[Lingtyp] query: "come here" > "hey" grammaticalization in spoken and sign language

[Christian Lehmann]

Dear David,

German has a use of /komm/ (imperative of kommen 'come') which may not 
be quite what you are looking for, but certainly similar:

If, in a conversation, A says something that seems unacceptable -- 
typically, overstated -- to B, B will start by "Komm komm!" and then 
mostly, though not necessarily, add a sentence that somehow invalidates 
or restricts A's contention. For instance:

    A: Linda has never contributed anything to our club.
    B: Komm komm, she has at least organized last year's dinner party.

If I were to explain from Sprachgefühl why the verb 'come' is used in 
this sense, I would think that 'come' here means 'rejoin the 
communication and evaluation basis occupied by the speaker'. Maybe other 
speakers could refine this analysis.

And perhaps a speaker of European Spanish could use the occasion to 
explain what /venga/ 'come!' means if it introduces a sentence.

Best, Christian
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