GRAMMATICALIZATION THROUGH LANGUAGE CONTACT: THE PERIPHRASTIC PASSIVE IN CHONTAL MAYAN

摘要

This paper is a discussion of a periphrastic passive in Chontal Mayan, a construction I claim is a result of contact with Spanish. The purpose of this paper is to describe this passive and to compare and contrast its function with that of the more common morphological passive. This paper will explore issues of grammaticalization as well as typological studies of the passive to put these hypotheses into a proper diachronic and synchronic perspective. A tentative proposal is drawn up for the functions of the Chontal passive and passive-like constructions, as well as indications for further research to better establish these claims.