Home Linguistics & Semiotics 28 Non-verbal predicates in Oceanic languages
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28 Non-verbal predicates in Oceanic languages

  • Alexandre François
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Non-verbal Predication in the World’s Languages
This chapter is in the book Non-verbal Predication in the World’s Languages

Abstract

Oceanic languages, much like the rest of Austronesian, show a propensity to do without any copula when encoding their non-verbal predicates. Their typical profile is “omnipredicative”: most of their word classes (adjectives, nouns, pronouns, numerals, adverbs ...) can head a predicate directly, with no need to resort to verbal strategies. Many classes are even “tamophoric”, i.e. can inflect for Tense–Aspect–Mood. This overview of Oceanic languages builds around the system of Mwotlap (Vanuatu), a radical example of these grammatical tendencies. Overall, the Oceanic family reminds us that the properties [predicative] and [tamophoric] are not a privilege of verbs, but can be associated, in principle, with just any word class.

Abstract

Oceanic languages, much like the rest of Austronesian, show a propensity to do without any copula when encoding their non-verbal predicates. Their typical profile is “omnipredicative”: most of their word classes (adjectives, nouns, pronouns, numerals, adverbs ...) can head a predicate directly, with no need to resort to verbal strategies. Many classes are even “tamophoric”, i.e. can inflect for Tense–Aspect–Mood. This overview of Oceanic languages builds around the system of Mwotlap (Vanuatu), a radical example of these grammatical tendencies. Overall, the Oceanic family reminds us that the properties [predicative] and [tamophoric] are not a privilege of verbs, but can be associated, in principle, with just any word class.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. List of the Authors V
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Contents IX
  5. Crucial issues in non-verbal predication: A questionnaire 785
  6. Part II: Case studies
  7. 22 Non-verbal predication in Maltese 789
  8. 23 Non-verbal predication in Nilotic 829
  9. 24 Non-verbal predication in Cushitic 865
  10. 25 Non-verbal predication in Mandinka and other Mande languages 915
  11. 26 Non-verbal predication in Cuwabo (Bantu) 955
  12. 27 Non-verbal predication in Ju 993
  13. Austronesia, Papunesia, Australia
  14. 28 Non-verbal predicates in Oceanic languages 1021
  15. 29 Non-verbal predication in Formosan languages 1067
  16. 30 Non-verbal predication in three families of Papunesia: Teiwa, Tidore and Mian 1103
  17. 31 Non-verbal predication in Nungon 1143
  18. 32 Non-verbal predication in Ngumpin-Yapa languages (Australia) 1169
  19. Part III: Conclusion and prospects
  20. 33 Non-verbal predication: Results and perspectives 1213
  21. Subject index 1275
  22. Language index 1283
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112209677-029

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. List of the Authors V
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Contents IX
  5. Crucial issues in non-verbal predication: A questionnaire 785
  6. Part II: Case studies
  7. 22 Non-verbal predication in Maltese 789
  8. 23 Non-verbal predication in Nilotic 829
  9. 24 Non-verbal predication in Cushitic 865
  10. 25 Non-verbal predication in Mandinka and other Mande languages 915
  11. 26 Non-verbal predication in Cuwabo (Bantu) 955
  12. 27 Non-verbal predication in Ju 993
  13. Austronesia, Papunesia, Australia
  14. 28 Non-verbal predicates in Oceanic languages 1021
  15. 29 Non-verbal predication in Formosan languages 1067
  16. 30 Non-verbal predication in three families of Papunesia: Teiwa, Tidore and Mian 1103
  17. 31 Non-verbal predication in Nungon 1143
  18. 32 Non-verbal predication in Ngumpin-Yapa languages (Australia) 1169
  19. Part III: Conclusion and prospects
  20. 33 Non-verbal predication: Results and perspectives 1213
  21. Subject index 1275
  22. Language index 1283
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