Layering in linguistics refers to one of the five principles by which
grammaticalisation can be detected while it is taking place. The others are
divergence
In vector calculus, divergence is a vector operator that operates on a vector field, producing a scalar field giving the quantity of the vector field's source at each point. More technically, the divergence represents the volume density of t ...
,
specialisation,
persistence, and
de-categorialisation.
Layering refers to the phenomenon that a language can have and develop multiple expressions for the same function, that language, in the "
lexical" as well as in the "
grammatical
In linguistics, grammaticality is determined by the conformity to language usage as derived by the grammar of a particular speech variety. The notion of grammaticality rose alongside the theory of generative grammar, the goal of which is to form ...
" domain, tolerates and permanently creates multiple
synonymy. "Within a broad functional domain, new layers are continually emerging. As this happens, the older layers are not necessarily discarded, but may remain to coexist with and interact with the newer layers."
Hopper
Hopper or hoppers may refer to:
Places
*Hopper, Illinois
* Hopper, West Virginia
* Hopper, a mountain and valley in the Hunza–Nagar District of Pakistan
* Hopper (crater), a crater on Mercury
People with the name
* Hopper (surname)
* Grace H ...
1991: 22
During the process of grammaticalisation, new layers are added to older ones whereby the functional domain is broadened: several items may fulfil the same linguistic function.
An example from English: 'I am going to study' / 'I will study' / 'I shall study'.
References
{{reflist
* Lessau, Donald A. ''A Dictionary of Grammaticalization''. Bochum: Brockmeyer, 1994.
*
Hopper, Paul J. “On some principles of grammaticization”. In Elizabeth Closs Traugott and Bernd Heine, eds. ''Approaches to Grammaticalization'', Vol. I. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 1991. pp. 17–36.
Historical linguistics