Author: Luca Molinari
Caʼ Foscari University of Venice
Published in Slavyanski dialozi, XXI, 2024, 33.
Abstract: This article proposes a syntactic approach to the process of grammaticalization of word edin (‘one’) from a numeral to an indefinite marker. The grammaticalization of the numeral ‘one’ into an indefinite marker (and, ultimately, into an indefinite article) is very frequent cross-linguistically. Bulgarian is not an exception to this general pattern: an increasing number of studies recognize that edin has assumed the functions of an indefinite marker. In particular, beyond its numeral function, edin is able to introduce referents which are known to the speaker but are unknown to the hearer. Moreover, it has also started assuming some features typical of indefinite articles, such as the ability to occur in generic sentences with non-referential interpretation. The present analysis shows that the different functions (numeral, specific indefinite, non-specific indefinite) edin takes up correspond to different categorial statuses with different syntactic properties that can be reconducted to different structural positions inside the nominal expression. The resulting syntactic path of edin is perfectly in line with classical formal accounts of grammaticalization and reflects a process guided by general principles of the economy of language. A formal proposal for the origin of the lexeme edin is also proposed: it is argued to be the result of rebrackeitng of the original word for ‘one’ *in” with its adverbial reinforcer *(j)ed’.
Key words: Bulgarian language, grammaticalization, indefinite determiner, numeral ‘one’, rebracketing