Expansion and Reduction of Functionality in Secondary Grammaticalization: The Case of the Negative Laa in Rural Jordanian Arabic

Abstract

Secondary grammaticalization is commonly viewed as a process of expansion in functionality or morpho-phonological reduction. This paper investigates the secondary grammaticalization of the negative particle laa in Rural Jordanian Arabic. It demonstrates that laa in this vernacular variety is a case of secondary grammaticalization as expansion in functionality. It shows that laa acquired three functions, namely conditionality, warning and introducing a proposition. Further, the paper shows that the peculiarity of laa is that it exhibits reduction in functionality. More specifically, despite acquiring three new functions, it nevertheless lost its function as a negative particle in declarative sentences. Evidence for expansion and reduction is synchronic. From a cross-linguistic perspective, this implies that secondary grammaticalization as reduction is not necessarily morpho-phonological. It can also be functional/meaningful. Finally, this paper, consistent with Hopper (1991) and Smirnova (2015), argues with the proposal that a grammaticalization path can be non-linear, as divergence from the linear path is possible.