Finite structures from clausal nominalization in Tibeto-Burman
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Scott DeLancey
Abstract
Nominalization has long been recognized as one of the driving processes of Tibeto-Burman syntax and syntactic change. A pervasive and recurrent process in the family is the replacement of old finite clause structures with new constructions based on nominalizations. TB languages repeatedly innovate new, marked clausal constructions with a nominalized verb and finite copula. The process is exemplified through case studies from Tibetan, Sunwar (from the Kiranti branch of TB), and the Kuki-Chin branch. Frequently such constructions lose their marked status and become the ordinary finite construction, resulting in the creation of new verbal categories and systems. Many TB verbal systems transparently reflect this origin, for example Modern Tibetan tense/aspect forms like -pa yin, -pa red, both consisting of the nominalizer -pa in construction with an equational copula. As such a construction becomes more opaque, a language may be left with a semantically empty final particle, reflecting an erstwhile nominalizer or copula. The prevalence of such final particles in the family is evidence of the pervasiveness of the phenomenon which is described in this paper.
Abstract
Nominalization has long been recognized as one of the driving processes of Tibeto-Burman syntax and syntactic change. A pervasive and recurrent process in the family is the replacement of old finite clause structures with new constructions based on nominalizations. TB languages repeatedly innovate new, marked clausal constructions with a nominalized verb and finite copula. The process is exemplified through case studies from Tibetan, Sunwar (from the Kiranti branch of TB), and the Kuki-Chin branch. Frequently such constructions lose their marked status and become the ordinary finite construction, resulting in the creation of new verbal categories and systems. Many TB verbal systems transparently reflect this origin, for example Modern Tibetan tense/aspect forms like -pa yin, -pa red, both consisting of the nominalizer -pa in construction with an equational copula. As such a construction becomes more opaque, a language may be left with a semantically empty final particle, reflecting an erstwhile nominalizer or copula. The prevalence of such final particles in the family is evidence of the pervasiveness of the phenomenon which is described in this paper.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface xi
- Acknowledgment to reviewers xv
- List of contributors xvii
- Introduction 1
- From light noun to nominalizer and more 61
- On the polyfunctionality and grammaticalization of the morpheme kai in the Chaozhou dialect 109
- The Cantonese ge3 125
- On gerundive nominalization in Mandarin and Cantonese 147
- Nominalization in Tibeto-Burman languages of the Himalayan area 163
- Aspects of the historical development of nominalizers in the Tamangic languages 195
- Innovation in nominalization in Magar 215
- Nominalization and nominalization-based constructions in Galo 255
- Nominalization in Numhpuk Singpho 289
- Nominalization in Nuosu Yi 313
- Finite structures from clausal nominalization in Tibeto-Burman 343
- Linker, relativizer, nominalizer, tense-particle 363
- Nominalization and stance marking in Korean 393
- A case of non-derived stand-alone nominalization 423
- Nominalization in Okinawan 445
- Versatility of nominalizations 473
- The functions of - an and = ay in Kavalan 499
- Clausal nominalization in Budai Rukai 523
- Nominalization in Saisiyat 561
- Rise and fall of referentiality 589
- Referential and non-referential uses of nominalization constructions in Malay 627
- Expressing exclamatives in Malagasy 659
- Nominalizations in Toqabaqita and closely related languages 685
- Exclamatives and temporal nominalizations in Austronesian 721
- Discourse-structuring functions of Abui demonstratives 757
- Index 789
- Language index 795
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface xi
- Acknowledgment to reviewers xv
- List of contributors xvii
- Introduction 1
- From light noun to nominalizer and more 61
- On the polyfunctionality and grammaticalization of the morpheme kai in the Chaozhou dialect 109
- The Cantonese ge3 125
- On gerundive nominalization in Mandarin and Cantonese 147
- Nominalization in Tibeto-Burman languages of the Himalayan area 163
- Aspects of the historical development of nominalizers in the Tamangic languages 195
- Innovation in nominalization in Magar 215
- Nominalization and nominalization-based constructions in Galo 255
- Nominalization in Numhpuk Singpho 289
- Nominalization in Nuosu Yi 313
- Finite structures from clausal nominalization in Tibeto-Burman 343
- Linker, relativizer, nominalizer, tense-particle 363
- Nominalization and stance marking in Korean 393
- A case of non-derived stand-alone nominalization 423
- Nominalization in Okinawan 445
- Versatility of nominalizations 473
- The functions of - an and = ay in Kavalan 499
- Clausal nominalization in Budai Rukai 523
- Nominalization in Saisiyat 561
- Rise and fall of referentiality 589
- Referential and non-referential uses of nominalization constructions in Malay 627
- Expressing exclamatives in Malagasy 659
- Nominalizations in Toqabaqita and closely related languages 685
- Exclamatives and temporal nominalizations in Austronesian 721
- Discourse-structuring functions of Abui demonstratives 757
- Index 789
- Language index 795
