A comitative source for object markers in Sinitic languages: kai⁵⁵ in Waxiang and kang⁷ in Southern Min

This analysis sets out to specifically discuss the polyfunctionality of [kai⁵⁵] in Waxiang (Sinitic), whose lexical source is the verb 'to follow'. Amongst its various uses, we find a preposition 'with, along', a marker of adjuncts and a NP conjunction, thus superficially resembling its Mandarin cognate gēn 'with'. Curiously, however, it has also evolved into a direct object marker in Waxiang, with a function similar to that of preposition bă < 'hold, take' as found in the S-bă-O-VP or so-called 'disposal' form in standard Mandarin. The pathways of grammaticalization for [kai⁵⁵] in Waxiang are thus discussed in order to determine how it has developed this unusual grammatical function in one of the linguistic zones of China where verbs of giving or taking are, in fact, the main source for grammaticalized object markers in 'disposal' constructions. On the basis of 16^th and 17^th century Southern Min literature (Sinitic), a comparison is also made with analogous developments for comitative gòng 'with' to provide support for our hypothesis that the direct object marking use has evolved from the oblique function of a benefactive or dative, and is clearly separate from the crosslinguistically well-attested pathway that leads to its use as a conjunction. We would thus like to propose that these data contribute a new pattern to the stock of grammaticalization pathways, specifically, comitative > dative/benefactive > accusative (direct object marker).