Typology and diachrony of converbs in Indo-Aryan

Non-finite forms constitute an important component of the verbal system of Indo-Aryan (IA) languages. On the one hand, some of them, such as e.g., converbs, have already received proper attention in historical linguistics and typological literature, with regard to Old Indo-Aryan (OIA), Middle Indo-Aryan (MIA) and New Indo-Aryan (NIA) (cf. Tikkanen 1987; Peterson 1998; Subbarao 2012 among others). Other forms, such as participles, have usually been analysed in the wider context of reorganisation of a finite verbal system which led to alignment change (for recent discussion see Dahl and Stroński 2016). On the other hand, adverbial participles or infinitives have so far been under-studied (cf. Sigorski 2005), particularly within early NIA. This period in the history of IA languages witnessed several important morphosyntactic developments and still requires in-depth study, particularly due to the lack of well-edited corpora. The aim of the present paper is to partly fill this gap by highlighting major trends in the development of constructions based on various non-finite forms in early NIA. We focus on main argument marking in converbal chain constructions and its interplay with the animacy hierarchy. We demonstrate a relative stability of differential case marking (DCM), focusing mainly on conditions on differential subject marking (DSM) and differential object marking (DOM). In addition, we compare converbal chain constructions with participial absolute constructions (AC). Finally, in order to give a holistic view of converbal constructions, we verify the type of linking instantiated by them, focusing on three scopal parameters in converbal constructions (Tense, Illocutionary Force and Negation) and using the apparatus of Role and Reference Grammar and Multivariate Analysis.

Old English verbs of learning: Information and knowledge acquisition

The aim of this article is to provide an inventory of Old English verbs belonging to the class of learning on the grounds of their common semantic components and shared grammatical behavior. The framework of verb classes and alternations and Role and Reference Grammar provide the theoretical basis for this study. Both textual and lexicographical sources have been used to select the data for the analysis of the linking between semantics and syntax with these verbs. The main conclusion of the article is that, considering the constructions and alternations in which they are found in Old English, the verbs (ge)frignan, (ge)leornian, ofācsian, and onfindan are the best candidates for membership of the class of verbs of learning.

Old English verbs of increasing: the semantics and syntax of change in size

<span lang="EN-US">This article aims at defining a class of Old English verbs of increasing based on both their common semantic components and grammatical behavior. On the theoretical side, the framework of verb classes and alternations is combined with Role and Reference Grammar. The data selected for this study have been extracted from both textual and lexicographical sources. After the analysis of the linking between syntax and semantics in this set of verbs, the conclusion is reached that </span><span lang="EN-US"><em>āðindan</em>, <em>āweaxan</em>, <em>ēacan</em>, <em>(ge)ēacnian</em> and <em>(ge)weaxan</em></span><span lang="EN-US"> are the best candidates for membership of the verbal class of increasing, considering the constructions and alternations that they present.</span>

The Syntactic Role of Arabic Language on Accusative Adjunct in The Book Nashā'iḥul-‘Ibād: An Overview to The Grammar Role and Reference

<p>This research explains the categories and syntactic roles of Arabic in the book <em>Nashâ? Iħul-ʕIbâd</em> by Syekh Nawawi Al-Bantani based on the theory of roles and references grammar. This research is a descriptive qualitative with a purposive sampling method of presenting data that is separated from 112 data. The research method used in this study is the Agih method with basic techniques for direct elements using advanced techniques in the form of markup reading techniques on lingual element in Arabic grammar. The theory for determining the accusative adjunct markers of Arabic used is Valin's (1993) role and reference grammar theory using Kroeger's (2005) definition to look for core and peripheral elements in sentences. This research has found that the word categories of accusative adjunct can be the noun 'ism', the determiner 'muhaddad', the adjective 'naʕt', the adverb 'dharf', and the negation 'nafi', while the phrase category is the nominal phrase 'al-ʕibarah. al-ismiyyah ', the adverbial phrase 'al-ʕibarah adh-dharfiyyah ', and the adjective phrase' al-ʕibarah an-naʕʈiyyah '. In terms of the role of grammar syntax role and reference, adjunct can have any function as a clause modifier with evidential functions, as a core modifier with a function of manner, place, location, cause, and quantity, and also as a nucleus modifier with a affirmating function.</p>

Junctures in Etulo Verb Serialization

Verb serialization involves the use of two or more verbs in the expression of series of related events. This feature has been established for West African languages and also for Etulo, an Idomoid language of the Benue Congo language family. This present study examines verb serialization in Etulo in order to ascertain the juncture types that can be confirmed for the language. The study adopts the Role and Reference Grammar theoretical approach in the analysis of the data. Data for the study were elicited from Etulo native speakers resident in Adi, Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Based on the analysis of the collected data, the study confirms both nuclear and core junctures for Etulo language. Furthermore, these junctures are distinguished on the basis of argument realization and sharing in the language.

VERBAL CLITICS IN ROLE AND REFERENCE GRAMMAR

Purpose of the study: The present study analyses the interplay of semantics, syntax and pragmatics in Pashto clauses containing verbal clitics (VC) in the light of the Role and Reference framework. It particularly focuses on the relational aspect of the clause. The lexical representation of the predicating elements is presented. Methodology: The four projections of a Pashto clause i.e., constituent projection, operator projection, logical structure projection and focus structure projection are analyzed in the Role and Reference Grammar theoretical framework. Main Findings: The findings of the study show that VCs are different from both agreement markers and pronouns with some shared properties. A linking algorithm is proposed for Pashto from semantics to syntax and syntax-to-semantics based on the activation level of the referents. Applications of this study: The study analyses the discourse pragmatic conditions responsible for the occurrence of VCs in Pashto clause terms of role and reference grammar. The novelty of this study: The study has novelty in the sense that it describes the structure of the Pashto clause from a discourse pragmatic perspective which has never been investigated in previous studies. The study shows the movement is triggered by both actor (in present) and undergoer (in past) along with syntactic neutralization. The VCs are different from both agreement markers and pronouns with some shared properties identifying dative arguments like arguments and causing doubling like agreement markers and so, are linked to an ‘agreement index’ node.

Word Order Alignment in Three-Argument Constructions of Irish

This study examines the ordering of the actor (A), theme (T) and recipient (R) arguments in three-argument clauses, the prepositional ditransitive constructions of Irish. The ordering of the A, T and R arguments in three-argument clauses is an area where linguistic complexity is manifest in the Irish grammar. Across languages, the factors which influence word order adjustments, from a basic word order of A-T-R, are known to include iconicity, information structure and topicalisation, the distinction between given and new information, the effects of the various referential hierarchies, and syntactic weight. We show that some, but not all, of these apply to the Irish data. Under certain conditions, the word order of these Irish three-argument clauses changes in a different alignment. Specifically, if the T is an accusative pronoun then the word order alignment changes and consequently the T occurs after the R in clause final position, yielding an A R-T word order. We argue that post-positioning of the theme PN is due to the alignment effects that can be explained by reference to the nominal and person hierarchies, and their intersection with the principle of syntactic weight. The Irish grammar seems to be disposed to place the accusative object PN T in clause final position in word order, adding an imposed salience. We characterise the effects of the nominal and person hierarchies, and syntactic weight, on word order within these constructions. We use elements of the functional model of Role and Reference Grammar in this characterisation. These word alignment effects raise important questions of the distribution of linguistic complexity across the grammar of Irish, and the interfaces between semantics, and syntax, as well as information structure.