Augmentative in Toba (Guaycuruan)
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Paola Cúneo
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the morphosyntactic and semantic aspects of the augmentative forms in the Toba language (Guaycuruan family), spoken in the Gran Chaco region (Argentina). The study of the forms linked to the notion of augmentative in this language comprises both derivational morphology and nominal composition, and embodies a great range of meanings from ‘big size’, ‘abundance’, ‘intensity’ or ‘affection’ to the (generally pejorative) notions of ‘excess’ or ‘mockery’. Augmentative forms also play a role as a source of lexical creation and as a nominal categorization device. Furthermore, in the ethnobiological lexicon, they constitute a preferred means in word formation for naming animals and plants, and they code meanings such as ‘hierarchy’ (‘more dangerous’ or ‘with outstanding qualities’) or ‘anomaly’ (‘stranger/ unknown/ unusual’). Keywords: Toba; Guaycuruan; augmentative; evaluative morphology; kinship compounds
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the morphosyntactic and semantic aspects of the augmentative forms in the Toba language (Guaycuruan family), spoken in the Gran Chaco region (Argentina). The study of the forms linked to the notion of augmentative in this language comprises both derivational morphology and nominal composition, and embodies a great range of meanings from ‘big size’, ‘abundance’, ‘intensity’ or ‘affection’ to the (generally pejorative) notions of ‘excess’ or ‘mockery’. Augmentative forms also play a role as a source of lexical creation and as a nominal categorization device. Furthermore, in the ethnobiological lexicon, they constitute a preferred means in word formation for naming animals and plants, and they code meanings such as ‘hierarchy’ (‘more dangerous’ or ‘with outstanding qualities’) or ‘anomaly’ (‘stranger/ unknown/ unusual’). Keywords: Toba; Guaycuruan; augmentative; evaluative morphology; kinship compounds
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction and acknowledgments 1
- Nominal compounds in Mapudungun 11
- Towards a characterization of compounding in Maká 33
- Augmentative in Toba (Guaycuruan) 51
- Productive compounding in Baure (Arawakan) 79
- Two types of incorporation in Ese Ejja (Takanan) 113
- Reduplication in Yurakaré 143
- Reduplication strategies in Kallawaya 163
- Compounding in Kalapalo, a Southern Cariban language 181
- Nominalization in Cholón 207
- Index 225
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction and acknowledgments 1
- Nominal compounds in Mapudungun 11
- Towards a characterization of compounding in Maká 33
- Augmentative in Toba (Guaycuruan) 51
- Productive compounding in Baure (Arawakan) 79
- Two types of incorporation in Ese Ejja (Takanan) 113
- Reduplication in Yurakaré 143
- Reduplication strategies in Kallawaya 163
- Compounding in Kalapalo, a Southern Cariban language 181
- Nominalization in Cholón 207
- Index 225
