9 Number in Ket (Yeniseian)
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Edward Vajda
Abstract
Ket is a critically endangered language spoken in Siberia in the Yenisei river basin and is the last surviving member of the once widespread Yeniseian family whose typological profile is very different from its closest neighbours. Nouns and pronouns distinguish singular and plural number, usually by adding a plural suffix, with singular number left morphologically unmarked. Plural suffixes have distinct allomorphs for inanimate class nouns, kinship terms, and other animate class nouns, but there are many exceptions and irregular forms. Attributive adjectives and other modifiers are normally left unmarked for number, though a few adjectives have a plural suffix. Demonstrative pronouns, however, regularly express plurality when modifying animate class plural nouns. The Ket verb expresses agreement in singular and plural number with its subject and object and also has a variety of morphological means for expressing pluractionality, resulting in various patterns of multiple exponence of number on the verb. Among other topics, this chapter focuses on the relationship between the expression of number and animacy, which variously manifests itself in the morphology of nouns, pronouns and finite verbs. It also explains how certain irregularities in Ket number marking developed and includes comparisons with the extinct Yeniseian languages.
Abstract
Ket is a critically endangered language spoken in Siberia in the Yenisei river basin and is the last surviving member of the once widespread Yeniseian family whose typological profile is very different from its closest neighbours. Nouns and pronouns distinguish singular and plural number, usually by adding a plural suffix, with singular number left morphologically unmarked. Plural suffixes have distinct allomorphs for inanimate class nouns, kinship terms, and other animate class nouns, but there are many exceptions and irregular forms. Attributive adjectives and other modifiers are normally left unmarked for number, though a few adjectives have a plural suffix. Demonstrative pronouns, however, regularly express plurality when modifying animate class plural nouns. The Ket verb expresses agreement in singular and plural number with its subject and object and also has a variety of morphological means for expressing pluractionality, resulting in various patterns of multiple exponence of number on the verb. Among other topics, this chapter focuses on the relationship between the expression of number and animacy, which variously manifests itself in the morphology of nouns, pronouns and finite verbs. It also explains how certain irregularities in Ket number marking developed and includes comparisons with the extinct Yeniseian languages.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Contents v
- List of authors ix
- 1 Number in the World’s Languages: Configuring the variation space 1
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I Africa
- 2 Number in Eastern Dan 27
- 3 Number marking in Karko and Nilo-Saharan 63
- 4 Number in Tswana 107
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II Europe and Middle East
- 5 Number in Arabic 131
- 6 Number in Occitan 167
- 7 Number in Slovenian 187
- 8 Number in West Circassian 261
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III Northern Eurasia
- 9 Number in Ket (Yeniseian) 307
- 10 Number in Nganasan 351
- 11 Number in Nivkh 375
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IV Pacific and Australia
- 12 Number in Gooniyandi 427
- 13 Number in Indonesian 457
- 14 Number in Japonic Family 505
- 15 Number in the Languages of the Lower Sepik Family 529
- 16 Number in Marori 577
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V Americas
- 17 Number in the languages of South America 609
- 18 The category of number in Kakataibo (Panoan) 671
- 19 Grammatical simplexity: Number in Kiowa 693
- 20 Number in Mohawk (Iroquoian) 729
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VI Further perspectives on linguistic diversity
- 21 Contact languages: A survey 767
- 22 Number in Russian Sign Language 805
- 23 Number in grammar: results and perspectives 833
- Terms 911
- Languages and language families 917
- Authors 927
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Contents v
- List of authors ix
- 1 Number in the World’s Languages: Configuring the variation space 1
-
I Africa
- 2 Number in Eastern Dan 27
- 3 Number marking in Karko and Nilo-Saharan 63
- 4 Number in Tswana 107
-
II Europe and Middle East
- 5 Number in Arabic 131
- 6 Number in Occitan 167
- 7 Number in Slovenian 187
- 8 Number in West Circassian 261
-
III Northern Eurasia
- 9 Number in Ket (Yeniseian) 307
- 10 Number in Nganasan 351
- 11 Number in Nivkh 375
-
IV Pacific and Australia
- 12 Number in Gooniyandi 427
- 13 Number in Indonesian 457
- 14 Number in Japonic Family 505
- 15 Number in the Languages of the Lower Sepik Family 529
- 16 Number in Marori 577
-
V Americas
- 17 Number in the languages of South America 609
- 18 The category of number in Kakataibo (Panoan) 671
- 19 Grammatical simplexity: Number in Kiowa 693
- 20 Number in Mohawk (Iroquoian) 729
-
VI Further perspectives on linguistic diversity
- 21 Contact languages: A survey 767
- 22 Number in Russian Sign Language 805
- 23 Number in grammar: results and perspectives 833
- Terms 911
- Languages and language families 917
- Authors 927
