Abstract This paper provides the first cross-linguistic study on non-exhaustive connectives. After defining non-exhaustivity and briefly exploring the range of linguistic strategies encoding it across languages, the methodology underlying the study will be discussed. Based on the analysis of 35 languages, for which at least one non-exhaustive connective was found, it will be argued that non-exhaustive connectives exhibit quite homogenous distributional properties and derive from a restricted set of recurrent diachronic sources. Speakers are indeed likely to mobilize i) elements already encoding or implying non-exhaustivity, ii) elements expressing an epistemic condition of uncertainty, or iii) elements expressing exemplification.
{"title":"Non-exhaustive connectives","authors":"Alessandra Barotto, Caterina Mauri","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2022-1056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2022-1056","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper provides the first cross-linguistic study on non-exhaustive connectives. After defining non-exhaustivity and briefly exploring the range of linguistic strategies encoding it across languages, the methodology underlying the study will be discussed. Based on the analysis of 35 languages, for which at least one non-exhaustive connective was found, it will be argued that non-exhaustive connectives exhibit quite homogenous distributional properties and derive from a restricted set of recurrent diachronic sources. Speakers are indeed likely to mobilize i) elements already encoding or implying non-exhaustivity, ii) elements expressing an epistemic condition of uncertainty, or iii) elements expressing exemplification.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"31 1","pages":"317 - 377"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83625935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The internal structure of numeral systems can shed light on processes of word formation, language contact and change. In this article I analyze the numeral system of P’urhepecha on the basis of historical and contemporary sources. The system is unusual typologically and areally since it possesses monolexemic terms to six, while seven to nine are compounds with five; and the forms for the base (20) and next power (400) have clear non-corporeal meanings. I also provide a more nuanced evaluation of vigesimal counting systems in Mesoamerica. The language-internal and external findings underline the importance of more detailed historical studies of P’urhepecha.
{"title":"The numeral system of P’urhepecha: historical and typological perspectives","authors":"K. Bellamy","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2022-1053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2022-1053","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The internal structure of numeral systems can shed light on processes of word formation, language contact and change. In this article I analyze the numeral system of P’urhepecha on the basis of historical and contemporary sources. The system is unusual typologically and areally since it possesses monolexemic terms to six, while seven to nine are compounds with five; and the forms for the base (20) and next power (400) have clear non-corporeal meanings. I also provide a more nuanced evaluation of vigesimal counting systems in Mesoamerica. The language-internal and external findings underline the importance of more detailed historical studies of P’urhepecha.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"36 1","pages":"199 - 238"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74804778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Turkic and Uralic languages of the Russian Volga-Kama Region share a strong preference for transitivization over detransitivization (in contrast to Russian), leading to wide usage of causative derivational suffixes. These tendencies are typical for Turkic and Uralic however and do not necessarily require a contact-linguistic explanation. However, microvariation in causative constructions in these languages and their dialects show convergence between unrelated or distantly related varieties – i.e., strong indicators of contact-induced convergence. This paper looks at such facets in three Uralic (Mari, Udmurt, Komi-Permyak) and two Turkic (Tatar, Chuvash) languages of the region.
{"title":"Causatives in the languages of the Volga-Kama Region","authors":"J. Bradley, Nikolett F. Gulyás, András Czentnár","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2022-1050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2022-1050","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Turkic and Uralic languages of the Russian Volga-Kama Region share a strong preference for transitivization over detransitivization (in contrast to Russian), leading to wide usage of causative derivational suffixes. These tendencies are typical for Turkic and Uralic however and do not necessarily require a contact-linguistic explanation. However, microvariation in causative constructions in these languages and their dialects show convergence between unrelated or distantly related varieties – i.e., strong indicators of contact-induced convergence. This paper looks at such facets in three Uralic (Mari, Udmurt, Komi-Permyak) and two Turkic (Tatar, Chuvash) languages of the region.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"46 1 1","pages":"99 - 128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90561369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Amis (Austronesian, Taiwan) displays a rich, partly symmetrical voice system and a split case-marking pattern which are selected and restricted by (i) verb classes whose basic diathesis correlates with semantic properties such as activities versus states, and (ii) by Aktionsart features (i.e., atelic activities versus telic accomplishment and achievements), which also denote degrees of patient affectedness. Referential features such as patient definiteness, and semantic features such as agent’s animacy and intentionality also bear on voice selection. This voice system offers alternate ways of encoding arguments within a bipartite case-marking pattern; it also promotes peripheral, non-core arguments to subject function via applicative voice constructions.
{"title":"Lexical restrictions on grammatical relations in voice constructions (Northern Amis)","authors":"I. Bril","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2022-1048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2022-1048","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Amis (Austronesian, Taiwan) displays a rich, partly symmetrical voice system and a split case-marking pattern which are selected and restricted by (i) verb classes whose basic diathesis correlates with semantic properties such as activities versus states, and (ii) by Aktionsart features (i.e., atelic activities versus telic accomplishment and achievements), which also denote degrees of patient affectedness. Referential features such as patient definiteness, and semantic features such as agent’s animacy and intentionality also bear on voice selection. This voice system offers alternate ways of encoding arguments within a bipartite case-marking pattern; it also promotes peripheral, non-core arguments to subject function via applicative voice constructions.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"11 1","pages":"21 - 71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78583597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This paper surveys the valency-increasing constructions that apply to motion verbs in 49 genetically diverse languages. These include causative constructions, a variety of applicative constructions and the portative construction which is a valency-increasing construction that is lexically restricted to motion verbs. In the portative construction, the verb’s valency is increased by adding theme as a P-argument, but conceptually there is also an element of (co-motional) causation. However, the paper argues that the construction is neither causative nor applicative. Instead, the portative construction, which is frequent in the sample languages, should be considered a distinct type of valency-increasing construction.
{"title":"Increasing the valency of motion verbs: the case of the portative construction","authors":"Maria Messerschmidt","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2022-1052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2022-1052","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper surveys the valency-increasing constructions that apply to motion verbs in 49 genetically diverse languages. These include causative constructions, a variety of applicative constructions and the portative construction which is a valency-increasing construction that is lexically restricted to motion verbs. In the portative construction, the verb’s valency is increased by adding theme as a P-argument, but conceptually there is also an element of (co-motional) causation. However, the paper argues that the construction is neither causative nor applicative. Instead, the portative construction, which is frequent in the sample languages, should be considered a distinct type of valency-increasing construction.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"17 1","pages":"161 - 197"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85133972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Western Malayo-Polynesian (WMP) languages exhibit inner diversity with regard to voice systems. While some lack verbal morphology encoding voice alternations, others demonstrate so-called symmetrical voice alternations. This paper discusses the internal typological grouping within the latter classification of languages, which are further categorized as being either Indonesian-type and Philippine-type. There are, however, certain languages that do not exhibit all the criteria of either category, but do display symmetrical voice alternations. These languages can be viewed as having ‘transitional’ features. With a focus on two languages from Indonesia, this paper aims to provide a new semantic perspective for describing one of these transitional features by examining voice alternations and categorizing the languages as having either a derivational voice system or an inflectional voice system.
{"title":"Semantic typology of voice systems in Western Malayo-Polynesian languages","authors":"A. Utsumi","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2022-1051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2022-1051","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Western Malayo-Polynesian (WMP) languages exhibit inner diversity with regard to voice systems. While some lack verbal morphology encoding voice alternations, others demonstrate so-called symmetrical voice alternations. This paper discusses the internal typological grouping within the latter classification of languages, which are further categorized as being either Indonesian-type and Philippine-type. There are, however, certain languages that do not exhibit all the criteria of either category, but do display symmetrical voice alternations. These languages can be viewed as having ‘transitional’ features. With a focus on two languages from Indonesia, this paper aims to provide a new semantic perspective for describing one of these transitional features by examining voice alternations and categorizing the languages as having either a derivational voice system or an inflectional voice system.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"50 1","pages":"129 - 160"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86920997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract In this paper, I consider double causatives in Mehweb, a one village language spoken in Daghestan, Russia, and belonging to the Dargwa branch of East Caucasian. The capability of stacking two causative suffixes seems to be lexically restricted, and mapping onto verbal meanings that are typically P-labile in the languages of the family. Interestingly, the verbs allowing double causatives are not morphosyntactically labile in Mehweb, which is generally poor in labile verbs as compared to sister languages. I conclude that the ability to form double causatives is not a consequence of the morphosyntactic property of being labile; rather, both morphosyntactic properties follow from the same component of the lexical semantics of these verbs and ultimately from the properties of the situational concepts they convey. As a tentative functional explanation I suggest that the relevant property is the weakened status of the agentive participant.
{"title":"Double causatives, lability and elusive agent in Mehweb","authors":"Michael Daniel","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2022-1049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2022-1049","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In this paper, I consider double causatives in Mehweb, a one village language spoken in Daghestan, Russia, and belonging to the Dargwa branch of East Caucasian. The capability of stacking two causative suffixes seems to be lexically restricted, and mapping onto verbal meanings that are typically P-labile in the languages of the family. Interestingly, the verbs allowing double causatives are not morphosyntactically labile in Mehweb, which is generally poor in labile verbs as compared to sister languages. I conclude that the ability to form double causatives is not a consequence of the morphosyntactic property of being labile; rather, both morphosyntactic properties follow from the same component of the lexical semantics of these verbs and ultimately from the properties of the situational concepts they convey. As a tentative functional explanation I suggest that the relevant property is the weakened status of the agentive participant.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"45 1","pages":"73 - 97"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88239463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Temporal/aspectual morphology often serves as a diagnostic for actional classes. Bantu languages are known for their highly developed tense, aspect (and mood) systems. The East Ruvu Bantu languages of Tanzania are unusual in that they exhibit a decidedly reduced set of temporal/aspectual morphemes. This paper contributes to the growing body of research on Bantu actionality in showing that despite not being encoded overtly, perfective distinguishes between at least two actional classes. We suggest, however, that imperfective, morphologically encoded by present and non-past tense morphology, does not clearly delineate between the two verb classes. This discussion highlights the complex interaction between tense and aspect.
{"title":"(Im)perfectivity and actionality in East Ruvu Bantu","authors":"L. Bar-el, M. Petzell","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2021-1044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2021-1044","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Temporal/aspectual morphology often serves as a diagnostic for actional classes. Bantu languages are known for their highly developed tense, aspect (and mood) systems. The East Ruvu Bantu languages of Tanzania are unusual in that they exhibit a decidedly reduced set of temporal/aspectual morphemes. This paper contributes to the growing body of research on Bantu actionality in showing that despite not being encoded overtly, perfective distinguishes between at least two actional classes. We suggest, however, that imperfective, morphologically encoded by present and non-past tense morphology, does not clearly delineate between the two verb classes. This discussion highlights the complex interaction between tense and aspect.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"27 1","pages":"533 - 559"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73621601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This paper explores the verbal system of Tundra Nenets and offers a partition of the entire set of derivationally minimal verbs into actional classes, which include stative, process, inceptive-stative, ingressive-atelic, durative and punctual telic, durative and punctual ingressive, and bi-telic verbs. This classification is established in a bottom-up manner, starting from the lowest level of actional interpretations of individual subparadigms of a verb. As a result, 18 subparadigmatic classes are established. At the next stage, an actional characteristic is assigned to the entire paradigm and the 18 subparadigmatic classes are reduced to seven actional macroclasses. However, at the paradigmatic level, one discovers that for certain types of verbs actional information available paradigm-internally does not suffice. To recover the missing information, one needs to examine derivationally related lexical items that realize semantic configurations unavailable paradigm-internally. This paradigm-external perspective leads to the recognition of cross-paradigmatic actional characteristics assigned to groups of derivationally related verbs.
{"title":"Actionality across (sub)paradigms","authors":"S. Tatevosov","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2021-1045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2021-1045","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper explores the verbal system of Tundra Nenets and offers a partition of the entire set of derivationally minimal verbs into actional classes, which include stative, process, inceptive-stative, ingressive-atelic, durative and punctual telic, durative and punctual ingressive, and bi-telic verbs. This classification is established in a bottom-up manner, starting from the lowest level of actional interpretations of individual subparadigms of a verb. As a result, 18 subparadigmatic classes are established. At the next stage, an actional characteristic is assigned to the entire paradigm and the 18 subparadigmatic classes are reduced to seven actional macroclasses. However, at the paradigmatic level, one discovers that for certain types of verbs actional information available paradigm-internally does not suffice. To recover the missing information, one needs to examine derivationally related lexical items that realize semantic configurations unavailable paradigm-internally. This paradigm-external perspective leads to the recognition of cross-paradigmatic actional characteristics assigned to groups of derivationally related verbs.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"83 1","pages":"561 - 620"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83983196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The framework proposed in the works of Robert Botne and Tiffany Kershner has been widely used to classify verbs in Bantu languages. In this framework, verbs encode events which consist of maximally three phases: onset (represents the coming-to-be phase), nucleus (represents the state change itself; can also be represented as a coming-to-be phase if the verb lacks an onset) and coda (represents the result-state phase). Hence, verbs are defined depending on which phases they encode and whether particular phases are punctual or durative. The phasal structures of verbs can be diagnosed using various tests. The application of these diagnostics to Nyamwezi (a Tanzanian Bantu language, [nym]) produces three significant variations. First, Botne and Kershner’s conception of statives as events with no phasal structure is not tenable in Nyamwezi. The tests show that in Nyamwezi, statives have structure. Second, some classes described in Botne and Kershner do not occur in Nyamwezi. Third, in Botne and Kershner’s works, classes are described depending on whether particular phases are punctual or durative. In addition to this characteristic, the classes in Nyamwezi can also be described depending on whether particular phases are dynamic or static, and whether the result state is permanent or reversible.
Robert Botne和Tiffany Kershner提出的动词分类框架被广泛用于班图语的动词分类。在这个框架中,动词编码最多由三个阶段组成的事件:开始(代表即将到来的阶段),核心(代表状态变化本身;也可以表示为将来阶段(如果动词没有开始)和结束阶段(表示结果状态阶段)。因此,动词的定义取决于它们编码的阶段,以及特定的阶段是准时的还是持续的。动词的相位结构可以通过各种测试来诊断。将这些诊断应用于Nyamwezi(坦桑尼亚班图语,nym)产生了三个显著的变化。首先,Botne和Kershner将状态作为没有阶段结构的事件的概念在Nyamwezi中是站不住脚的。试验表明,在尼亚姆韦齐语中,静态语是有结构的。其次,博特恩和克什纳所描述的一些类别在尼亚姆韦齐语中并不存在。第三,在Botne和Kershner的作品中,课程的描述取决于特定阶段是准时的还是持续的。除了这个特性之外,Nyamwezi中的类还可以根据特定阶段是动态的还是静态的,以及结果状态是永久的还是可逆的来描述。
{"title":"The robustness of Botne and Kershner aspectual classes in Nyamwezi","authors":"P. Kanijo","doi":"10.1515/stuf-2021-1043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/stuf-2021-1043","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The framework proposed in the works of Robert Botne and Tiffany Kershner has been widely used to classify verbs in Bantu languages. In this framework, verbs encode events which consist of maximally three phases: onset (represents the coming-to-be phase), nucleus (represents the state change itself; can also be represented as a coming-to-be phase if the verb lacks an onset) and coda (represents the result-state phase). Hence, verbs are defined depending on which phases they encode and whether particular phases are punctual or durative. The phasal structures of verbs can be diagnosed using various tests. The application of these diagnostics to Nyamwezi (a Tanzanian Bantu language, [nym]) produces three significant variations. First, Botne and Kershner’s conception of statives as events with no phasal structure is not tenable in Nyamwezi. The tests show that in Nyamwezi, statives have structure. Second, some classes described in Botne and Kershner do not occur in Nyamwezi. Third, in Botne and Kershner’s works, classes are described depending on whether particular phases are punctual or durative. In addition to this characteristic, the classes in Nyamwezi can also be described depending on whether particular phases are dynamic or static, and whether the result state is permanent or reversible.","PeriodicalId":43533,"journal":{"name":"STUF-Language Typology and Universals","volume":"9 1","pages":"507 - 532"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85107082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}