The grammaticization of directional verbs in Oceanic languages

Abstract

In Oceanic languages we often find directional elements which were originally directional verbs in serial verb constructions. The various grammaticization paths that have led to the modern constructions are described in this article. The grammaticized directional elements in modern languages are of three kinds: postverbal directional clitics ('directionals'), pre-verbal directional clitics, and prepositions and relators. Post-verbal directional clitics are the most widely attested outcomes of this grammaticization. The other two categories are much less common. However, the third category, prepositions and relators which have resulted from the grammaticization of directional verbs, has received relatively little attention in the literature and so is a focus of attention here. Show more