Diathesis and Linguistic Typology: The Case of the Romance "Diathesizers"

Abstract

The diathesizer (DIAT) is a morpheme whose main function is the insertion of the verbal category of the diathesis. It represents a valid, and up to now almost unexplored, criterion for the typological classification of languages. The present article is a particular instance of application to the Romance case: On the basis of the language "convergence" among the different varieties, it proposes an alternative typology; apart from improving our knowledge about the concept of diathesis, it sets the path for more general conclusions regarding the nature of languages, their evolution and change.