Verb Classification in Australian Languages

by McGregor, William B.

• ISBN13: 9783110171419
• ISBN10: 3110171414
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: Mouton De Gruyter

Summary

This book deals with systems of verb classification in Australian Aboriginal languages, with particular focus on languages of the north-west. It proposes a typology of the systems according to their main formal and semantic characteristics. It also makes some proposals concerning the historical origins and grammaticisation of these systems, and suggestions regarding the grammatical relations involved. In addition, an attempt is made to situate the phenomenon of verb classification within the context of related verbal phenomena such as serial verb constructions, nominal incorporation, and complex predicates.

Table of Contents

Preface	v
List of Figures	xv
List of Maps	xvii
List of Tables	xix
Abbreviations and Conventions	xxi
Introduction	1	(40)
What is verb classification?	1	(3)
Towards a typology of classification	4	(6)
Superclassification and subclassification	4	(1)
Classes and categories	5	(2)
Classifiers and classifying constructions	7	(1)
Concluding remarks	8	(2)
Understanding grammatical superclassification	10	(15)
A conceptual model	10	(6)
Distributional criteria for grammatical superclassification	16	(6)
An example: the Kija noun class system	22	(3)
Verb superclassification Australian style	25	(4)
Semantic basis of verb superclassification	29	(9)
Fundamental parameters	29	(5)
On class, category, and classification meaning	34	(1)
Prediction and explanation	35	(3)
Aims and organisation	38	(3)
The Gooniyandi verb classifier system	41	(60)
Structure of the verbal complex	41	(3)
The X morphemes as category markers	44	(10)
The semantics of Gooniyandi verb classifiers	54	(33)
Extendible classifiers	60	(4)
Accomplishment classifiers	64	(1)
Monovalent classifiers	64	(2)
Avalent classifiers	66	(1)
The reasonably well populated categories	66	(10)
The minor categories	76	(2)
The bivalent classifier	78	(2)
Parallelisms between extendible and accomplishment classifiers?	80	(3)
Exceptions	83	(2)
Concluding remarks	85	(2)
Two special cases	87	(9)
Classification of the most frequent verb roots	87	(7)
Classification of English borrowings	94	(2)
Remarks on verb classification in Bunuba	96	(5)
CVC-based verb category systems	101	(48)
Formal properties of CVCs	101	(6)
Nyulnyulan languages	107	(10)
Worrorran (Northern Kimberley) languages	117	(3)
Jarrakan languages	120	(2)
Jaminjungan languages	122	(3)
Wagiman	125	(3)
Daly River languages	128	(9)
Maran languages	137	(1)
Mangarrayi	138	(1)
Pama-Nyungan languages	139	(6)
Concluding remarks	145	(4)
Comparison of verb category systems	149	(58)
Degrees of grammaticisation	149	(3)
IVs recurrent in CVC-based category systems	152	(19)
Speech; avalent	160	(1)
Stance; monovalent	161	(1)
`Sit, be'	161	(1)
`Stand'	162	(1)
Motion; monovalent	162	(1)
`Go'	162	(1)
`Fall'	163	(1)
`Become'	164	(1)
Induced motion; bivalent	164	(1)
`Carry'	164	(1)
`Throw'	165	(1)
`Put'	166	(1)
Acquisition; bivalent	167	(1)
`Catch, get'	167	(1)
`Give'	167	(1)
Violence; bivalent	168	(1)
`Hit'	168	(1)
`Poke'	168	(1)
Perception; bivalent	169	(1)
Concluding remarks	169	(2)
Gooniyandi and Nyulnyul systems in contrast	171	(36)
Formal characteristics	171	(3)
System level comparison	174	(2)
Individual categories compared and contrasted	176	(4)
Atelic categories	180	(2)
The unmarked Nyulnyul category -J `say, do'	182	(1)
Telic categories	182	(4)
Categorisation of vocalisation/communication events	186	(6)
Categorisation of motion events	192	(4)
Motoric pattern	196	(3)
Nature of moving entity	199	(1)
Nature of medium	200	(1)
Location of carried item	201	(1)
Other types of motion events	201	(2)
Conclusion	203	(4)
Verb class systems: conjugations	207	(38)
Pama-Nyungan conjugation classes	208	(5)
Non-Pama-Nyungan conjugation classes	213	(15)
Nyulnyulan languages	214	(5)
Worrorran languages	219	(2)
Mindi languages	221	(1)
Wagiman and Wardaman	222	(1)
Gunwinjguan languages	223	(1)
Maran languages	224	(1)
Nunggubuyu	225	(2)
Anindilyakwa	227	(1)
Overlapping conjugation class membership	228	(8)
Other types of verb class system	236	(9)
The grammar of verb superclassifying constructions	245	(38)
Overview of approaches to verb classification	246	(20)
Conjugation by auxiliary	246	(1)
Compounding analysis	247	(2)
Semantic bleaching	249	(1)
Classifying analyses	250	(2)
Fusion and union analyses	252	(9)
CVCs as complex predicates	261	(5)
Grammatical relations in conjugation classes?	266	(1)
Grammatical relations in CVCs	266	(9)
Valency and transitivity in Nyulnyul CVCs	275	(8)
Related grammatical phenomena	283	(40)
Verb classification in a wider perspective	284	(17)
Non-CVC compound verb classifying constructions	284	(1)
The Ngiyambaa compound verb construction	284	(3)
The Hindi-Urdu compound verb construction	287	(3)
Categorisation by prefixes	290	(1)
Lexical prefixes	290	(2)
Instrumental prefixes	292	(1)
Categorisation with quantification	293	(2)
Other verbal constructions	295	(1)
Noun incorporation	296	(2)
Nominal argument classification	298	(2)
Concluding observations	300	(1)
Other types of compound verb construction	301	(6)
Other double-unit verb constructions	307	(10)
Auxiliary constructions	307	(2)
Serial verb constructions	309	(3)
Associated motion constructions	312	(4)
Final remark	316	(1)
Marking of diathesis alternations	317	(2)
Concluding remarks	319	(4)
Evolution of verb classification in Australia	323	(40)
Ideophone origins of UVs	324	(15)
Distinctive phonotactic features	324	(3)
Phonaesthesia	327	(3)
Use of UVs as expressives	330	(2)
Limited morphological modification	332	(1)
Syntactic properties	333	(1)
Comparison with recurrent features of ideophones	333	(1)
Motivations for historical change from ideophone to UV	334	(5)
Origins and historical development of the CVC	339	(12)
Origins of Pama-Nyungan conjugation markers	351	(3)
Evolution of meaning	354	(4)
Australia as a verb classification Sprachbund	358	(5)
Verb classification in discourse: a preliminary investigation	363	(28)
Category distribution in Gooniyandi narratives	364	(13)
A textual investigation	377	(8)
Interpretation and explanation	385	(6)
Conclusions	391	(22)
Overview	391	(7)
Comparatison of noun and verb classification	398	(6)
Directions for future research	404	(9)
Appendix 1. Basic information on Australian languages mentioned in this book	413	(22)
Appendix 2. Australian phonologies and orthographies	435	(6)
Notes	441	(32)
References	473	(34)
Index of authors	507	(6)
Index of languages	513	(4)
Index of subjects	517