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Three-participant events in Romani

A study based on the Romani Morpho-Syntax database
  • Melanie Schippling EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: October 7, 2022

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the morphosyntactic expression of three-participant events in Romani and situates Romani within a typological framework (Margetts & Austin 2007). It provides an inventory of attested strategies and first insights into their distribution across the dialects of Romani. My research indicates that three-place predicate and oblique/adjunct strategies are the principal means for encoding three-participant events in Romani, each applicable for several event types. However, dialectal differences become apparent. For each Romani dialect cluster, one variety is particularly focussed upon, namely: Kalderaš (Vlax), Arli (Balkan), East Slovak Romani (Central), Sinti (Northwestern), and Lithuanian Romani (Northeastern).


Corresponding author: Melanie Schippling, Department of Linguistics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

For comments on earlier drafts of this paper and helpful suggestions I am grateful to Birgit Hellwig, Evangelia Adamou, Anna Margetts, an anonymous reviewer, and the audience of my talk at the 13th International Conference on Romani Linguistics, 13–14.09.2018, LACITO at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris. All mistakes are my own.

Appendix A: Event type A – ‘give’ items: strategy choice and encoding details per dialect sample

Dialect sample Item 555 Item 966 Item 965
Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct
Indep. oblique dat Indep. oblique dat Indep. oblique dat
Kal YU-010 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
RO-008 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0
RO-065 0 0 1 Excluded 0 0 1
Σ 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 2 1
Arl MK-002 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
MK-003 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
MK-005 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
YU-011 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
YU-012 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
YU-014 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
YU-016 0 1 0 1 0 0 Excluded
Σ 1 6 0 4 3 0 1 5 0
ESR SK-002 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
SK-011 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
Σ 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0
Sin IT-011 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1
RO-022 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Σ 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1
LiR LT-005 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
LT-007 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
LT-008 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
Σ 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 3 0
Sum 3 7 7 7 8 1 1 13 2

Appendix B: Direct-argument and oblique/adjunct strategy: Strategy choice per item and dialect sample

Dialect sample Type A Type A Type A Type A Type A Type B Type C Type D Type I Type I Type J
Bring Give Take Give Give Put Sell Leave Receive Receive Steal
Item 350a Item 555 Item 633 Item 966 Item 965 Item 699 Item 584 Item 851 Item 479 Item 1022 Item 1024
Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct Direct-argument Oblique/adjunct
Kal YU-010 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
RO-008 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 Excluded Excluded 0 1 0 1
RO-065 1 0 0 1 0 1 Excluded Excluded 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
Arl MK-002 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
MK-003 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
MK-005 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
YU-011 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
YU-012 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
YU-014 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
YU-016 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 Excluded Excluded 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
ESR SK-002 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 Excluded Excluded 0 1 0 1
SK-011 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
Sin IT-011 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
RO-022 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
LiR LT-005 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
LT-007 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
LT-008 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
Sum 17 0 13 4 0 17 15 1 14 2 0 17 13 4 11 7 0 15 0 17 0 17

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Published Online: 2022-10-07
Published in Print: 2022-09-27

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