Complex sentence constructions in Nyulnyul, Western Australia

This paper investigates complex sentence constructions in Nyulnyul (Kimberley, Western Australia). Three primary types of inter-clausal relationships — embedding (part-whole), dependence (part-part) and scope (whole-whole) — permit an initial typology of complex sentence types. This paper focuses on embedding and dependence, ignoring scope. It is argued that non-finite clauses must be embedded in a finite clause, whereas finite clauses cannot be, and may only be related to another finite clause by dependence. Dependence relations can be classified (following Halliday 1985) according to two independent emically significant parameters: parataxis vs. hypotaxis; and extension vs. elaboration vs. enhancement. The contrast between parataxis and hypotaxis is examined, and it is argued that hypotaxis involves the reduction in status of the dependent clause; consequences of this are discussed. Embedding involves nominalisation, and with this the 'entitisation' of an event, and the consequent unchallangeability of the clause.