Der Weg von den Engen Wortbindungen zu den Wortzusammensetzungen (Methodische Bemerkungen)

Abstract

exploration of factors that govern compounding processes is made necessary partly by theoretical considerations, and partly by practical issues that the researcher is confronted with. This paper presents a set of assumptions that corresponding chapters in The Historical Grammar of Hungarian are based on. In particular, it is claimed that the development of phrases into compounds is facilitated by proper noun status and by termhood. grammatically marked vs. unmarked structure of phrases, the behaviour of phrases whose heads are participles or infinitives, syllable count, the nature of suffixation in coordinate phrases, and the later history of the emerging compounds are some of the other factors to reckon with. An important symptom of a phrase having turned into a compound is semantic change. Phrases whose heads are suffixed with adjectivizing -s, -i, or -u/-u follow a special course of development. Despite inconsistencies, the spellings found in written records (whether the forms under consideration are spelt solid or in two words) provide important cues as well. On the other hand, stress patterns that would in principle be just as informative, can only be studied in spoken language.