Grammatical structures in Greenlandic as found in texts written by young Greenlanders at the turn of the millennium
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Karen Langgård
Abstract
This paper focuses on examples of change in the morphosyntactic structures of possessors and subjects of transitive verb phrases in West Greenlandic. Changes from ergative case to absolutive case are seen in the language of young Greenlanders and even in written language. The examples do not, however, correlate with noncomplex language or other deficiencies. The changes do not appear to be a language-contact phenomenon, but may rather be the final stage of a shift from ergativity to a morphologically nominative–accusative language. A Greenlandic grammar-checking program is in the offing, and the Greenlandic Language Board will need to decide whether to accept the accusative structure or not; use of the checker over time will show the impact of this tool.
Abstract
This paper focuses on examples of change in the morphosyntactic structures of possessors and subjects of transitive verb phrases in West Greenlandic. Changes from ergative case to absolutive case are seen in the language of young Greenlanders and even in written language. The examples do not, however, correlate with noncomplex language or other deficiencies. The changes do not appear to be a language-contact phenomenon, but may rather be the final stage of a shift from ergativity to a morphologically nominative–accusative language. A Greenlandic grammar-checking program is in the offing, and the Greenlandic Language Board will need to decide whether to accept the accusative structure or not; use of the checker over time will show the impact of this tool.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
-
Part I. Polysynthesis
- Polysynthesis in the Arctic 3
- Polysynthesis as a typological feature 19
- Analytic vs. synthetic verbal constructions in Chukchi and West Greenlandic 35
- Lexical polysynthesis 51
- How synchronic is synchronic analysis? 65
- Comparative constructions in Central Alaskan Yupik 81
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Part II. Around the verb
- The efficacy of anaphoricity in Aleut 97
- Objective conjugations in Eskaleut and Uralic 115
- Complex verb formation revisited 135
- Determining the semantics of Inuktitut postbases 149
- The marking of past time in Kalaallisut, the Greenlandic language 171
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Part III. Discourses and contacts
- Tracking topics 185
- Arguments and information management in Inuktitut 201
- Space and structure in Greenlandic oral tradition 215
- Grammatical structures in Greenlandic as found in texts written by young Greenlanders at the turn of the millennium 231
- Chat – New rooms for language contact 249
- Seward Peninsula Inupiaq and language contact around Bering Strait 261
- Typological constraints on code mixing in Inuktitut–English bilingual adults 273
- Index of languages 307
- Index of subjects 309
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
-
Part I. Polysynthesis
- Polysynthesis in the Arctic 3
- Polysynthesis as a typological feature 19
- Analytic vs. synthetic verbal constructions in Chukchi and West Greenlandic 35
- Lexical polysynthesis 51
- How synchronic is synchronic analysis? 65
- Comparative constructions in Central Alaskan Yupik 81
-
Part II. Around the verb
- The efficacy of anaphoricity in Aleut 97
- Objective conjugations in Eskaleut and Uralic 115
- Complex verb formation revisited 135
- Determining the semantics of Inuktitut postbases 149
- The marking of past time in Kalaallisut, the Greenlandic language 171
-
Part III. Discourses and contacts
- Tracking topics 185
- Arguments and information management in Inuktitut 201
- Space and structure in Greenlandic oral tradition 215
- Grammatical structures in Greenlandic as found in texts written by young Greenlanders at the turn of the millennium 231
- Chat – New rooms for language contact 249
- Seward Peninsula Inupiaq and language contact around Bering Strait 261
- Typological constraints on code mixing in Inuktitut–English bilingual adults 273
- Index of languages 307
- Index of subjects 309
