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The Kurtöp - si construction

Converbs, clause-chains and verb serialization
  • Gwendolyn Hyslop
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Functional-Historical Approaches to Explanation
This chapter is in the book Functional-Historical Approaches to Explanation

Abstract

Asian converbs (Bickel 1998) have been an area of recent, theoretical interest in linguistics. Converbs have often been involved in clause-chaining, as has been described in many recent descriptions of Tibeto-Burman languages (e.g. Genetti 2005; Coupe 2007). Though he does not discuss converbs as a theoretical construct, DeLancey (1991) illustrates how clause-chaining constructions may give rise to serial verb constructions, diachronically. Kurtöp, a Tibeto-Burman language of Bhutan, is a prime example of DeLancey’s (1991) hypothesis. The present article explores the link between converbs, clause-chaining and serial verb constructions by describing the clause-chaining construction in Kurtöp. Clause-chaining involving converbs and a final verb is at the heart of Kurtöp syntax. Whether the final verb is lexical, auxiliary or copular has different formal and functional consequences. If the final verb is a copula, the non-final suffix is required on the converb and the interpretation may be monoclausal with durative aspect. The latter category, wherein the final verb in a Kurtöp clause-chain is an auxiliary, often yields a sequence of verbs without interceding material and is thus precisely where serialization may fully grammaticalize in the future, as DeLancey (1991) predicts.

Abstract

Asian converbs (Bickel 1998) have been an area of recent, theoretical interest in linguistics. Converbs have often been involved in clause-chaining, as has been described in many recent descriptions of Tibeto-Burman languages (e.g. Genetti 2005; Coupe 2007). Though he does not discuss converbs as a theoretical construct, DeLancey (1991) illustrates how clause-chaining constructions may give rise to serial verb constructions, diachronically. Kurtöp, a Tibeto-Burman language of Bhutan, is a prime example of DeLancey’s (1991) hypothesis. The present article explores the link between converbs, clause-chaining and serial verb constructions by describing the clause-chaining construction in Kurtöp. Clause-chaining involving converbs and a final verb is at the heart of Kurtöp syntax. Whether the final verb is lexical, auxiliary or copular has different formal and functional consequences. If the final verb is a copula, the non-final suffix is required on the converb and the interpretation may be monoclausal with durative aspect. The latter category, wherein the final verb in a Kurtöp clause-chain is an auxiliary, often yields a sequence of verbs without interceding material and is thus precisely where serialization may fully grammaticalize in the future, as DeLancey (1991) predicts.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction ix
  4. Part I. Typological studies
  5. Non-aprioristic typology as a discovery tool 3
  6. Chorophorics, or the difference between place as an entity and place as a position in space 27
  7. On the diachrony of the ‘Ethical Dative’ 43
  8. Part II. Contributions to historical linguistics
  9. Biactantial agreement in the Gongduk transitive verb in the broader Tibeto-Burman context 69
  10. The dinguist’s dilemma 83
  11. Part III. TAME and case alignment
  12. Person-sensitive TAME marking in Galo 107
  13. Agent case marking in Sahaptian 131
  14. Part IV. Multi-clause constructions
  15. The Kurtöp - si construction 155
  16. Verb serialization in Ede from a diachronic perspective 179
  17. Tense-aspect morphology from nominalizers in Newar 195
  18. Part V. Functional motivation and extension
  19. Predicting reference form 223
  20. Causation as “functional sink” in Northern Paiute 237
  21. The challenge of Maa ‘Away’ 259
  22. Name index 283
  23. Language index 287
  24. Subject index 291
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.103.08hys

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction ix
  4. Part I. Typological studies
  5. Non-aprioristic typology as a discovery tool 3
  6. Chorophorics, or the difference between place as an entity and place as a position in space 27
  7. On the diachrony of the ‘Ethical Dative’ 43
  8. Part II. Contributions to historical linguistics
  9. Biactantial agreement in the Gongduk transitive verb in the broader Tibeto-Burman context 69
  10. The dinguist’s dilemma 83
  11. Part III. TAME and case alignment
  12. Person-sensitive TAME marking in Galo 107
  13. Agent case marking in Sahaptian 131
  14. Part IV. Multi-clause constructions
  15. The Kurtöp - si construction 155
  16. Verb serialization in Ede from a diachronic perspective 179
  17. Tense-aspect morphology from nominalizers in Newar 195
  18. Part V. Functional motivation and extension
  19. Predicting reference form 223
  20. Causation as “functional sink” in Northern Paiute 237
  21. The challenge of Maa ‘Away’ 259
  22. Name index 283
  23. Language index 287
  24. Subject index 291
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