Grammaticalization and syntax: a functional view

Abstract This article analyses the role of grammaticalisation theory in functional-typological syntax. It explains that the role of grammaticalisation theory is to explain how fixed, recurrent constructions develop from transparent, motivated concatenations of words. Since such syntactic, often synchronically arbitrary grammatical structure is characteristic of all but the very freshest pidgin protogrammars, a theory of grammaticalization is essential to the functionalist programme. This article also discusses the origin and nature of syntactic categories and describes complex syntax constructions.