The Nominal Domain in Languages of the Caucasus

Author(s):  
Balkız Öztürk ◽  
Ömer Eren

This chapter aims to address how Caucasian languages behave in terms of the dichotomy between noun phrases (NPs) and determiner phrases (DPs), dichotomy as specifically discussed in Bošković (2005, 2008, 2012). It uses comparative data from three Caucasian languages, namely, Laz, Abkhaz, and Kabardian. These three languages are chosen because typologically they make use of different strategies to express (in)definiteness. Abkhaz has definite and indefinite articles, while Pazar Laz is a language without articles. Kabardian, which also lacks articles, expresses definiteness and specificity through case morphology. Using Bošković’s own criteria, we show that, we shown that the NP/DP split is not enough to handle the differences among these languages. We propose that a new typology, one that allows for NP- and DP-languages as well as Kase Phrase (KP-) and null-DP-, languages is required to capture the properties of Abkhaz, Pazar Laz, and Kabardian. The chapter then discusses the implications of this new typology for the internal structures of the nominals in these three languages with a focus on what other functional projections are available and how they are ordered in the nominal domains.

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Kalt ◽  
Jonathan A. Geary

We compare speech production and find morphosyntactic change among children and adolescents speaking two closely related varieties of Quechua in Cuzco, Peru, and Chuquisaca, Bolivia. Quechua languages traditionally employ Object-Verb (OV) word order in main clauses, but robust case marking permits other orders, especially to focalize new information through constituent fronting. In Chuquisaca, but not Cuzco, we find that schoolchildren often omit the accusative suffix -ta from direct objects while retaining a prosodic trace of -ta. In other varieties, loss of accusative marking is associated with a shift towards Verb-Object (VO) word order, as in Spanish. However, we find that Chuquisaqueños use more canonical OV and possessor-possessed order in declarative sentences than do Cuzqueños, who employ a wide range of word orders at the sentence level and deviate from the possessor-possessed norm for Quechua noun phrases. Our finding of more rigid word order in Chuquisaca highlights the complex factors contributing to typological shift in word order and morphology: Omission of case morphology places a greater burden on word order to identify grammatical roles. Further, we find that Chuquisaqueño schoolchildren alone have begun to use huk, “one,” to mark indefiniteness, perhaps to replace determiner-like functions ascribed to -ta and to obsolescent markers such as evidentials.


Author(s):  
David Erschler

Iron Ossetic is an Iranian language spoken in the Caucasus. The present chapter describes the main phonological, morphological, and syntactic properties of Iron Ossetic. A brief overview is given of the geographical and historical background, published sources, and history of research on Ossetic. The chapter proceeds with an overview of phonetics and phonology of the language, after which the morphology of nominals and verbs is addressed. The discussion of syntax touches upon the overall structure of simple clauses, the structure of noun phrases, valency classes, interrogative clauses, and complex clauses. A special emphasis is put on typologically unusual properties of this language. These properties include a rich system of second position pronominal clitics with a complex pattern of placement, the behavior of negation and negative indefinites, the syntax of wh-questions and complementizers, and the formation of finite embedded clauses, including relative clauses. Relative clause functions are always expressed by correlatives.


1995 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 838-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Sandy ◽  
Michael A. Murphy ◽  
Peter U. Rodda

Investigation of specimens of “Terebratella” ovula Anderson, 1938 from the upper Lower Albian Upper Chickabally Member of the Budden Canyon Formation, Great Valley Group, California has allowed the examination of the species' internal structures by serial sectioning. “Terebratella” ovula Anderson is now referred to the genus Dzirulina Noutsoubidze, 1945. The stratigraphic range of the genus is extended from the Hauterivian–Aptian to the Albian. The geographic range of Dzirulina is increased from central and western Europe, the Caucasus and Georgia of eastern Europe, and northern Zululand, Africa to now include northern California, North America. This represents an additional record of an Early Cretaceous brachiopod genus with a low-latitude, transatlantic distribution, most probably related to dispersal across the opening Central Atlantic Ocean.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAG WESTERSTÅHL

This note explains the circumstances under which a type 〈1〉 quantifier can be decomposed into a type 〈1, 1〉 quantifier and a set, by fixing the first argument of the former to the latter. The motivation comes from the semantics of Noun Phrases (also called Determiner Phrases) in natural languages, but in this article, I focus on the logical facts. However, my examples are taken among quantifiers appearing in natural languages, and at the end, I sketch two more principled linguistic applications.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-43
Author(s):  
Amani Lusekelo

This paper articulates the syntactic properties of nouns in Swahili in relation to functional projections which are associated with both concord in determiner phrases and agreement in inflectional phrases. With regards to realisation of syntactic properties in Bantu noun phrases, three claims had been suggested based on different approaches, vis-à-vis the use of pre-prefix to denote discourse-based information about (in)definiteness, indication of phi-features in minimalist syntax by using the nominal prefix, and determination by demonstratives and possessives as supported by head proximity principle. Findings from Swahili texts point towards the fact that bare nouns receive either definite interpretation or indefinite reading depending on the context of communication. Therefore, the definite–indefinite distinction is not provided by physical linguistic materials, but by discourse-based contexts. Even when a demonstrative and/or possessive is used, it is the context of communication which situates the specific referent rather than the lexical entities. Findings indicate that the choice between demonstratives and possessives in determinations of Swahili NPs is also context bound.


Utafiti ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-141
Author(s):  
Rodrick G. Ndomba

Abstract Generally one finds there are shortages in the array of technical resources available to penetrate the morphology of Kiswahili and its similarities to, as well as its departures from, morphemic structures in other Bantu languages. The introduction of a new approach employed here is an attempt to contribute to correcting that deficit. Object relative Determiner Phrases (DPs) in Kiswahili are common noun phrases with the noun head called the object relative appearing in the initial position of the DP. The phrases also have relative words and clitics introducing relative clauses. In Kiswahili these phrases are formed via DP internal movements of the object noun to the highest position coupled with movements of the subject and verb complex. The suggestion here that the object relative moves to the highest position in DP configuration marks a significant departure from other studies. This analysis provides theoretical insights about how these constructions are mapped in the minds of Kiswahili speakers. Refinement of the morpho-syntactic display which is specific to Kiswahili is essential for helping learners of the language to master it correctly. Further research will reveal whether the analysis of the object relative adopted DP can be used to derive similar phrases in other Bantu languages, such as Sesotho, Chishona, Ikalanga, and ciNsenga.


Author(s):  
Å. Thureson-Klein

Giant mitochondria of various shapes and with different internal structures and matrix density have been observed in a great number of tissues including nerves. In most instances, the presence of giant mitochondria has been associated with a known disease or with abnormal physiological conditions such as anoxia or exposure to cytotoxic compounds. In these cases degenerative changes occurred in other cell organelles and, therefore the giant mitochondria also were believed to be induced structural abnormalities.Schwann cells ensheating unmyelinated axons of bovine splenic nerve regularly contain giant mitochondria in addition to the conventional smaller type (Fig. 1). These nerves come from healthy inspected animals presumed not to have been exposed to noxious agents. As there are no drastic changes in the small mitochondria and because other cell components also appear reasonably well preserved, it is believed that the giant mitochondria are normally present jin vivo and have not formed as a post-mortem artifact.


Author(s):  
George Hug ◽  
William K. Schubert

A white boy six months of age was hospitalized with respiratory distress and congestive heart failure. Control of the heart failure was achieved but marked cardiomegaly, moderate hepatomegaly, and minimal muscular weakness persisted.At birth a chest x-ray had been taken because of rapid breathing and jaundice and showed the heart to be of normal size. Clinical studies included: EKG which showed biventricular hypertrophy, needle liver biopsy which showed toxic hepatitis, and cardiac catheterization which showed no obstruction to left ventricular outflow. Liver and muscle biopsies revealed no biochemical or histological evidence of type II glycogexiosis (Pompe's disease). At thoracotomy, 14 milligrams of left ventricular muscle were removed. Total phosphorylase activity in the biopsy specimen was normal by biochemical analysis as was the degree of phosphorylase activation. By light microscopy, vacuoles and fine granules were seen in practically all myocardial fibers. The fibers were not hypertrophic. The endocardium was not thickened excluding endocardial fibroelastosis. Based on these findings, the diagnosis of idiopathic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy was made.


1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 162-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen B. Lucas ◽  
Norman C. Gysbers ◽  
Keith L. Buescher ◽  
P. Paul Heppner

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