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Linguistic Gravity Changes in Frisian under Dutch Influence

Explore contemporary language contact between Frisian and Dutch, focusing on phonological, semantical, and idiomatical shifts. Two case studies illustrate how Dutch cognates impact Frisian grammar, including the optional final [ə] on nouns and the choice between suffixes. Discover the factors influencing the selection of suffixes and the impact of frequent cognates. Examine the evolution of verbal clusters and the applicability of morphological factors in syntax.

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Linguistic Gravity Changes in Frisian under Dutch Influence

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  1. Linguistic GravityChanges in Frisian under the influence of Dutch Eric Hoekstra Arjen Versloot Fryske Akademy (NL)

  2. Frisian……

  3. Contemporaneous language contact • Frisian standard … spoken Dutch lexical • gearkomste fergadering vergadering ‘meeting’ • boarterstún speeltún speeltuin ‘play ground’ phonological • noas neus neus ‘nose’ • baarne brâne branden ‘burn’ • keazen koazen gekozen ‘chosen’ semantical & idiomatical • slim = ‘bad’ slim = ‘smart’ slim = ‘smart’ • it is myn jierdei ik bin jierdei ik ben jarig ‘it is my birthday’ etc.etc.

  4. 2 case studiesillustrating the impact of Dutch cognates on grammatical ‘behaviour’ of Frisian • The optionality of final [ə] on nouns • The choice between the synonymous suffixes –heid and –ens, corresponding to Dutch -heid

  5. Case I: /ə/-apocope and language contact Dutch has regular apocope of historical final vowels Frisian has apocope only in some cases, c.f. F. planke ~ D. plank ‘shelf’ F. brêge ~ D. brug ‘bridge’ In some words, apocope is optional in Frisian (dialectal, stylistic, metric or other variation) F. mis(se) ~ D. mis ‘mass’ F. bean(e) ~ D. boon ‘bean’ F. bûs(e) ~ D. zak ‘pocket’ (D.buis = ‘tube’)

  6. Frisian – Dutch cognates • (nearly) identical words (Holl++) F. planke ~ D. plank ‘shelf’ F. mis(se) ~ D. mis ‘mass’ • (nearly) identical consonant frame (Holl+) F. brêge ~ D. brug ‘bridge’ F. bean(e) ~ D. boon ‘bean’ 3. different lexemes (with same semantics) (Holl-) F. sûpe ~ D. karnemelk ‘buttermilk’ F. bûs(e) ~ D. zak ‘pocket’ (buis = ‘tube’)

  7. /ə/-apocope and language contact

  8. Case 2: the suffixes –heid/-ens • Dutch/Frisian –heid = English –hood ‘brotherhood • Frisian –ens = English –ness goedens – goodness (D. goedheid) wurgens – weariness (D. moeheid)

  9. Factors affecting the choicebetween –heid and -ens • Resemblance with Dutch: resemblance >> -heid • Lemma frequency high frequency >> -heid • Metric component esp. non-final stress >> -heid (not treated in detail)

  10. Resemblance of base words • (nearly) identical words (N) F. frijheid ~ D. vrijheid ‘freedom’ (N1) F. wierheid ~ D. waarheid ‘truth’ (N2) • Common root, different meaning or formation (FF) F. grutskens‘pride’~D. grootsheid ‘grandeur’ F. waarmens ~ D. warmte ‘warmth’ 3. different lexemes (with same semantics) (F) F. wurgens ~ D. moeheid ‘tiredness’ F. smûkens ~ D. gezelligheid ‘cosiness’

  11. The impact of Dutch cognates and the frequency trigger %-ens

  12. Is this recent? early Modern Frisian (18th c.): %-ens

  13. Conclusion from the two cases • Cognates in a second language affect words’ morphological behaviour/processing • Semantic vicinity is a prerequisite for being a ‘cognate’ • Frequency is a condition to mobilise the impact of a cognate • The impact can even be observed in partly bilingual communities

  14. Verbal clusters (I) infinitivepast part. Word order and no IPP: Frisian: Ik hie it sizzekind ‘I could have said it’ “I had it say could” Dutch: Ik had het kunnenzeggen “I had it can say”

  15. Verbal clusters (II) infinitivegerund Gerund and infinitive: Frisian: Ik sil komme ‘I will come Ik sjoch him kommen‘I see him arrive’ Dutch: Ik zal komen Ik zie hem komen

  16. Factors in morphology applicable in syntax? • Abstract structures have only abstract formal cognates…. • Syntactic structures have no specific semantics comparable to lexical items • Influence is stronger as the semantic similarity is more specific.

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