Morphologization (from phonology and syntax) and Demorphologization

Morphologization refers to a diachronic process whereby an assemblage of original elements acquires the typical character of a morphological combination. This process has two distinct aspects: the loss of the original properties of the source construction, phonology or syntax, and the acquisition of morphological properties. Accordingly, in this chapter we will investigate morphologization by focusing on cases from dephonologization and from desyntactification respectively. Although clear differences between the source domains can be made responsible for the different processes involved, there are also clear commonalities, even because of the same target domain. It is shown that grammaticalization offers a broader perspective to place morphologization within an overall view of how grammar and its main component, morphology, arise. However, morphologization cannot be reduced to it, partly because several adjustments within morphology are observed that cannot be treated within the typical clines of grammaticalization processes. In addition to cases of phonogenesis that can be treated as lexicalization, demorphologization should often be treated as remorphologization resulting from internal adjustments to the morphological component.