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Aspects of the historical development of nominalizers in the Tamangic languages

  • Michael Noonan✝
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Nominalization in Asian Languages
This chapter is in the book Nominalization in Asian Languages

Abstract

This paper focuses on the form and function of nominalizations within Tamangic, a sub-group of Bodic (Tibeto-Burman). Nominalizations have played an important role in the grammar of Tamangic languages from the Proto-Tamangic stage until the present. The paper posits historical developments for nominalizers and addresses issues related to this development. It concludes that the basic features of the use of nominalizations have remained constant; however there have been significant innovations, largely induced by contact with the lingua franca, Nepali. Among these innovations are: the rise of new nominalizers, the loss of the genitive with nominalizations used adnominally, as well as the development in some Tamangic languages, Chantyal in particular, of nominalizations exhibiting tense distinctions, and the development of periphrastic constructions involving nominalized verbals in the verb complex.

Abstract

This paper focuses on the form and function of nominalizations within Tamangic, a sub-group of Bodic (Tibeto-Burman). Nominalizations have played an important role in the grammar of Tamangic languages from the Proto-Tamangic stage until the present. The paper posits historical developments for nominalizers and addresses issues related to this development. It concludes that the basic features of the use of nominalizations have remained constant; however there have been significant innovations, largely induced by contact with the lingua franca, Nepali. Among these innovations are: the rise of new nominalizers, the loss of the genitive with nominalizations used adnominally, as well as the development in some Tamangic languages, Chantyal in particular, of nominalizations exhibiting tense distinctions, and the development of periphrastic constructions involving nominalized verbals in the verb complex.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface xi
  4. Acknowledgment to reviewers xv
  5. List of contributors xvii
  6. Introduction 1
  7. From light noun to nominalizer and more 61
  8. On the polyfunctionality and grammaticalization of the morpheme kai in the Chaozhou dialect 109
  9. The Cantonese ge3 125
  10. On gerundive nominalization in Mandarin and Cantonese 147
  11. Nominalization in Tibeto-Burman languages of the Himalayan area 163
  12. Aspects of the historical development of nominalizers in the Tamangic languages 195
  13. Innovation in nominalization in Magar 215
  14. Nominalization and nominalization-based constructions in Galo 255
  15. Nominalization in Numhpuk Singpho 289
  16. Nominalization in Nuosu Yi 313
  17. Finite structures from clausal nominalization in Tibeto-Burman 343
  18. Linker, relativizer, nominalizer, tense-particle 363
  19. Nominalization and stance marking in Korean 393
  20. A case of non-derived stand-alone nominalization 423
  21. Nominalization in Okinawan 445
  22. Versatility of nominalizations 473
  23. The functions of - an and = ay in Kavalan 499
  24. Clausal nominalization in Budai Rukai 523
  25. Nominalization in Saisiyat 561
  26. Rise and fall of referentiality 589
  27. Referential and non-referential uses of nominalization constructions in Malay 627
  28. Expressing exclamatives in Malagasy 659
  29. Nominalizations in Toqabaqita and closely related languages 685
  30. Exclamatives and temporal nominalizations in Austronesian 721
  31. Discourse-structuring functions of Abui demonstratives 757
  32. Index 789
  33. Language index 795
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.96.07noo

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface xi
  4. Acknowledgment to reviewers xv
  5. List of contributors xvii
  6. Introduction 1
  7. From light noun to nominalizer and more 61
  8. On the polyfunctionality and grammaticalization of the morpheme kai in the Chaozhou dialect 109
  9. The Cantonese ge3 125
  10. On gerundive nominalization in Mandarin and Cantonese 147
  11. Nominalization in Tibeto-Burman languages of the Himalayan area 163
  12. Aspects of the historical development of nominalizers in the Tamangic languages 195
  13. Innovation in nominalization in Magar 215
  14. Nominalization and nominalization-based constructions in Galo 255
  15. Nominalization in Numhpuk Singpho 289
  16. Nominalization in Nuosu Yi 313
  17. Finite structures from clausal nominalization in Tibeto-Burman 343
  18. Linker, relativizer, nominalizer, tense-particle 363
  19. Nominalization and stance marking in Korean 393
  20. A case of non-derived stand-alone nominalization 423
  21. Nominalization in Okinawan 445
  22. Versatility of nominalizations 473
  23. The functions of - an and = ay in Kavalan 499
  24. Clausal nominalization in Budai Rukai 523
  25. Nominalization in Saisiyat 561
  26. Rise and fall of referentiality 589
  27. Referential and non-referential uses of nominalization constructions in Malay 627
  28. Expressing exclamatives in Malagasy 659
  29. Nominalizations in Toqabaqita and closely related languages 685
  30. Exclamatives and temporal nominalizations in Austronesian 721
  31. Discourse-structuring functions of Abui demonstratives 757
  32. Index 789
  33. Language index 795
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