3 |
Metatony, S-constituent linkage, and cognate objects
|
|
|
|
In: Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America; Vol 6, No 1 (2021): Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America; 641–648 ; 2473-8689 (2021)
|
|
Abstract:
We examine metatony and its grammatical conditioning in an under described Edoid language of West Africa. In Emai, metatony on verbs is signaled by perfective suffix -í with underlying high tone. With a following adjunct, tone on this suffix is high and retained. When clause final, -í is retained but with low tone. When followed by a verb argument, the -í suffix is prohibited. Verbs with a following S-constituent exhibit metatonic asymmetry. Class one verbs prohibit suffix -í, treating S-constituents as verb arguments. Class two verbs require high tone -í, as if their S-constituent were an adjunct. When these same class two verbs occur with an immediately following cognate object nominal, they prohibit suffix -í. We interpret this asymmetric behavior of class two verbs in terms of boundary permeability (Berg 2014). We posit that class two forms are transitive and that their S-constituent derives historically from a complex Noun S-constituent structure that has become truncated and assumed a simple S-constituent form, having lost its erstwhile “cognate object noun.” It is thus the strict boundary for transitivity imposed by perfective suffix -í that signals a weakened status of S-constituents with class two verbs.
|
|
Keyword:
boundary permeability; cognate objects; Edoid; Emai; Historical Linguistics; metatony; S-constituents; Syntax; Tonosyntax
|
|
URL: http://journals.linguisticsociety.org/proceedings/index.php/PLSA/article/view/5000 https://doi.org/10.3765/plsa.v6i1.5000
|
|
BASE
|
|
Hide details
|
|
5 |
NP internal syntax: High tone and quantifier conditions
|
|
|
|
In: Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America; Vol 4 (2019): Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America; 8:1–5 ; 2473-8689 (2019)
|
|
BASE
|
|
Show details
|
|
12 |
ON THE SEMANTIC CLASSIFICATION OF THE HUMAN BODY BY ENGLISH SPEAKING CHILDREN AND TSWANA SPEAKING ADULTS
|
|
Schaefer, Ronald P.. - : Mid-America Linguistics Conference, 2017. : University of Kansas, 2017
|
|
BASE
|
|
Show details
|
|
17 |
Toponyms: Neglected wallflower or pot of plenty
|
|
|
|
In: Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America; Vol 2 (2017): Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America; 43:1–8 ; 2473-8689 (2017)
|
|
BASE
|
|
Show details
|
|
|
|