The development of asymmetrical serial verb constructions in an Australian mixed language
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Felicity Meakins
Abstract
Gurindji Kriol is a mixed language spoken in northern Australia. It is derived from Gurindji, a Pama-Nyungan language, and Kriol, an English-lexifier creole language. Despite these clear sources, Gurindji Kriol contains grammatical systems which are not found in Gurindji or Kriol, for example asymmetrical serial verb constructions. The origin of these constructions is unclear given that Kriol only contains a very limited set of serial verb constructions and they are not found in Gurindji. The development of asymmetrical serial verb constructions is examined and it is suggested that they are a product of the more restricted Kriol serial verb construction developing and expanding under the influence of the Gurindji complex verb. The formation of this construction was a part of the more general genesis of the mixed language which was derived from code-switching.
©Walter de Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- The development of asymmetrical serial verb constructions in an Australian mixed language
- The typological implications of Bardi complex predicates
- Voice and non-canonical case marking in the expression of event-oriented modality
- Typology of clausal boundary marking devices
- The linguistics of eating and drinking, edited by John Newman
- Passionate typologist of St Petersburg: Vladimir Petrovič Nedjalkov (1928–2009)
- Phonologist, Africanist, typologist: George N. (Nick) Clements (1940–2009)
Articles in the same Issue
- The development of asymmetrical serial verb constructions in an Australian mixed language
- The typological implications of Bardi complex predicates
- Voice and non-canonical case marking in the expression of event-oriented modality
- Typology of clausal boundary marking devices
- The linguistics of eating and drinking, edited by John Newman
- Passionate typologist of St Petersburg: Vladimir Petrovič Nedjalkov (1928–2009)
- Phonologist, Africanist, typologist: George N. (Nick) Clements (1940–2009)
