A Grammar of Dumi
Netra Mani Rai
Tribhuvan University
This study explains a grammatical description of the Dumi language insightfully guided by the framework of functional typological grammar, developed by Talmy Givón (1984-2001). Dumi, a Kirati language of the Rai group is poorly described Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Khotang district of Eastern Nepal. This grammar covers the main areas: phonology, morphology, syntax and discourse analysis. Dumi has 26 consonants together with the glottal stop (Ɂ) and seven basic vowel phonemes with length contrast. Dumi is morphologically an ergative-absolutive language which is rich in case system. The nominals in Dumi are inflected for a number of cases. They are marked in two ways: case clitics and postpositions. Dumi has two types of tenses: past and non-past which are morphologically marked. Dumi is one of the agglutinating languages, and hence, morphemes attached to the verb stem: tense, number and person. The verb agreement is triggered by the number, person and honorificity of the nominative subject. It is a left branching and dependent marking language with the basic sov constituent order that can also be used freely. For topicalization and focusing the constituents may be permuted within the clause. In Dumi, the subordination system includes complement, adverbial, relative and converbal clauses.
ISBN 9783862888320. Languages of the World/Materials 509. 473pp. 2017.
