The general noun-modifying clause construction beyond Eurasia

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong WU
Keyword(s):  
Head Noun ◽  
Close Interaction ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
General Clause ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Relative Pronouns

Abstract I aim to provide a typological investigation of the General Noun-modifying Clause Construction (NMCC) in languages other than those of Eurasia. I show that the five properties proposed by Matsumoto et al. as potentially correlating with the General NMCC are rather areal features which are falsified by the data of languages from Africa and Europe. The semantic interpretability condition and the syntactic licensing condition of the General Noun-modifying Clause Construction need reconsidering. Semantically, I argue that the interpretability of the General NMCC depends both on the semantics of the head noun and that of the modifying clause because they show close interaction with each other. Syntactically, I propose three general syntactic properties of the languages with the General NMCC, i.e. (1) no relative pronouns or relative pronouns in competition with a general clause marker, (2) complex subordinate locutions composed of the general clause marker(s) (and a head noun), and (3) unified verb forms in subordination.

The relative verb forms of Cuwabo (Bantu P34) as contextually oriented participles

Linguistics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-491
Author(s):  
Rozenn Guérois ◽  
Denis Creissels
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrase ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Bantu Languages ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
The Subject ◽  
North Western

AbstractCuwabo (Bantu P34, Mozambique) illustrates a relativization strategy, also attested in some North-Western and Central Bantu languages, whose most salient characteristics are that: (a) the initial agreement slot of the verb form does not express agreement with the subject (as in independent clauses), but agreement with the head noun; (b) the initial agreement slot of the verb form does not express agreement in person and number-gender (or class), but only in number-gender; (c) when a noun phrase other than the subject is relativized, the noun phrase encoded as the subject in the corresponding independent clause occurs in post-verbal position and does not control any agreement mechanism. In this article, we show that, in spite of the similarity between the relative verb forms of Cuwabo and the corresponding independent verb forms, and the impossibility of isolating a morphological element analyzable as a participial formative, the relative verb forms of Cuwabo are participles, with the following two particularities: they exhibit full contextual orientation, and they assign a specific grammatical role to the initial subject, whose encoding in relative clauses coincides neither with that of subjects of independent verb forms, nor with that of adnominal possessors.

scholarly journals Cyclicity and Connectivity in Nez Perce Relative Clauses

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Rose Deal
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Relative Clause ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Intermediate Position ◽  
Nez Perce ◽  
The Core ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Relative Pronouns

This article studies two aspects of movement in relative clauses, focusing on evidence from Nez Perce. First, I argue that relativization involves cyclic Ā-movement, even in monoclausal relatives: the relative operator moves to Spec,CP via an intermediate position in an Ā outer specifier of TP. The core arguments draw on word order, complementizer choice, and a pattern of case attraction for relative pronouns. Ā cyclicity of this type suggests that the TP sister of relative C constitutes a phase—a result whose implications extend to an ill-understood corner of the English that-trace effect. Second, I argue that Nez Perce relativization provides new evidence for an ambiguity thesis for relative clauses, according to which some but not all relatives are derived by head raising. The argument comes from connectivity and anticonnectivity in morphological case. A crucial role is played by a pattern of inverse case attraction, wherein the head noun surfaces in a case determined internal to the relative clause. These new data complement the range of existing arguments concerning head raising, which draw primarily on connectivity effects at the syntax-semantics interface.

scholarly journals The development of finiteness in the Transeurasian languages

Linguistics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Robbeets
Keyword(s):  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Historical Reconstruction ◽  
Finite Function ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
The World ◽  
Turkic Languages ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Matrix Verb

AbstractNonfinite verb forms can gradually acquire morphological and syntactic properties of finiteness. Across the languages of the world, such developments can follow various pathways with various results. In this article, I first discuss the four major pathways mechanisms for developing finite function on formerly nonfinite forms. Next, I argue that the Transeurasian languages (i. e., Japanese, Korean, Tungusic, Mongolic, and Turkic languages) share a common mechanism. Historical reconstruction indicates that these languages all show the tendency to reanalyze directly a nonfinite verb form as a finite one, without the omission of a specific matrix verb. I refer to this tendency as “indirect insubordination”. I argue that the recurrence of indirect insubordination on formally related suffixes can be taken as an indication of common ancestorship.

scholarly journals On The Implicit Negation via Subjunctive Mood

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Azganush Mnatsyan
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Formal Description ◽  
Subjunctive Mood ◽  
Close Interaction ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
Semantic Value

Extensive research on negation in linguistics has not only led to new theories but also dictated a range of ideas.In the frame of this article an effort is made to reveal semantic-functional traits of verb forms from a modal perspective. The basis of the study is mood-negation correlation. The formal description of the categories allows us to see the immediate differences of negation and changeability of form and meaning in different mood forms.The corpus at our data shows that the semantic value of implicit negative constructions is context-driven as a result of the close interaction of negation with modal categories. In the paradigm of the subjunctive form some affirmative constructions come into use as negatively charged linguistic items. Moreover, mood categories conflate under the rubric of  realis - irrealis. 

A corpus-based analysis of pronoun choice in German relative clauses

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 195-218
Author(s):  
Patrick Brandt ◽  
Eric Fuß
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Relative Pronouns

Abstract This paper investigates the conditions that govern the choice between the German neuter singular relative pronouns das ‘that’ and was ‘what’. We show that das requires a lexical head noun, while in all other cases was is usually the preferred option; therefore, the distribution of das and was is most successfully captured by an approach that does not treat was as an exception but analyzes it as the elsewhere case that applies when the relativizer fails to pick up a lexical gender feature from the head noun. We furthermore show how the non-uniform behavior of different types of nominalized adjectives (positives allow both options, while superlatives trigger was) can be attributed to semantic differences rooted in syntactic structure. In particular, we argue that superlatives select was due to the presence of a silent counterpart of the quantifier alles ‘all’ that is part of the superlative structure.

scholarly journals Delineating Turkic non-finite verb forms by syntactic function

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Jonathan North Washington ◽  
Francis Morton Tyers
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Verb Morphology ◽  
Verbal Noun ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
Turkic Languages ◽  
Syntactic Function ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Finite Verb

In this paper, we argue against the primary categories of non-finite verb used in the Turkology literature: “participle” (причастие ‹pričastije›) and “converb” (деепричастие ‹dejepričastije›). We argue that both of these terms conflate several discrete phenomena, and that they furthermore are not coherent as umbrella terms for these phenomena. Based on detailed study of the non-finite verb morphology and syntax of a wide range of Turkic languages (presented here are Turkish, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tatar, Tuvan, and Sakha), we instead propose delineation of these categories according to their morphological and syntactic properties. Specifically, we propose that more accurate categories are verbal noun, verbal adjective, verbal adverb, and infinitive. This approach has far-reaching implications to the study of syntactic phenomena in Turkic languages, including phenomena ranging from relative clauses to clause chaining.

scholarly journals The use of attributive clauses in spoken Lithuanian

2016 ◽  
pp. 55-71
Author(s):  
Laura Kamandulytė-Merfeldienė ◽  
Ingrida Balčiūnienė
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Linguistics ◽  
Spontaneous Speech ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Subordinate Clause ◽  
Syntactic Analysis ◽  
Public Speech ◽  
Subordinate Clauses ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Relative Pronouns ◽  
Attributive Adjectives

The syntactic features of spoken Lithuanian are still under-researched due to insufficient data bases, limited technologies, and research methodologies. During the last years, the "Corpus of Spoken Lithuanian" (developed at Vytautas Magnus University; 225,000 words; 80 hours of digitalized audio recordings) has been syntactically annotated, and this has enabled complex automatized syntactic analysis. In the present paper, one of the first such studies is presented and its results are discussed. The corpus linguistics methodology has been employed.The paper deals with the frequency and basic types of attributive clauses in spoken Lithuanian language. The results of the study have highlighted that attributive clauses tend to be more frequent (up to 15% of all subordinate clauses) in public speech, and they are significantly less frequent (up to 7% of all subordinate clauses) in private spontaneous speech.The position of a subordinate clause after the head noun is unmarked and the most frequent in public speech and spontaneous private speech. Consequently, 65% and 88% of all attributive adjectives followed the head noun in private spontaneous speech and in public speech. Since in Lithuanian the word order is not so strict, in private spontaneous speech constructions with a subordinate clause before the head noun are used.The analysis of subordinating conjunctions and relative pronouns has revealed that in public speech the link between a subordinate clause and an independent clause tends to be expressed by the relative pronoun "kuris", "kuri" (‘which’). Namely, in public speech, this pronoun is employed in 85% of all attributive clauses. The number of relative pronouns in private spoken speech reaches only 30%, whereas the subordinating conjunction "kur" (‘where’) has been used in the majority of attributive clauses (51%).The findings of the study reveal the main tendencies in the distribution and frequency of attributive clauses and suggest that the usage of attributive clauses depends, to a large extent, on the register of spoken language.

Waja

2020 ◽  
pp. 506-520
Author(s):  
Ulrich Kleinewillinghöfer
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Head Noun ◽  
Vowel Harmony ◽  
Verbal Nouns ◽  
Basic Word ◽  
Phonological Features ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
Genetic Unit ◽  
Noun Class ◽  
Basic Motion

Waja is spoken in Southern Gombe State, NE Nigeria. It is the largest language of the Tula-Waja group. Waja is one of the few “Adamawa” noun class languages and also one of the key languages validating the notion of an “Adamawa-Gur” genetic unit. In Waja, noun class markers are suffixed to the nouns, while the basic pattern of concord marking is bilateral affixation/cliticization. Verbs have three basic forms: two contrasting aspectual verb forms, “definite” and “indefinite”, and verbal nouns. Productive verb extensions are pluractional, altrilocal-ventive, passive/intransitive, applicative, directional, and benefactive. Basic motion and posture verbs form their own verb class, and they require copy pronouns. The basic word order in clauses is SVO; the head noun generally precedes modifiers. Notable phonological features of Waja are ATR vowel harmony with twelve phonetic and nine phonemic vowels, and prenasalized and labialized stops.

The impact of verb form, sentence position, home language, and second language proficiency on subject–verb agreement in child second language Dutch

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 777-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELMA BLOM ◽  
HARALD R. BAAYEN
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Verb Agreement ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
Sentence Position ◽  
Default Form ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Communication Demands ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTIt has been argued that children learning a second language (L2) omit agreement inflection because of communication demands. The conclusion of these studies is that L2 children know the morphological and syntactic properties of agreement inflection, but sometimes insert an inflectional default form (i.e., the bare verb) in production. The present study focuses on factors that explain errors with subject–verb agreement in the speech of children learning Dutch as their L2. Analyses of experimentally obtained production data from 4- to 9-year-old L2 children reveal that verb form, sentence position, home language, and L2 proficiency determine accuracy with subject–verb agreement in the L2. Most errors were omissions of inflection, in line with the above hypothesis. However, in more exceptional contexts, the children also substituted verb forms, which is more difficult to reconcile with the claim that L2 children's errors reflect insertion of a default form.

Morpho-syntactic properties of simultaneous bilingualism: Evidence from bilingual English-Turkish

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 793-803
Author(s):  
Belma Haznedar
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Null Subjects ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Verbal Morphology ◽  
Bilingual Child ◽  
Verb Agreement ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
The One ◽  
Syntactic Properties

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: A number of studies on the acquisition of non-null subject languages in child grammars have suggested that while overt subjects are mainly used with finite forms, null subjects co-occur with non-finite forms. The purpose of this study is to explore the proposed relationship between subject realization and verbal morphology in a simultaneous bilingual context. Design/Methodology/Approach: Longitudinal case study Data and Analysis: The present study analyses longitudinal data from an English-Turkish bilingual child (2;4–3;9), with special reference to the distribution of finite forms and the suppliance of overt subjects on the one hand, and subject drop and the use of non-finite forms, on the other. The English/Turkish data comprise 37 recordings collected regularly for nearly 18 months. Findings/Conclusions: English-Turkish bilingual data show that the majority of the overt subjects in the English language of the bilingual child occur both with inflected and uninflected verb forms. At a time the child has consistent and productive suppliance of overt subjects in his English, he uses uninflected verb forms with overt subjects, suggesting that the proposed association discussed in the literature does not necessarily hold. Moreover, around the same time the bilingual child’s Turkish presents robust evidence for the productive and systematic use of inflected forms as well as omission of subjects. Originality and significance/implications: These data, based on a less commonly studied language pair, English-Turkish, challenge previous research that postulates an association between overt subjects and finite forms versus null subjects and non-finite root forms. Overall, there appears to be a relationship between the acquisition of subject–verb agreement in the bilingual child’s Turkish and the correct suppliance of overt subjects in his English, suggesting language-particular devices for the realization of person deixis.

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