[Lingtyp] query: 1st syllable deletion

[David Gil]

Randy,

Thanks for your comment.  The last couple of days I've received a flurry 
of very helpful references and pointers concerning the phenomenon in 
question, which seem to point to it not being "a simple pragmatic 
phenomenon" of the kind you suggest.  Also, with the possible exception 
of a reference to German, nobody so far has offered examples of similar 
processes in other languages, and indeed, I can't think of anything like 
it in the other languages I am familiar with.

Best,

David


On 02/11/2022 12:33, Randy LaPolla wrote:
> Good question, David!
> Not a matter of phonetics or morphology, though.
> Possibly a simple pragmatic phenomenon where predictable elements, 
> especially topics, can be left unspoken.
> Common in many languages.
> Not considered “grammatical” in English, but maybe English is changing.
>
> Randy
>
-- 
David Gil

Senior Scientist (Associate)
Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, 04103, Germany

Email: gil at shh.mpg.de
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