Source preverbs and motion verbs in Latin. A quantitative approach to <i>ab-</i> and <i>ex-</i>

Abstract This paper provides a corpus-based quantitative diachronic analysis of the evolution of the preverbs ab- and ex- in Latin, focusing on their expression of the Source in motion verbs. Drawing on a corpus spanning between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE, the study examines the frequency and syntactic patterns of these preverbs, revealing interesting shifts over centuries. Initially more frequent than ex- in Early Latin, ab- undergoes a significant decline in frequency during Classical and Post-Classical Latin, while ex- maintains relatively consistent usage over centuries. Additionally, ab- is prefixed to fewer verbal bases compared to ex- , with abeo prominently attested in Plautus’ Amphitruo and Mostellaria , persisting until the 2nd century CE. With respect to the syntactic encoding of the Source, Early Latin shows ab - verbs favoring CasePrev and PrepPrev constructions, while ex - verbs prefer PrepPrev. In Classical Latin, ab - verbs shift towards CasePrev or PrepNonPrev, whereas ex - verbs maintain CasePrev and PrepPrev structures, with an increasing use of CasePrev. Post-Classical Latin sees ab - verbs shifting predominantly to PrepNonPrev constructions, contrasting with the continued use of CasePrev and PrepPrev by ex - verbs. This detailed analysis contributes to our understanding of syntactic change and semantic bleaching in Latin.