AUTHOR=Haug Dag , Pedrazzini Nilo 

TITLE=The semantic map of when and its typological parallels

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Communication

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1163431

DOI=10.3389/fcomm.2023.1163431

ISSN=2297-900X

ABSTRACT=<p>In this paper, we explore the semantic map of the English temporal connective <italic>when</italic> and its parallels in more than 1,000 languages drawn from a parallel corpus of New Testament translations. We show that there is robust evidence for a cross-linguistic distinction between <italic>universal</italic> and <italic>existential</italic><sc>WHEN</sc>. We also see tentative evidence that innovation in this area involves recruiting new items for universal <sc>WHEN</sc> which gradually can take over the existential usage. Another possible distinction that we see is between serialized events, which tend to be expressed with non-lexified constructions and framing/backgrounding constructions, which favor an explicit subordinator.</p>