Beginsels waarop taaltipologie en tipologiese verandering berus

Abstract

Publikasies oor taaltipologie en taaltipologiese verandering neem steeds toe en is 'n duidelike aanduiding van die toenemende belangstelling in hierdie denkrigting. Hierdie artikel is 'n oorsig oor taaltipologiese uitgangspunte met besondere verwysing na die beginsels waarop taaltipologiese verandering berus. Uitsprake rakende taaltipologie en tipologiese verandering lê as't ware in stukkies en brokkies in bestaande literatuur versprei en is nog nêrens tot 'n teoretiese raamwerk saamgebind nie. Die rede waarom taaltipoloë nog nie so 'n raamwerk tot stand gebring het nie lê moontlik daarin dat taaltipoloë tans meer konsentreer op die ontdekking van nuwe beginsels eerder as om bestaande beskouinge sinvol te konsolideer, te interpreteer en te evalueer. Die afwesigheid van so 'n teoretiese raamwerk ontmoedig taalkundiges om oplossings in terme van taaltipologie en tipologiese verandering te soek. Hierdie artikel verteenwoordig 'n poging om 'n teoretiese raamwerk vir woordvolgorde en volgordeverandering te formuleer waarbinne Bantoegrammatici verklarings kan vind vir problematiese aspekte in dié tale wat gewoonlik sinchronies beskou, as ‘uitsonderlik’, ‘inkonsekwent’, ‘onreëlmatig’, ens. uitgewys word. Verklarings rakende problematiese volgordestrategieë in Noord-Sotho lê buite die doelwit van hierdie artikel. Sintaktiese verandering in Noord-Sotho sal in ander artikels aan die orde gestel word.

S.-Afr. Tydskr. Afrikatale 1985, 5: 128–137

Principles underlying language typology and typological change

The ever-increasing number of publications on language typology and typological change clearly indicates that typological study is gaining momentum. This is a review of typological principles with particular emphasis on the basic principles underlying language change, and syntactic change in particular. Constraints of syntactic change lie scattered in bits and pieces throughout the whole spectrum of linguistic studies and up to now no serious attempt has been made to collect these principles in order to build a theoretical framework. The reason why typologists, and in particular those concerned with syntactic change, have up to now hesitated to organize the available data can perhaps be found in the view of Langacker (1981) that the typologist of our time is still caught up in the haste and excitement of discovering new criteria rather than being concerned about the compilation, interpretation, and evaluation of the available data. The lack of a theoretical framework discourages linguists from seeking solutions based on principles of typology and typological change. The formulation of such a theoretical framework is attempted here to enable Bantu linguists to tackle those problematic aspects which are generally regarded as ‘exceptions’, ‘inconsistencies’, ‘irregularities’ etc. by linguists employing synchronic investigation strategies. However, explaining certain problematic syntactic orders in Northern Sotho goes beyond the aim of this article and will be dealt with in other articles.

S. Afr. J. Afr. Lang. 1985, 5: 128–137