La The velar affix /g/ expansion in Catalan between the 13th and 15th centuries

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the expansion of the velar affix /ɡ/ in Catalan, which becomes the mark of a verbal subclass of the second conjugation. The velar originated either from the final consonant of the present theme: dico > dic ‘I say’, or from the consonantization of the aspectual mark of verbs with a strong perfect in -ui-: dēbuit > dec >> degué ‘ought’. The affix propagation occurs both from the present theme forms to the perfect theme forms and vice versa. To justify this change, we employ the concept of exaptation (Lass 1990), which is defined as the reuse of non-functional morphological material that ends up developing a new function not foreseen by the grammar. The exaptation occurred when the perfect theme velar stopped functioning as an aspectual affix, was unified with the velar from the present theme and became a verbal subclass mark. To support this thesis, we provide documentation of the velar extension in three verbs representing three different subclasses: verbs with velar in the present theme (dir); verbs with velar in the perfective forms (deure), and verbs in which it does not appear originally in any form (prendre).