Predicate Compounding in the Yi-Group: The Continuum of Grammaticalization

This monograph deals with grammaticalization of the verb in its early phase. The very productive metaphorical process which is in display in the verb-final languages ofthe Yi-group (Burmese-Lolo languages from south-West China) may be described by the Metaphor "States of affairs are objects". This Metaphor and various other sub-Metaphors are based on the notion of Transfermetaphor and the hierarchie of metaphorical processes. grammaticalization motivated by the above Metaphor happens in the...