Grammaticalization: The Phoenix of Modern Linguistics?

We describe the emergence and evolution of grammaticalization—as term and concept —in the 19th and 20th centuries. We analyze Meillet’s use of the concept of grammaticalization against the backdrop of other important figures (e.g. Bopp, Vossler, Spitzer), in order to better understand Meillet’s specific contribution to the field. We then investigate the impact of his 1912 article, by analyzing the use of the term grammaticalization in the literature. We highlight important shifts in the uses of the word, and show that Meillet’s article did indeed contribute greatly to shaping the field. We also highlight the importance of Romance linguistics in the history of the word grammaticalization. Surprisingly, our study also shows that Meillet did not invent the term: we found occurrences from the 19th century, and as far back as 1842.