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Predicting reference form

A Pear Story Study of information status, thematic role and animacy in Meithei (Manipuri, Meiteiron)
  • Shobhana L. Chelliah
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Functional-Historical Approaches to Explanation
This chapter is in the book Functional-Historical Approaches to Explanation

Abstract

In retellings of the Pear Story in Meithei (Tibeto-Burman, Northeast India), it was found that NP shape–whether a lexical or zero anaphor is used – is determined not only by the cognitive accessibility of the NP but also by its animacy. Animacy also played a role in the morphological sequences that occur with NPs: animate NPs exhibit more varied morphology than inanimate NPs. This study concludes that NP shape and morphology are determined only partially by cognitive accessibility. A narrator's need to provide a dynamic view of animate NPs and a static view of inanimate entities also determines NP shape.

Abstract

In retellings of the Pear Story in Meithei (Tibeto-Burman, Northeast India), it was found that NP shape–whether a lexical or zero anaphor is used – is determined not only by the cognitive accessibility of the NP but also by its animacy. Animacy also played a role in the morphological sequences that occur with NPs: animate NPs exhibit more varied morphology than inanimate NPs. This study concludes that NP shape and morphology are determined only partially by cognitive accessibility. A narrator's need to provide a dynamic view of animate NPs and a static view of inanimate entities also determines NP shape.

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.103.11che

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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