A typology of cyclicity. Waves and spirals, constructions and features

This study addresses the notion of cyclicity in language change, and proposes a typology of cycles based on the distinction between different kinds of trajectories and items involved. As for trajectories, waves and spirals are contrasted, i.e. recurrence of a cline and back-and-forth trajectory on a cline. To expand this first distinction, new evidence is provided for spiral-like cyclicity. Sicilian bì shows a back-and-forth trajectory along the cline of scope increase: evolving from a perception verb to a discourse marker, its scope is first expanded, but is eventually reduced back. This cycle involves one feature, scope, and this suggests the second distinction regarding the kind of items involved. Cyclicity can affect either constructionalization or constructional shifts, i.e. the rise of new constructions or changes in single features. By intersecting these two distinctions, four types of cycles are discussed: recurrence of constructionalization, recurrence of constructional shift, back-and-forth constructionalization, back-and-forth constructional shift.