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Grammaticalization is a diachronic linguistic process in which a lexical item, construction, or discourse pattern develops a grammatical function, or in which an already grammatical element acquires a more grammatical, structurally dependent, or bound function ^[1]. It involves changes in meaning, form, and distribution: a linguistic expression may become less lexically specific and more abstract or relational in meaning, while also becoming increasingly associated with particular grammatical environments ^[1][2]. Typical grammaticalized functions include the expression of tense, aspect, modality, case, definiteness, agreement, or clause linkage ^[2]. The term refers both to the historical development of particular linguistic elements and to the mechanisms involved in that development, including semantic change, morphosyntactic reanalysis, phonological reduction, and increased obligatoriness within a construction ^[1][3]. Grammaticalization does not denote every form of language change; it specifically concerns change toward grammatical status or toward a more strongly integrated grammatical role ^[1].