Abstract
This thesis explores recent changes in the conjugation of the Japanese verb chigau. These changes have resulted in the emergence of several innovative forms based on conjugational formants and auxiliaries normally reserved for adjectives. The result has been a new alternative paradigm wherein chigau behaves morphologically more like an adjective than a verb, blurring the line between the two morphological categories in this particular instance. Previous studies on this phenomenon have attributed these changes to a perceived asymmetry between the meaning and morphology of chigau; semantically, it usually denotes states and describes characteristics, a trait commonly associated with adjectives. Yet morphologically it behaves as a regular verb, a word class usually thought of as expressing events and actions. Thus, previous studies theorize that in order to neutralize this asymmetry and create harmony between the form and meaning of chigau, speakers have resorted to changing the very inflection of the verb itself. However, this does not explain why the same process has not occurred with other stative verbs in Japanese. Most studies have focused on the propagation of the new forms across Japan from their point of origin, and there have been few efforts to posit possible linguistic mechanisms for why these forms arose, and why they have only occurred with chigau. I will first argue that the current stativity of chigau is the product of a long process of pragmatic inference and semantic extension that is still ongoing. I will then attempt to show that the adjectival formations of chigau arose due to analogical inference with the stem of other adjectives. Thus, I posit that the development of the adjectival paradigm is the product of two processes; pragmatic inference and analogy, both well-known processes recognized as important mechanisms for linguistic innovation and change. The changes documented in the inflectional paradigm of the verb chigau are interesting for several reasons. First, they are ongoing, presenting an exciting opportunity to examine language change in action. Second, although Japanese has several productive mechanisms for deriving adjectives from verbs (reference), it is exceedingly rare for a verb itself to transit morphologically to a new class (Inoue, 1998, p.) And third, I have yet to find a similar example in English or Norwegian. It is my hope that this thesis can offer some insight into some possible reasons for this apparently unique and interesting innovation.
This thesis explores recent changes in the conjugation of the Japanese verb chigau. These changes have resulted in the emergence of several innovative forms based on conjugational formants and auxiliaries normally reserved for adjectives. The result has been a new alternative paradigm wherein chigau behaves morphologically more like an adjective than a verb, blurring the line between the two morphological categories in this particular instance. Previous studies on this phenomenon have attributed these changes to a perceived asymmetry between the meaning and morphology of chigau; semantically, it usually denotes states and describes characteristics, a trait commonly associated with adjectives. Yet morphologically it behaves as a regular verb, a word class usually thought of as expressing events and actions. Thus, previous studies theorize that in order to neutralize this asymmetry and create harmony between the form and meaning of chigau, speakers have resorted to changing the very inflection of the verb itself. However, this does not explain why the same process has not occurred with other stative verbs in Japanese. Most studies have focused on the propagation of the new forms across Japan from their point of origin, and there have been few efforts to posit possible linguistic mechanisms for why these forms arose, and why they have only occurred with chigau. I will first argue that the current stativity of chigau is the product of a long process of pragmatic inference and semantic extension that is still ongoing. I will then attempt to show that the adjectival formations of chigau arose due to analogical inference with the stem of other adjectives. Thus, I posit that the development of the adjectival paradigm is the product of two processes; pragmatic inference and analogy, both well-known processes recognized as important mechanisms for linguistic innovation and change. The changes documented in the inflectional paradigm of the verb chigau are interesting for several reasons. First, they are ongoing, presenting an exciting opportunity to examine language change in action. Second, although Japanese has several productive mechanisms for deriving adjectives from verbs (reference), it is exceedingly rare for a verb itself to transit morphologically to a new class (Inoue, 1998, p.) And third, I have yet to find a similar example in English or Norwegian. It is my hope that this thesis can offer some insight into some possible reasons for this apparently unique and interesting innovation.