The general noun-modifying clause construction in Tundra Nenets and its possible origin
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Irina Nikolaeva
Abstract
Tundra Nenets (Uralic) exhibits unambiguous relative clauses and sentential complements of nouns, but I show that it also has a previously unstudied but structurally distinct GNMCC. The GNMCC covers a diversity of functions although its usage is restricted in various ways. The paper suggests that it has a direct parallel in the non-sentential domain in terms of its syntactic behaviour, the morphosyntactic expression of the constructional ingredients and the basic semantics: it is modelled after the non-clausal compound-like structure employed for the very general purpose of modifying one noun by reference to another noun. Such modification-by-noun constructions served as a historical source of Tundra Nenets GNMCCs, which emerged when the modifying deverbal noun was reanalysed as heading a clausal domain.
Abstract
Tundra Nenets (Uralic) exhibits unambiguous relative clauses and sentential complements of nouns, but I show that it also has a previously unstudied but structurally distinct GNMCC. The GNMCC covers a diversity of functions although its usage is restricted in various ways. The paper suggests that it has a direct parallel in the non-sentential domain in terms of its syntactic behaviour, the morphosyntactic expression of the constructional ingredients and the basic semantics: it is modelled after the non-clausal compound-like structure employed for the very general purpose of modifying one noun by reference to another noun. Such modification-by-noun constructions served as a historical source of Tundra Nenets GNMCCs, which emerged when the modifying deverbal noun was reanalysed as heading a clausal domain.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface 1
- Noun-modifying clause constructions in languages of Eurasia 3
- General noun-modifying clause constructions in Japanese 23
- The attributive versus final distinction and the manifestation of “main clause phenomena” in Japanese and Korean noun modifying clause constructions 45
- Noun-modifying constructions in Korean 59
- Noun-modifying clause constructions in Sino-Tibetan languages 91
- Noun-modifying clauses in Cantonese 105
- General noun-modifying clause constructions in Hinuq and Bezhta, with a note on other Daghestanian languages 121
- The general noun-modifying clause construction in Tundra Nenets and its possible origin 147
- Noun-modifying constructions and relativization in the central and western Caucasus 179
- Noun-modifying clause constructions in Ainu 203
- Turkish and Turkic complex noun phrase constructions 251
- Noun-modifying constructions in Marathi 293
- Conclusion 331
- Examples to explore in noun-modifying constructions 339
- Relative clauses and noun-modifying clauses in Chantyal 355
- Language index 371
- Name index 373
- Subject index 377
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface 1
- Noun-modifying clause constructions in languages of Eurasia 3
- General noun-modifying clause constructions in Japanese 23
- The attributive versus final distinction and the manifestation of “main clause phenomena” in Japanese and Korean noun modifying clause constructions 45
- Noun-modifying constructions in Korean 59
- Noun-modifying clause constructions in Sino-Tibetan languages 91
- Noun-modifying clauses in Cantonese 105
- General noun-modifying clause constructions in Hinuq and Bezhta, with a note on other Daghestanian languages 121
- The general noun-modifying clause construction in Tundra Nenets and its possible origin 147
- Noun-modifying constructions and relativization in the central and western Caucasus 179
- Noun-modifying clause constructions in Ainu 203
- Turkish and Turkic complex noun phrase constructions 251
- Noun-modifying constructions in Marathi 293
- Conclusion 331
- Examples to explore in noun-modifying constructions 339
- Relative clauses and noun-modifying clauses in Chantyal 355
- Language index 371
- Name index 373
- Subject index 377
