Some of the most hotly debated topics over the past few years on syntactico-semantic change in a functional-cognitive perspective and propose a new model of grammatical change in Chinese will be discussed by providing more solidly-based definitions of such notions as “grammaticalization”, “lexicalization”, “degrammaticalization”, “exaptation”, and “reanalysis”, as well as “analogy” with respect to internal processes of change, but also for external ones, specifically, borrowing through language contact or contact-induced change.
One of the most characteristic syntactic properties of the languages, namely the case system for the following Sinitic languages will be examined: Hezhou [or Linxia], Tangwang, Wutun, Gangou, that have been sometimes viewed as ‘mixed languages.’ An answer to the following main questions will be tentatively suggested: Do we really have case suffixes in these languages (cases are a morphological notion) or simply thematic roles expressed by postpositions (thematic roles are a semantic notion)? Do we really have a Qinghai-Gansu linguistic area? Can these Sinitic languages be characterized as being ‘mixed’ languages?