1) possessive constructions with a bare attributive modifier in the form of either a denominative adjective or the adnominal genitive of a noun; (2) accusative case forms syncretic with either nominative or genitive, and used as the direct object of a transitive verb or the object of a preposition. Only masculine singular nouns of the major masculine/neuter declension with genitive in -'a' involved in these constructions are examined. It is shown on the basis of the data that the selection of a particular morphosyntactic alternative in both sets of constructions is governed by the same complex of differently ranked lexical, morphological, referential and syntactic features. The hierarchy comprised of these features not only explains the synchronic pattern of attestations in both sets of constructions, but also reflects their diachronic development. Moreover, it establishes a previously unnoticed link between two concurrent processes of language change. The multi-faceted character of the hierarchy suggests that language production is best described as an integration of all the relevant linguistic features influencing the choice of a particular construction. It also accounts for the lack of invariant distribution rules, due to the simultaneous, interrelated effects of several features on the morphosyntactic outcome. The impossibility of drawing clear-cut borders between levels of the hierarchy (supported by the existence of exceptional or atypical attestations) suggests that language is regulated by tendencies, rather than strict rules. The gradual, synthetic character of this hierarchy reveals the essence of linguistic phenomena. The several planes simultaneously involved in the selection of a morphosyntactic alternative contribute to the hypothesis of the non-linear nature of language. Thus the main postulate of the dissertation concerns language structure and operation. Analysis of the data shows that the widely accepted division of language into discrete domains such as morphology, syntax or lexicon is unfounded, and can only be limitedly applied as a heuristic device.Ph.D