6. Mundari reciprocals
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Nicholas Evans
Abstract
This paper investigates the semantics of reciprocal constructions in Mundari, an Austro-Asiatic language of northern India. Two grammatical constructions express reciprocity: a basic construction, which infixes <pV> to verb roots, and a serialised construction adding -idi ‘take’ to the basic reciprocal. The reciprocal construction is limited to subject-object coreference and cannot be fed by affixal derivational processes like applicatives or causatives, though it can be fed by zero conversion from other word classes; it may itself feed the causative. From a semantic perspective, the most unusual feature of Mundari reciprocals is the existence of a specialised construction for expressing sequential chaining situations, namely the serialised construction with -idi ‘take’; the basic reciprocal construction is not acceptable for sequential chaining situations.
Abstract
This paper investigates the semantics of reciprocal constructions in Mundari, an Austro-Asiatic language of northern India. Two grammatical constructions express reciprocity: a basic construction, which infixes <pV> to verb roots, and a serialised construction adding -idi ‘take’ to the basic reciprocal. The reciprocal construction is limited to subject-object coreference and cannot be fed by affixal derivational processes like applicatives or causatives, though it can be fed by zero conversion from other word classes; it may itself feed the causative. From a semantic perspective, the most unusual feature of Mundari reciprocals is the existence of a specialised construction for expressing sequential chaining situations, namely the serialised construction with -idi ‘take’; the basic reciprocal construction is not acceptable for sequential chaining situations.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- 1. Introduction 1
- 2. The semantics of reciprocal constructions across languages 29
- 3. Semantics of Khoekhoe reciprocal constructions 61
- 4. Reciprocal constructions in English 75
- 5. Reciprocal constructions in Indo-Pakistani Sign Language 91
- 6. Mundari reciprocals 115
- 7. Description of reciprocal situations in Lao 129
- 8. Reciprocal constructions in Mah Meri 149
- 9. The coding of reciprocal events in Jahai 163
- 10. Reciprocals in Yélî Dnye, the Papuan language of Rossel Island 177
- 11. Reciprocals in Rotokas 195
- 12. Expression of reciprocity in Savosavo 213
- 13. To have and have not 225
- 14. Strategies for encoding reciprocity in Mawng 233
- 15. Reciprocal-marked and marked reciprocal events in Kuuk Thaayorre 251
- 16. Reciprocal constructions in Olutec 265
- 17. Reciprocal constructions in Tsafiki 277
- 18. Reciprocal constructions in Hup 315
- 19. Reciprocals and semantic typology 329
- Addresses 341
- Index 343
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- 1. Introduction 1
- 2. The semantics of reciprocal constructions across languages 29
- 3. Semantics of Khoekhoe reciprocal constructions 61
- 4. Reciprocal constructions in English 75
- 5. Reciprocal constructions in Indo-Pakistani Sign Language 91
- 6. Mundari reciprocals 115
- 7. Description of reciprocal situations in Lao 129
- 8. Reciprocal constructions in Mah Meri 149
- 9. The coding of reciprocal events in Jahai 163
- 10. Reciprocals in Yélî Dnye, the Papuan language of Rossel Island 177
- 11. Reciprocals in Rotokas 195
- 12. Expression of reciprocity in Savosavo 213
- 13. To have and have not 225
- 14. Strategies for encoding reciprocity in Mawng 233
- 15. Reciprocal-marked and marked reciprocal events in Kuuk Thaayorre 251
- 16. Reciprocal constructions in Olutec 265
- 17. Reciprocal constructions in Tsafiki 277
- 18. Reciprocal constructions in Hup 315
- 19. Reciprocals and semantic typology 329
- Addresses 341
- Index 343
