Home Linguistics & Semiotics Converbs and adverbial clauses in Badaga, a South-Dravidian language
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Converbs and adverbial clauses in Badaga, a South-Dravidian language

  • Christiane Pilot-Raichoor
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
Clause Linking and Clause Hierarchy
This chapter is in the book Clause Linking and Clause Hierarchy

Abstract

This paper analyzes complex sentence constructions in Badaga, a Dravidian language spoken in Southern India. After identifying the strategies used to express clause dependency, mainly based on converbs, adjectival participles and a quotative element, it examines their use and distribution in different semantic functions: temporal, causal, purposive etc. A few sample cases of the simultaneous use of these strategies in complex sentences will be given. Noticeable findings are that (i) there is a clear distinction between a polyfunctional dependent contextual converb and several specialized converbs, constructing more autonomous adverbial clauses, and (ii) none of the clause dependency strategies is specific to a single semantic function. Crucially, word order, and prosodic and pragmatic factors contribute to the interpretation of dependent clauses.

Abstract

This paper analyzes complex sentence constructions in Badaga, a Dravidian language spoken in Southern India. After identifying the strategies used to express clause dependency, mainly based on converbs, adjectival participles and a quotative element, it examines their use and distribution in different semantic functions: temporal, causal, purposive etc. A few sample cases of the simultaneous use of these strategies in complex sentences will be given. Noticeable findings are that (i) there is a clear distinction between a polyfunctional dependent contextual converb and several specialized converbs, constructing more autonomous adverbial clauses, and (ii) none of the clause dependency strategies is specific to a single semantic function. Crucially, word order, and prosodic and pragmatic factors contribute to the interpretation of dependent clauses.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Editor’s introduction 1
  5. Part I. Syntactic terminology and typological methods
  6. Clause linkage and Nexus in Papuan languages 27
  7. Capturing particulars and universals in clause linkage 51
  8. Part II. Clause-chaining, converbs, masdars, absolutive constructions, etc.
  9. Specialized converbs and adverbial subordination in Axaxdәrә Akhvakh 105
  10. Finite and non-finite 143
  11. Converbs and adverbial clauses in Badaga, a South-Dravidian language 165
  12. Coordination, converbs and clause chaining in Coptic Egyptian typology and structural analysis 203
  13. Part III. Subordination, informational hierarchy and referential hierarchy
  14. Informational and referential hierarchy 269
  15. Comment clause 313
  16. Deixis, information structure and clause linkage in Yafi’ Arabic (Yemen) 333
  17. The role of the Berber deictic and TAM markers in dependent clauses in Zenaga 355
  18. Deixis and temporal subordinators in Pomak (Slavic, Greece) 399
  19. Correlative markers as phoric “Grammaticalised Category Markers” of subordination in German 421
  20. Part IV. Informational hierarchy and TAM markers’ functions in clause-linkage
  21. Focus, mood and clause linkage in Umpithamu (Cape York Peninsula, Australia) 451
  22. Clause chaining and conjugations in Wolof 469
  23. Pragmatic demotion and clause dependency 499
  24. Tense-mood concordance and clause chaining in Mankon (a Grassfields Bantu language) 549
  25. Clause dependency relations in East Greenlandic Inuit 581
  26. Coordination and subordination 603
  27. Author index 619
  28. Language index 623
  29. Topic index 625
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.121.06pil

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. List of contributors vii
  4. Editor’s introduction 1
  5. Part I. Syntactic terminology and typological methods
  6. Clause linkage and Nexus in Papuan languages 27
  7. Capturing particulars and universals in clause linkage 51
  8. Part II. Clause-chaining, converbs, masdars, absolutive constructions, etc.
  9. Specialized converbs and adverbial subordination in Axaxdәrә Akhvakh 105
  10. Finite and non-finite 143
  11. Converbs and adverbial clauses in Badaga, a South-Dravidian language 165
  12. Coordination, converbs and clause chaining in Coptic Egyptian typology and structural analysis 203
  13. Part III. Subordination, informational hierarchy and referential hierarchy
  14. Informational and referential hierarchy 269
  15. Comment clause 313
  16. Deixis, information structure and clause linkage in Yafi’ Arabic (Yemen) 333
  17. The role of the Berber deictic and TAM markers in dependent clauses in Zenaga 355
  18. Deixis and temporal subordinators in Pomak (Slavic, Greece) 399
  19. Correlative markers as phoric “Grammaticalised Category Markers” of subordination in German 421
  20. Part IV. Informational hierarchy and TAM markers’ functions in clause-linkage
  21. Focus, mood and clause linkage in Umpithamu (Cape York Peninsula, Australia) 451
  22. Clause chaining and conjugations in Wolof 469
  23. Pragmatic demotion and clause dependency 499
  24. Tense-mood concordance and clause chaining in Mankon (a Grassfields Bantu language) 549
  25. Clause dependency relations in East Greenlandic Inuit 581
  26. Coordination and subordination 603
  27. Author index 619
  28. Language index 623
  29. Topic index 625
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 18.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.121.06pil/html
Scroll to top button