The Dynamics of Schematization

Pathways of Constructional Change

Abstract

This paper investigates the diachronic process of schematization, understood as the generalization and abstraction of a constructional schema over clusters of specific exemplars or instantiations of existing constructions. By looking at German complex prepositions and verbonominal constructions, the study pursues two central aims. First, we will argue that schematization does not always follow a uniform trajectory. While initial clustering may occur and structural coherence may increase among individual exemplars, such processes do not necessarily lead to the emergence of a constructional schema. In some cases, clusters dissipate, leaving competing constructions, one of which eventually conventionalizes into an individual substantive construction type. Conversely, a schema may also arise without a clearly identifiable clustering stage, instead emerging from instantiations dispersed across a broad semantic space. Second, we examine the role of different facets of similarity in these processes. Semantic similarity is crucial in the initial phase of cluster formation, enabling links between individual constructions, but clusters often fail to develop if not reinforced by structural or/and syntagmatic similarity. In contrast, constructional schemas may be generalized primarily on structural grounds, with semantic commonalities playing only a minor role. As schemas evolve, structural regularities increasingly dominate, while semantic constraints tend to weaken.