Main Language Shifts in the Uralic languages

Ago Künnap
University of Tartu

The aim of this book is to address the issue of some main language shifts in the group of Uralic languages. The motive for supposing the language shifts is based on the newest research results in population genetics. Thus Lapp (Saami) languages have long been supposed to have developed in the manner that the Lapps' ancestors shifted from their earlier language to a Finno-Ugric language form. The author believes that earlier the Lapps spoke some kind of an unfamiliar language or a Finno-Ugric language form that they changed for a Finnic language form.
The data of population genetics make one suppose that the development of Samoyed and Ugric languages took the same course and that the Samoyeds' and Ugrians' ancestors shifted from their ancient, probably a Paleosiberian language form to a Finno-Ugric language form. At this the linguistic data seem to indicate that the Samoyeds obtained a Finnic(-Lapp) language form. A peculiarity of Mordvin languages "in word stock they are close to Finnic languages, in grammar to Ugric and Samoyed languages" makes one also suppose a language shift.
The introductory chapter I of this book addresses the question of the historical development of groups of languages by way of convergence and divergence, gives a short overview of the nature of the innovative treatment of Uralistics as well as the author's aspirations to distinguish between the actual factology of Uralic languages and mythical perceptions emerged in Uralistics. Chapter II is dedicated to mainly three language shifts in the Uralic language group: Samoyed, Lapp and Ugric along with Mordvin. Chapter III is meant to set a background for the language shifts under observation by means of several more recent investigated concrete lexical and morphosyntactical treatments. As related to it, the author observes the substratum toponymic matter of North Russia which is unquestionably partly of the Finnic type and which testifies to the existence of onetime spoken languages of that type considerably farther in the east than the present-day Finnic linguistic area reaches (supposedly the Samoyeds' shift to a Finnic language form took place somewhere in the east).
The linguistic area of the use of the accusative and genitive direct objects as well as the initial component n of personal suffixes in the Uralic language group also speaks for the shift from Samoyed former language(s) to a Finnic language form. In Chapter IV an example of evidentiality in the Uralic language group is given, illustrated by the Samoyed Enets: there is nothing specifically intrinsic to Uralic languages in it.
The book ends with a Conclusions, an appendix with Figures and a References.

ISBN 9783895864544. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 45. 66pp. 2002.

Grammaticalization of Verbs in Mandarin Chinese

Janet Zhiqun Xing
Western Washington University

This study demonstrates that many processes of syntactic and semantic change discussed in the literature (e.g. Traugott and Heine 1991, Hopper and Traugott 1993, Heine 1993, Bybee et al. 1994) occur in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs. In addition to that, there are a number of significant tendencies in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs compared with those from typologically different languages.

For instance, semantic categories vary among the verbs that enter into grammaticalization; the source meaning does not determine the path of grammaticalization; and grammaticalization does not entail desemantization. Evidence is presented to show that all verbs investigated in this study have undergone three stages of syntactic reanalysis: serialization, de-centralization, and functionalization. As to semantic change, pragmatic inferencing plays a crucial role throughout the process of all cases of grammaticalization. It is argued that this is primarily attributed to the isolating nature of the Chinese language.



Table of Contents

Chapter One: Introduction and Theoretical Preliminaries

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Research on grammaticalization in the East and the West

1.2 Typology of the Chinese language

1.3 Data Sources

1.4 Organization

Chapter Two: Grammaticalization of Verbs in Chinese

2.0 Introduction

2.1 The mechanisms and motivations of syntactic change

2.2 Semantic change

2.3 Conclusion

Chapter Three: Scalar Focus Particle lian

3.0 Introduction

3.1 Historical Development

3.2 Discussion

3.3 Divergence and Desemantization

3.4 Conclusion and implications

Chapter Four: Productive Causative Markers

4.0 Introduction

4.1 Typology of causative constructions

4.2 Historical Development

4.3 Discussion

4.4 Conclusion

Chapter Five: Conclusion and Future Studies

5.0 Introduction

5.1 Future study of Chinese grammaticalization

ISBN 9783895867552. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 47. 150pp. 2003.

The Intonational Phonology of Direct and Indirect Imperative Sentence Types in Seoul Korean

Hyung-Soon Yim
Australian National University



This book describes and analyses the intonation of two morpho-syntactically equivalent sentence types in Seoul Korean: the so-called direct imperative (or command), and the indirect imperative (or suggestion). The Autosegmental-Metrical theory developed by Pierrehumbert (1980), Beckman and Pierrehumbert (1986), Pierrehumbert and Beckman (1988), and Jun (1996; 1998) is used as analytical framework.
Specifically, the book asks if the two sentence types are intonationally distinguishable, and if they are, how they are different. As part of this aim, it also examines how intonational tones are realised over units of different length in the two sentence types, and investigates the intonational phrase structure - the so-called accentual phrase structure - of the two sentence types.
The results show that the two sentence types are both similar and different in their intonational structure. They are similar in two ways. Both have the same accentual phrase structure, with two accentual phrases, and both permit of an orthogonal 'strength' dimension. Thus it is claimed that direct imperatives can differ in the authority conveyed, and indirect imperatives can differ in the degree of assertiveness conveyed. It is further claimed that both these orthogonal 'strength' dimensions are signalled by the same phonological mechanism: through the first high tone of the accentual phrase. The two sentence types differ in three ways. They have different boundary tones: /HL%/ or /L%/ in direct imperative and /LHL%/ in indirect imperative, and the relationship between strong authority and weak authority in the direct imperative is categorical, while the relationship between strong assertiveness and weak assertiveness in the indirect imperative is gradient. Also, the indirect imperative has considerably longer duration on the final syllable than the direct imperative.

ISBN 9783895867224. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 48. 144pp. 2003.

Intonation in Cantonese

Choi-Yeung-Chang Flynn
University of Hong Kong

This study develops a system for describing intonation in Cantonese, a language having six phonological tones employing both pitch and slope. It analyses the utterance intonation contour into major intonation groups, intonation groups and feet. It defines what criteria those units meet and how they relate to each other.

The intonation contours, constructed with a string of lexical tones, are described in terms of prosodic units which separate themselves in terms of pitch height and pitch span. The demarcation of the units is an innovation of this work. The different F0 values of identical phonological tones in an utterance are found to be in gradual descent if they are within an intonation group, and an intonation group is depicted more clearly when the two fitted lines which cover the top and the bottom are parallel and declined. A major intonation group is the largest prosodic unit in utterances. It is decided by a larger size of resetting of pitch span. An intonation group and a major intonation group each represent a unit of information which is semantically and syntactically coherent. The most prominent syllable in an intonation group is the tonic.

An acoustic analysis of all possible combinations of the lexical tones of disyllabic and trisyllabic tonal sequences shows that tonal coarticulation is an important factor in modifying the F0 contours. The modification can affect both the pitch height and the slope of the F0 contours, and is also realised in both anticipatory and carryover effects. Prominence is examined, both at the level of words and of utterances, and a description of its prosodic parameters is developed with supporting evidence from the discussion of tonics.

ISBN 9783895869860. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 49. 150pp. 2003.

An Academic Reference Grammar of Modern Literary Uzbek

András J. E. Bodrogligeti
University of California, Los Angeles

The work is a comprehensive descriptive grammar of Modern Uzbek, the official language of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its objective is to present amply illustrated rules for proper understanding of Uzbek grammatical expression and provide a guide for educated Uzbek composition.

It is the author's conviction that this is the best way to serve the users' interest in the present evolutionary stage and political-cultural milieu of the Uzbek language.

The categories of the "normative" grammar of the Soviet imperial period were loosened up and revised especially in verbal inflection and syntax. New rules were created or some old ones modified, as authentic data required. Illustrations were used from works of Uzbek writers and poets from the twenties to the present and from data collected in numerous field trips. The selected illustrations are not only linguistically relevant but in the majority of cases provide an insight into the cultural content of the language.

Works on Uzbek grammar by native Uzbek authors were duly considered. The traditional arrangement of materials was followed not only to keep this grammar closer to the native grammatical literature but also to promote greater efficiency in learning by the users.

The Uzbek material is used in the Cyrillic alphabet, mainly because the sources they come form were comosed and printed in that writing system. Although The Uzbek Supreme Council in its 13th session on September 2, 1993 introduced a new Latin based writing system, it leaves the Cyrillic in place partly for practical reasons, partly to secure access to the literary heritage of the Soviet period. During his resent visits [2001; 2003] to Uzbekistan the author got the impression that the Uzbeks are not going to give up the Cyrillic writing system any time soon.

Vol. I.: ISBN 9783895866944. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 50. 690pp. 2003.

An Academic Reference Grammar of Modern Literary Uzbek

András J. E. Bodrogligeti
University of California, Los Angeles

The work is a comprehensive descriptive grammar of Modern Uzbek, the official language of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its objective is to present amply illustrated rules for proper understanding of Uzbek grammatical expression and provide a guide for educated Uzbek composition.

It is the author's conviction that this is the best way to serve the users' interest in the present evolutionary stage and political-cultural milieu of the Uzbek language.

The categories of the "normative" grammar of the Soviet imperial period were loosened up and revised especially in verbal inflection and syntax. New rules were created or some old ones modified, as authentic data required. Illustrations were used from works of Uzbek writers and poets from the twenties to the present and from data collected in numerous field trips. The selected illustrations are not only linguistically relevant but in the majority of cases provide an insight into the cultural content of the language.

Works on Uzbek grammar by native Uzbek authors were duly considered. The traditional arrangement of materials was followed not only to keep this grammar closer to the native grammatical literature but also to promote greater efficiency in learning by the users.

The Uzbek material is used in the Cyrillic alphabet, mainly because the sources they come form were composed and printed in that writing system. Although The Uzbek Supreme Council in its 13th session on September 2, 1993 introduced a new Latin based writing system, it leaves the Cyrillic in place partly for practical reasons, partly to secure access to the literary heritage of the Soviet period. During his resent visits [2001; 2003] to Uzbekistan the author got the impression that the Uzbeks are not going to give up the Cyrillic writing system any time soon.

Vol. II.: ISBN 9783895867101. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 51. 690pp. 2003.

Japanese Postpositions: Theory and Practice

Noriko Katsuki-Pestemer
University of Trier

This handbook gives the reader an overview of Japanese postpositions which have a wide range of functions, such as case marking, adverbial, copulative, conjunctive and modality expressing roles. The aim of this book is to provide the reader general linguistic features with a wealth of concrete examples. Therefore, this introduction to Japanese postpositions, on the one hand, facilitates learners of Japanese at all levels in understanding its structures and their meanings and thus using them correctly. On the other hand, it enables linguists to gain an insight into the case system and syntactic structures of the Japanese language; it also clarifies the agentless features, a strong dependency on the context for understanding texts or discourse; and finally the manifestations of subjectivity inherent to the Japanese language. Suggestions for further reading, which are given in footnotes, enable students and researchers to find their way to more detailed fields of Japanese linguistics.

Noriko Katsuki-Pestemer is Lecturer of Japanese language and Japanese linguistics at the University of Trier. She is the author of Japanese textbooks for undergraduate students at German universities: Grundstudium Japanisch Volume 1 (1990) and Volume 2 (1991); Japanisch für Anfänger Volumes 1 and 2 (1996).

ISBN 9783895861116 (2nd edition). LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 48. 210pp. 2003.

A Profile of the Mandarin Noun Phrases

Hsin-Yun Liu
University of Cologne

This empirical study investigates complex Mandarin noun phrases (NP) in actual spoken discourse, with special emphasis on the adnominal possessive phrases and the classifier phrases.

In investigating the structure of the Mandarin noun phrase, the author finds that there are two highly interesting phenomena which merit special attention: the functional behavior of the particle de in adnominal phrases and the use of classifiers. The particle de is observed to play a crucial role in the syntactic configuration of the Mandarin NP: apart from connecting two elements together, it can occur with all the possible modifying elements and makes explicit the modification relationship such an element bears to the head noun in a complex NP. The use of the classifier turns out to be the most conspicuous typological feature of Mandarin. In view of their significance, the phenomena involving the particle de and the classifier will be scrutinized in chapters two and three, respectively.

With regard to the adnominal possessive construction, there is a general consensus in Chinese linguistics about the linking function of the particle de. Given that the presence of this particle in adnominal constructions is not obligatory, some analyses thus hint at a possible correlation between the omission/non-use of the particle de and inalienbility (cf. Dragunov 1960; Chao 1968; Li and Thompson 1981), possible factors triggering the presence or absence of the particle de in actual spoken discourse are, however, never surveyed. It is Chappell and Thompson (1992) who first inquire into this question. They conduct a survey on a corpus consisting of both spoken and written texts and arrive at the conclusion that the use or omission of the particle de is determined by a number of convergent factors. Based on their findings, Liu will explore further the relevant factors determining the use or omission of the particle de in a pure spoken discourse. This is the main task of chapter two. In addition, issues concerning to what extent the notion of “inalienability” is relevant to the adnominal possessive phrase, as well as how this notion is expressed in Mandarin, will also be investigated in this chapter.

Due to the isolating morphological character of Mandarin, grammatical categories such as gender and case are irrelevant for the NP. Issues on number, by contrast, turn out to be of most importance and relevance. Indeed it is precisely the unique behavior of the NP in relation to number expression which is characteristic of the Mandarin NP, i.e., the use of the classifier. A survey of this phenomenon will be the main task of chapter three. In order to express the notion of quantification, Mandarin Chinese draws on the use of classifiers. In Chinese linguistics, however, classifiers are not defined clearly enough. Traditionally, these are construed as an obligatory syntactic constituent occurring between a numeral and a head noun in a quantifying construction. However, not only classifiers but also measures can occur in the same syntactic slot. Moreover, it is very often the case that either no clear distinction between classifiers and measures is drawn (cf. Li and Thompson 1981), or this category is simply construed as a classifier-measure dichotomy (cf. Dragunov 1960), or subclasses of this category are established solely on semantic grounds (cf. Chao 1968)

ISBN 9783895867286. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 53. 300pp. 2003.

Meaning and Form: Essays in Pre-Modern Chinese Grammar

K. Takashima and Jiang Shaoyu (eds.)

The 21 articles collected in this volume were first presented to the Fourth International Conference on Classical Chinese Grammar held in August, 2001, at UBC in Vancouver. The rejection rate of the original papers submitted for publication consideration being about 40% ensured a high-quality level of the papers. The authors of the papers written in English include: Françoise Bottéro (distinction between “noncompound characters” and “compound characters”); Roderick Campbell (focus, classifiers and quantificational typology in early Chinese); Michael Friedrich (Georgvon der Gabelentz and synchronic linguistics); Zev Handel (and as time demonstratives in OBI); Richard Lynn (philosophical semantics of Chinese literary thought); Chrystelle Maréchal (idioms and graphic identification in bronze inscriptions [BI]); Barbara Meinsternst (future tense in classical Chinese); EdwinPulleyblank (“Only” in old Chinese); Jingtao Sun (fission reduplication in old Chinese); Newell Van Auken (modal negative wu in classical Chinese); Shun-chiu Yau (semiotics out of the past); Anne Yue (focus markers in Zhongshan BI).

ISBN 9783895868245. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 55. 260pp. 2004.