T. Crane, Remah Lubambo, M Petrus Mabena, Cordelia Nkwinika, Muhle Sibisi, Onelisa Slater
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
We employ a cluster approach to explore the comparative semantic maps of several markers of modal possibility –
the “potential” prefix nga‑ and expressions meaning, roughly, ‘know how to’ and ‘be able to’ – in four South
African Nguni languages: isiNdebele, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Siswati. We also compare the Nguni results with results from Xitsonga, a
closely related language outside of the Nguni clade. The languages exhibit cross-linguistic differences in the expansion of core
meanings, some of which do not appear to follow the cross-linguistically common diachronic pattern in which goal-oriented modality
precedes deontic modality. In addition, the distinction between inherent and learned ability is salient in several of these
languages. Semantic maps of the markers’ functional distributions further show the diversity of modal systems that can be found
even in closely related languages in significant contact with one another.
期刊介绍：
Studies in Language provides a forum for the discussion of issues in contemporary linguistics from discourse-pragmatic, functional, and typological perspectives. Areas of central concern are: discourse grammar; syntactic, morphological and semantic universals; pragmatics; grammaticalization and grammaticalization theory; and the description of problems in individual languages from a discourse-pragmatic, functional, and typological perspective. Special emphasis is placed on works which contribute to the development of discourse-pragmatic, functional, and typological theory and which explore the application of empirical methodology to the analysis of grammar.
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