SOME RECENT TRENDS IN GRAMMATICALIZATION

Grammaticalization-the transformation of lexical items and phrases int o grammatical forms-has been the focus of considerable study. Two chie f directions can be identified. The first involves etymology and the t axonomy of possible changes in language, in which semantic and cogniti ve accounts of words and categories of words are considered to explain the changes. The second involves the discourse contexts within which grammaticalization occurs. Some researchers have questioned the standa rd idea of a stable synchronic a priori grammar in which linguistic st ructure is distinct from discourse, and have sought to replace this wi th the idea of ''emergent grammar'' in which repetitions of various ki nds in discourse lead to perpetual structuration.