Morphologization (from phonology and syntax) and Demorphologization

Morphologization refers to a diachronic process whereby an assemblage of original elements acquires the typical character of a morphological combination. This process has two distinct aspects: the loss of the original properties of the source construction and the acquisition of morphological properties. In this regard, several questions arise. First, there is the question of how to distinguish between constructions displaying morphological properties and the others. This has traditionally opened a long debate on the boundaries of the different levels and domains of linguistic analysis. Second, one may ask whether the two aspects of acquisition and loss can be considered independent of each other or closely intertwined. Third, one may ask whether the original assemblage of elements gives rise to morphologization independently of its origin, or whether the central meaning of morphologization should be reserved for a certain population of phenomena, while other phenomena, which might also give rise to morphological combinations, should rather be treated with a different label.