On the Emergence of the Paradigm of Cause Markers from Prepositions in English: A Grammaticalization Perspective

This study traces the grammaticalization processes that lead to the paradigm of cause-encoding prepositions. The objectives of this paper are (i) to trace the emergence of cause from the prepositions by, at, with, and about; (ii) to examine the mechanisms and principles in their grammaticalization processes; and (iii) to account for their unidirectional semantic changes. Using the synchrony-for-diachrony approach within grammaticalization theory and historical data from various sources, this study investigates the developmental trajectories of prepositions from their original meanings to causality. Grammaticalization theory allows for the investigation of phenomena observed in diachronic developments of cause-encoding prepositions, including mechanisms for semantic change and grammaticalization principles. This paper argues that context-induced reinterpretations and subjectification are the key driving forces in the grammaticalization processes of these prepositions . This suggests the development involves a gradual conceptual transfer within the same domain grounded in conversational inferences. The grammaticalization path of cause markers demonstrates the emergence of a new paradigm through gradual metonymic processes and analogy due to their semantic and functional similarity. The prepositions take on a new function as cause markers within the domain of correlation, influenced by pragmatic inference, which results in the parallel development of these prepositions. Considering that all their source lexemes are related to spatial proximity, the development of cause markers from prepositions may be attributable to their origins.