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The Loss of Case Inflection in Bulgarian and Macedonian

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The Loss of Case Inflection in Bulgarian and Macedonian SLAVICA HELSINGIENSIA 47 THE LOSS OF CASE INFLECTION IN BULGARIAN AND MACEDONIAN Max Wahlström HELSINKI 2015 SLAVICA HELSINGIENSIA 47 Series editors Tomi Huttunen, Jouko Lindstedt, Ahti Nikunlassi Published by: Department of Modern Languages P.O. Box 24 (Unioninkatu 40 B) 00014 University of Helsinki Finland Copyright © by Max Wahlström ISBN 978-951-51-1185-2 (paperback) ISBN 978-951-51-1186-9 (PDF) ISSN-L 0780-3281, ISSN 0780-3281 (Print), ISSN 1799-5779 (Online) Summary Case inflection, characteristic of Slavic languages, was lost in Bulgarian and Macedonian approximately between the 11th and 16th centuries. My doctoral dissertation examines the process of this language change and sets out to find its causes and evaluate its consequences. In the earlier research literature, the case loss has been attributed either to language contacts or language internal sound changes, yet none of the theories based on a single explaining factor has proven satisfactory. In this study, I argue that the previous researchers of the Late Medieval manuscripts have often tried to date changes in the language earlier than what is plausible in light of the textual evidence. Also, I propose that the high number of second language speakers is among the key factors that reduced the number of morphological categories in the language, but, at the same time, several minor developments related to the case loss—for instance, in the marking of possession—are likely to result from a specific contact mechanism known as the Balkan linguistic area. My main methodological argument is that the study of language contacts must take into account a general typological perspective to determine the uniqueness of the suspected contact-induced changes. Further, quantitative typological methods are also helpful in assessing, whether the co-occurrence of linguistic features within a linguistics area is truly independent and not explained by universal tendencies. This dissertation is divided into three parts, each attaching to a different methodological approach. Through corpus methods, among other, the first of these examines the process of the loss of case inflection within the manuscript tradition that stems from Old Church Slavonic. The second approach is based on the study of language contacts. I compare the development of the Bulgarian and Macedonian case systems with the Albanian, Balkan Romance, and Greek case systems and their evolution. In addition, taking Romani language as an example, I analyze the effect of sociolinguistic setting on the type of contact-induced language change. The third approach studies the case systems of Balkan Slavic and the rest of the Balkan linguistic area in a typological connection to evaluate to which extent the phenomena related to the case loss can be attributed to universal tendencies, observed in the languages of the world. III Acknowledgments I often feel that the things that led me to linguistics happened by chance, without any planning or conscious decision on my part. Yet the impression of coincidence is wrong. On my path to becoming a linguist, philologist, and Slavicist, I have been helped by many people whose roles have often proven decisive and whom I therefore wish to acknowledge here. Even if I fail to mention every name here, I assure you that no one has been forgotten. First and foremost, I am indebted to my supervisor Jouko Lindstedt. His guidance in the writing of this study has been crucial in numerous ways. I am sure that through our conversations, many of his thoughts and ideas have found their way onto these pages, something that I am not ashamed to admit, since, as he himself once put it, I am the one who, after all, has to defend them. In addition to being one of the most educated linguists I have ever met, Jouko has also been my boss for almost a decade. During this time I have learned to trust his unwavering support, wisdom, and impartiality. This atmosphere of security has allowed me to pursue my goals and, through trial and error, learn many important lessons. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had not one, but two extremely good supervisors. I found my second supervisor, Kaius Sinnemäki, three years into working on my doctoral thesis. Although I had very specific knowledge in mind when I contacted Kaius, I am still amazed at the depth, skill, and dedication with which he guided me through my entire study. Conversations with him have significantly broadened my perspective on scientific thinking. Moreover, whenever I encountered unexpected adversity, his empathy and encouragement were often exactly what was needed to restore my self-confidence. In thinking about the career choices I never made deliberately, but which just happened, one person in particular, a teacher and mentor, stands out whom I must thank: Jussi Nuorluoto. His decision to hire me as a research assistant at a point when I did not have many academic credentials to boast about is no doubt the single most important event that caused me to pursue linguistics. With great joy, I felt the circle closing when Jussi offered his help in the final stages of writing this study, and he provided invaluable comments on the manuscript with the precision and intelligence I have come to expect from him. I would like to thank my fellow students in Slavic philology during my undergraduate studies. To name only a handful of these dear colleagues, IV Markus Sipilä, a beer with you was always a most welcome lesson in linguistics; Jaakko Turunen, I miss our conversations on social theory; and Laura Čupić, you taught me so much about the Balkans! I am also indebted to all my teachers of South Slavic languages, both in Helsinki and abroad: Thank you, Dragana Cvetanović, Marica Čilaš Mikulić, Mina Đurić, Kristina Kontkanen, Atina Nihtinen, Dinka Pasini, Andrijana Pavlova, Olga Sabo, and Staša Tofoska. In this connection, one person in particular deserves special mention, my teacher of the Croatian language, Rada Borić, who deeply inspired a whole generation of students in Helsinki, myself included. In fact, for me becoming a linguist has meant becoming a teacher as well. On this path, I have been able to draw on the examples of many great teachers throughout an almost uninterrupted quarter of a century of being educated. A warm thank you to all. My godmother and my first academic role model, Tarja Sokka, dedicated a copy of her doctoral thesis to me when I was just fourteen, with the words: “to serve as an example.” I wonder if she realized then how seriously I took that line. Embarking on postgraduate studies, I had three particular role models in mind who shaped my image of the kind of researcher I wanted to be: Eeva Luhtakallio, Janne Saarikivi, and Juha-Heikki Tihinen. Their broad knowledge and enthusiasm for things beyond their immediate fields of expertise still continue to inspire me. I would also like to thank Juha-Heikki, in addition to his greatly valued friendship, for the comments on my manuscript, as well as on several earlier works of writing. Another academic I continue to look up to is Victor Friedman, whom I had the pleasure to get to know in Helsinki in 2007. I remember asking him on our way into town from the airport why the cases were lost in Bulgarian and Macedonian. Although he did not give an answer, thereby making me find out for myself, he taught me more about everything during that week than probably anyone since. In the same vein, I am honored to have met two of the most gifted Balkanists in the younger generation, Maxim Makartsev and Eric Prendergast, and to call them my friends. Discussions with you have truly stimulated my motivation and curiosity throughout the years! At the beginning of my doctoral studies, I was privileged to be accepted into the Finnish doctoral program in language studies, Langnet, which provided a number of readers for my academic writing in a productive and supportive environment. Much of creating such a fantastic place to mature as a linguist must be credited to Riho Grünthal, as well as to other heads of my sub-program. Here, I also want to thank all my fellow students in V Langnet—for your valuable comments and for putting up with my often extravagant enthusiasm. Many of you have become trustworthy colleagues and even friends, and I am looking forward to working with you in years to come. During my doctoral studies, I also had the opportunity to visit the Research Center for Areal Linguistics of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts in the spring of 2011. For this I would like to thank my welcoming hosts, Marjan Markoviḱ and Zuzanna Topolińska, as well as my always hospitable and helpful colleagues, both in matters personal and linguistic, Aneta Dučevska, Elka Jačeva-Ulčar, Maksim Karanfilovski, Ljudmil Spasov, and everyone in the Wednesday Round Table and in the office. I would like to thank my pre-examiners Ronelle Alexander, Brian Joseph, and Mila Vulchanova for their comments and suggestions, many of which have greatly enhanced the overall quality of this study. In addition, parts of the manuscript as well as my conference presentations on the same themes have been commented on by many. I have also sought advice from a number of experts. I would therefore like to thank Petya Assenova, Maria Basdekis, Tat’jana Civ’jan, Sonja Dahlgren, Andrei Dumitrescu, Zlatka Guenchéva, Hilla Halla-aho, Hanna-Ilona Härmävaara, Laura Janda, Seppo Kittilä, Timo Korkiakangas, Ian Mac Eochagáin, Dionysios Mertyris, Tore Nesset, Pekka Posio, and Joanne Stolk. The English language of an earlier version of this manuscript was skillfully revised by Glenda Dawn Goss, who, along with all of those mentioned above, nevertheless bears no responsibility for any mistakes or inaccuracies in the present work.
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