Tense/aspect and the Development of Auxiliaries in Kru Languages

Tense/aspect and the Development of Auxiliaries in Kru Languages PDF Author: Lynell Marchese
Publisher: James Currey
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Tense/aspect and the Development of Auxiliaries in Kru Languages

Tense/aspect and the Development of Auxiliaries in Kru Languages PDF Author: Lynell Marchese
Publisher: James Currey
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description


Aspect and Modality in Kwa Languages

Aspect and Modality in Kwa Languages PDF Author: Felix K. Ameka
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027291381
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
This book explores the thesis that in the Kwa languages of West Africa, aspect and modality are more central to the grammar of the verb than tense. Where tense marking has emerged it is invariably in the expression of the future, and therefore concerned with the impending actualization or potentiality of an event, hence with modality, rather than the purely temporal sequencing associated with tense. The primary grammatical contrasts are perfective versus imperfective. The main languages discussed are Akan, Dangme, Ewe, Ga and Tuwuli while Nzema-Ahanta, Likpe and Eastern Gbe are also mentioned. Knowledge about these languages has deepened considerably during the past decade or so and ideas about their structure have changed. The volume therefore presents novel analyses of grammatical forms like the so-called S-Aux-O-V-Other or “future” constructions, and provides empirical data for theorizing about aspect and modality. It should be of considerable interest to Africanist linguists, typologists, and creolists interested in substrate issues.

The Oxford Handbook of Tense and Aspect

The Oxford Handbook of Tense and Aspect PDF Author: Robert I. Binnick
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195381971
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 1128

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Book Description
This Handbook is a comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible guide to the topics and theories that current form the front line of research into tense, aspect, and related areas.

Auxiliaries

Auxiliaries PDF Author: Bernd Heine
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195359275
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 175

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Book Description
Offering a new perspective on auxiliaries in particular and language structure in general, this study argues that language cannot be explained satisfactorily with reference to linguistic variables alone; what is required in addition are extra-linguistic parameters relating to how we perceive the world around us, and how we utilize the linguistic resources available to us to conceptualize our experiences, and to communicate successfully. Rather than a closed, self-contained system, language is an entity that is constantly shaped by such external factors as cognitive forces, pragmatic manipulation, history, etc. These factors are responsible for the emergence of chain-like linguistic structures, and auxiliaries are typical examples of such structures, which Heine describes as grammaticalization chains. A limited number of concrete event schemas are discussed and these schemas are shown to be responsible for much of the linguistic diversity that auxiliary constructions exhibit in the languages of the world.

Focus and Grammatical Relations in Creole Languages

Focus and Grammatical Relations in Creole Languages PDF Author: Francis Byrne
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027252335
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 346

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Book Description
For review see: Silvia Kouwenberg, in New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids, vol. 70, no. 3 & 4 (1996); p. 369-371.

The Oxford Handbook of African Languages

The Oxford Handbook of African Languages PDF Author: Rainer Vossen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191007374
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1056

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Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive overview of current research in African languages, drawing on insights from anthropological linguistics, typology, historical and comparative linguistics, and sociolinguistics. Africa is believed to host at least one third of the world's languages, usually classified into four phyla - Niger-Congo, Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Khoisan - which are then subdivided into further families and subgroupings. This volume explores all aspects of research in the field, beginning with chapters that cover the major domains of grammar and comparative approaches. Later parts provide overviews of the phyla and subfamilies, alongside grammatical sketches of eighteen representative African languages of diverse genetic affiliation. The volume additionally explores multiple other topics relating to African languages and linguistics, with a particular focus on extralinguistic issues: language, cognition, and culture, including colour terminology and conversation analysis; language and society, including language contact and endangerment; language and history; and language and orature. This wide-ranging handbook will be a valuable reference for scholars and students in all areas of African linguistics and anthropology, and for anyone interested in descriptive, documentary, typological, and comparative linguistics.

Rethinking Grammaticalization

Rethinking Grammaticalization PDF Author: María José López-Couso
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN: 9027229880
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
This volume and its companion one "Theoretical and empirical issues in grammaticalization" offer a selection of papers from the "Third International Conference New Reflections on Grammaticalization," held in Santiago de Compostela in July 2005. From the rich programme of the conference (over 120 papers), the twelve contributions included in this volume were carefully selected to reflect the state of current research in grammaticalization and suggest possible directions for future investigations in the field. Combining theoretical discussions with the analysis of particular test cases from a wide range of languages from various language families, the selected papers focus on such central questions as the need for a broader notion of grammaticalization, the distorting effects of grammaticalization on grammar, the areal perspective in grammaticalization and the relevance of contact-induced change to grammaticalization. Other topics discussed include the development of markers of textual connectivity and the emergence of cardinal numerals and numeral systems.

Himalayan Languages

Himalayan Languages PDF Author: Anju Saxena
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 311089887X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 445

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Book Description
With its many and diverse languages, including some with very long documented histories, its cultural diversity, and its widespread multilingualism- both the stable and transient kind- the Himalayan region is a treasure trove of empirical data for linguistic research on language typology and universals, historical linguistics, language contact and areal linguistics. Himalayan Languages contains contributions on Himalayan linguistics written by some of the leading experts in the field. The volume is divided into three parts: First, a general overview is given of the linguistic study of Himalayan languages and language communities. The second part offers synchronic studies of individual languages of the region (Indo-Aryan languages Shina and Kalasha, and Tibeto-Burman languages Belhare, Magar, Kinnauri, Classical Tibetan and Thangmi). The papers in the third part of the volume address topics in historical and areal linguistics, with an emphasis on the Tibeto-Burman languages of the region, discussing grammaticalization processes (in Sunwar, Newar, Seke, Tshangla and Bantawa) and the subgrouping of Tibeto-Burman.

The Linguistic Cycle

The Linguistic Cycle PDF Author: Elly van Gelderen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019975604X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 460

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Book Description
Elly van Gelderen examines the linguistic cycle and describes how it offers a unique perspective on the language faculty.

'COME' and 'GO' off the Beaten Grammaticalization Path

'COME' and 'GO' off the Beaten Grammaticalization Path PDF Author: Maud Devos
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110335980
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
This edition brings together some lesser known grammaticalization paths travelled by ‘come’ and ‘go’ in familiar and less familiar languages. No single book volume has been dedicated to the topic of grammatical targets different from tense and aspect so far. This study will increase our insight in grammaticalization processes in general as they force us to rethink certain aspects of grammaticalization.