Non-degree equatives and reanalysis : A case study of doubling patterns in German and Hungarian

Abstract

The article examines reanalysis processes underlying doubling patterns in non-degree equatives in German and Hungarian. In German, the combination als wie (lit. ‘as how’) is attested historically and in certain present-day dialects. Traditionally, it is assumed to be a mixed pattern involving the earlier canonical equative complementiser als and the later canonical equative complementiser wie; however, more recent proposals suggest that als was in fact reanalysed from the matrix clause. While matrix equative markers and equative complementisers are surface-similar in German historically, these elements are distinct in Hungarian throughout its history. Based on the results of a corpus study on Old Hungarian, the paper argues that reanalysis from the matrix clause is indeed possible and starts in non-degree equatives.