The "negative end" of change in grammar: terminology, concepts and causes
This work is incremental, as it synthesizes existing research on language change for linguists without introducing new empirical findings.
The paper addresses the under-researched topic of the 'negative end' of change in grammar, focusing on terminology, concepts, and causes related to loss, decline, or obsolescence in language, but does not report specific results or numbers.
The topic of "negative end" of change is, contrary to the fields of innovation and emergence, largely under-researched. Yet, it has lately started to gain an increasing attention from language scholars worldwide. The main focus of this article is threefold, namely to discuss the i) terminology; ii) concepts and iii) causes associated with the "negative end" of change in grammar. The article starts with an overview of research conducted on the topic. It then moves to situating phenomena referred to as loss, decline or obsolescence among processes of language change, before elaborating on the terminology and concepts behind it. The last part looks at possible causes for constructions to display a (gradual or rapid, but very consistent) decrease in the frequency of use over time, which continues until the construction disappears or there are only residual or fossilised forms left. Keywords: loss, obsolescence, decline, competition, higher