Olsson, Bruno (2022) Noun phrase complexity and contiguity in a Papuan language. LINGUISTICS, 60 (3). pp. 829-863. ISSN 0024-3949, 1613-396X
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This article considers NP complexity and discontinuity in the Papuan language Coastal Marind. First, I give an overview of NP structure in the language, which is characterized by extremely limited possibility of elaboration and modification. I connect this to the observation that Papuan languages are characterized by exceptionally simple NP structures. The lack of research makes it difficult to evaluate the significance of such observations, but I suggest that Coastal Marind is an example of a Papuan language that imposes very strict upper boundaries on NP complexity. Second, while an argument could be made that Coastal Marind NPs allow considerable discontinuity, more thorough consideration of the facts reveals a fundamental, tight-knit, left-branching NP structure, which contrasts with relatively rarely employed looser nominal configurations, including discontinuous nominal expressions. The discontinuous construals are restricted primarily by information structure. Although considered grammatical by speakers, they are extremely rare in corpus data. I propose that aboutness is an important factor constraining the choice of nominal construal types in Coastal Marind discourse.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ABOUTNESS; GRAMMAR; Coastal Marind; information structure; noun phrases; Papuan languages; syntax |
| Subjects: | 400 Language > 400 Language, Linguistics 400 Language > 490 Other languages |
| Divisions: | 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: | 08 Feb 2024 07:56 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Feb 2024 07:56 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/57406 |
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