Introduction: towards a diachronic typology of the middle voice

Abstract

Much of the typological research on the middle voice has so far largely focused on the cross-linguistic definition and status of the middle as a voice category and its relationship to other voice operations such as reflexives and passives. Diachronic research on the middle, especially in a cross-linguistic perspective, remains to these days comparatively marginal. Overall, the existing studies have argued that middle markers generally originate from reflexive markers, and that the reflexive > middle diachronic path is unidirectional. This special issue collects a number of papers that address the diachrony of middle markers cross-linguistically, with the goal of either contributing to refine our understanding of already known diachronic pathways leading to middle markers or challenging assumptions on their possible historical sources (which go well beyond reflexives only) and the purported unidirectionality in their development.