Startseite Cut and break verbs in Yélî Dnye, the Papuan language of Rossel Island
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Cut and break verbs in Yélî Dnye, the Papuan language of Rossel Island

  • Stephen C Levinson EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 25. September 2007
Cognitive Linguistics
Aus der Zeitschrift Band 18 Heft 2

Abstract

The paper explores verbs of cutting and breaking (C&B, hereafter) in Yélî Dnye, the Papuan language of Rossel Island. The Yélî Dnye verbs covering the C&B domain do not divide it in the expected way, with verbs focusing on special instruments and manners of action on the one hand, and verbs focusing on the resultant state on the other. Instead, just three transitive verbs and their intransitive counterparts cover most of the domain, and they are all based on ‘exotic’ distinctions in mode of severance—coherent severance with the grain vs. against the grain, and incoherent severance (regardless of grain).


* Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Postbus 310, Nijmegen, 6525XD, The Netherlands.

Received: 2004-11-24
Revised: 2006-12-08
Published Online: 2007-09-25
Published in Print: 2007-09-19

© Walter de Gruyter

Heruntergeladen am 23.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/COG.2007.009/html
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