Huber, Juliette (2018) Natural locations and the distinction between 'what' and 'where' concepts: Evidence from differential locative marking in Makalero. LINGUISTICS, 56 (3). pp. 477-512. ISSN 0024-3949, 1613-396X
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Differential locative marking is found in languages all over the world. Toponyms, in particular, are well known to often require less locative marking than other types of nouns, and it has been suggested that they express 'where' concepts. This paper presents a case study of differential locative marking in Makalero, a Papuan language of East Timor, where nouns fall into three categories: those which need no overt locative marking, i.e., can be zero-marked; those which are used with a semantically general locative verb; and those which can only be used with semantically specific locative verbs. Zero-marking of spatial relations occurs only in a specific construction where the nouns in question are used predicatively, suggesting that the syntactic equivalent of the 'where' category is a relational expression, not a noun. There is furthermore a certain degree of flexibility in Makalero locative constructions, and alternative expressions result in predictable semantic differences. These differences show that the lack of perceptual boundaries and of an internal structure are important parameters that distinguish the referents of so-called natural location nouns from nouns which denote 'what' concepts. More comparative case studies are needed to enrich our understanding of these notions and the properties characterizing them.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | SPATIAL LANGUAGE; PREPOSITIONS; LANDSCAPE; END; locative constructions; natural location; 'what' and 'where' conceptual categories; relational expressions; Makalero; East Timor |
| Subjects: | 400 Language > 400 Language, Linguistics |
| Divisions: | Languages and Literatures > Institut für Information und Medien, Sprache und Kultur (I:IMSK) Languages and Literatures > Institut für Information und Medien, Sprache und Kultur (I:IMSK) > Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine und vergleichende Sprachwissenschaft |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Mar 2020 08:48 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Mar 2020 08:48 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/14642 |
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