1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Studies in Language. International Journal sponsored by the Foundation “Foundations of Language”
  4. Online First Articles
  5. Online First Article
image of Copula to negator
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

identify an intriguing shift from a copula to a negative marker in the Tibeto-Burman Kiranti group, and discuss it as a possible example of Jespersen’s Cycle. This paper traces a fuller history of the copula , and presents an account of its association with negation, which is attested in several other Tibeto-Burman languages besides Kiranti. In most Tibeto-Burman languages the equational copula is “optional”, occurring in affirmative sentences only with a contrastive or emphatic sense. For this reason copulas often develop into sentence-final stance markers. Since negation is morphologically marked on verbs, a negated equational sentence requires an overt copula which can be negated. This paper presents data showing how this association of the presence of a copula with negation has resulted in the negative sense becoming associated with and, in a few cases, becoming the direct meaning of the erstwhile copula.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/sl.21065.del
2022-11-01
2023-03-24

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/sl.21065.del
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Arden, Michelle
    2010 A phonetic, phonological, and morphosyntactic analysis of the Mara language. San Diego: San Diego State University MA thesis. (accessed22/01/2012 at scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/3744). 10.31979/etd.v36r‑dk3u
     https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.v36r-dk3u [Google Scholar]
  2. Auwera, Johan van der
    2009 The Jespersen cycles. InElly van Gelderen (ed.) Cyclical change, –. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/la.146.05auw
     https://doi.org/10.1075/la.146.05auw [Google Scholar]
  3. Auwera, Johan van der, Olga Krasnoukhova & Frens Vossen
    2022 Intertwining the negative cycles. InLjuba Veselinova & Arja Hamari (eds.), The negative existential cycle from a historical-comparative perspective, –. Berlin: Language Science Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Auwera, Johan van der & Frens Vossen
    2017 Kiranti double negation: A copula conjecture. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area(). –. 10.1075/ltba.40.1.02van
     https://doi.org/10.1075/ltba.40.1.02van [Google Scholar]
  5. Awan, Mechek Sampar
    2019 Agreement system in Chiru. Himalayan Linguistics(). –. 10.5070/H918143310
     https://doi.org/10.5070/H918143310 [Google Scholar]
  6. Bai, Junwei
    2019 A grammar of Munya. Douglas: James Cook University PhD dissertation.
  7. Banjade, Goma
    2009 Mewahang language: An introduction. Nepalese Linguistics. –.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Borchers, Dörte
    2008 A grammar of Sunwar. Leiden: Brill.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Breugel, Seino van
    2014 A grammar of Atong. Leiden: Brill. 10.1163/9789004258938
     https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004258938 [Google Scholar]
  10. Chhangte, Lalnunthangi
    1993 Mizo syntax. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon PhD dissertation.
  11. Chelliah, Shobhana
    1997 A grammar of Meithei. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110801118
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110801118 [Google Scholar]
  12. Chelliah, Shobhana, David Peterson, Tyler Utt, Evaline Blair & Sumshot Khular
    2019 Lamkang verb conjugation. Himalayan Linguistics(). –. 10.5070/H918143199
     https://doi.org/10.5070/H918143199 [Google Scholar]
  13. DeLancey, Scott
    1992 Sunwar copulas. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area(). –.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. 2011 Finite structures from clausal nominalization in Tibeto-Burman languages. InYap, Foong Ha, Karen Grunow-Hårsta & Janick Wrona (eds.), Nominalization in Asian languages: Diachronic and typological perspectives, –. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/tsl.96.12del
     https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.96.12del [Google Scholar]
  15. 2021 Classifying Trans-Himalayan (Sino-Tibetan) languages. InPaul Sidwell & Mathias Jenny (eds.), The languages and linguistics of mainland Southeast Asia, –. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110558142‑012
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110558142-012 [Google Scholar]
  16. . in press. Argument indexation (verb agreement) in South Central (Kuki-Chin). Himalayan Linguistics.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. . to appear. The Trans-Himalayan copula #ni. Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Driem, George van
    1993 A grammar of Dumi. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9783110880915
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110880915 [Google Scholar]
  19. Ebert, Karen
    1994 The structure of Kiranti languages. (Arbeiten des Seminars für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft Nr. 13). Zurich: Universität Zurich.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. 1997 A grammar of Athpare. Munich: LINCOM Europa.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Evans, Jonathan & Dhrubajit Langthasa
    . to appear. Dimasa language: Structure and texts. Taipei: Language and Linguistics (Academia Sinica).
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Genetti, Carol
    1988 Notes on the structure of the Sunwari transitive verb. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area(). –.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. 2011 Nominalization in Tibeto-Burman languages of the Himalayan area. InYap, Foong Ha, Karen Grunow-Hårsta & Janick Wrona (eds.), Nominalization in Asian languages: Diachronic and typological perspectives, –. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/tsl.96.06gen
     https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.96.06gen [Google Scholar]
  24. Givón, T.
    1978 On understanding grammar. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/z.213
     https://doi.org/10.1075/z.213 [Google Scholar]
  25. Hanson, Ola
    1917 A hand-book of the Kachin or Jinghpaw language. Rangoon: American Baptist Mission Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Haokip, Pauthang
    2019 Agreement in Thadou. Himalayan Linguistics(). –. 10.5070/H918143152
     https://doi.org/10.5070/H918143152 [Google Scholar]
  27. Honkasalo, Sami
    2019 A grammar of Eastern Geshiza. Helsinki: University of Helsinki PhD dissertation.
  28. Huang, Chenglong 黄成龍
    2004 A reference grammar of the Puxi variety of Qiang. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong PhD dissertation.
  29. Huang, Huade
    2020 Evidentiality and engagement in Kua’nsi. Presented at the53rd International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics, University of North Texas.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Konnerth, Linda
    2018 The historical phonology of Monsang (Northwestern South-Central / “Kuki-Chin”): A case of reduction in phonological complexity. Himalayan Linguistics(). –. 10.5070/H917134878
     https://doi.org/10.5070/H917134878 [Google Scholar]
  31. Konnerth, Linda & Wanglar, Koninglee
    2019 Person indexation in Monsang from a diachronic perspective. Himalayan Linguistics(). –. 10.5070/H918142775
     https://doi.org/10.5070/H918142775 [Google Scholar]
  32. Kurabe, Keita
    2016 A grammar of Jinghpaw, from northern Burma. Kyoto: Kyoto University PhD dissertation.
  33. Lahaussois, Aimée
    2004 Thulung Rai. Himalayan Linguistics Archive No. .
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Lidz, Liberty
    2010 A descriptive grammar of Yongning Na (Mosuo). Austin: University of Texas PhD dissertation.
  35. Lowes [Hyslop], Gwendolyn
    2006 Some comparative notes on Tibeto-Burman copulas. Presented at the39th International Conferences on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics.
  36. Matisoff, James
    1985 God and the Sino-Tibetan copula, with some good news concerning selected Tibeto-Burman rhymes. Journal of Asian and African Studies. –.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Michailovsky, Boyd
    1988 La langue hayu. Paris: CNRS.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Miestamo, Matti
    2005 Standard negation: The negation of declarative verbal main clauses in a typological perspective. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Nagila, Kedar Bilash
    2013 Negation: Evidence from the Dura language. Nepalese Linguistics. –.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Noonan, Michael
    1997 Versatile nominalizations. InJoan Bybee, John Haiman, & Sandra A. Thompson (eds.), Essays on language function and language type, –. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/z.82.21noo
     https://doi.org/10.1075/z.82.21noo [Google Scholar]
  41. Opgenort, Jean
    2005 A grammar of Jero. Leiden: Brill. 10.1163/9789047415084
     https://doi.org/10.1163/9789047415084 [Google Scholar]
  42. Ozerov, Pavel
    2019 Person indexation in Anal. Himalayan Linguistics(). –. 10.5070/H918142426
     https://doi.org/10.5070/H918142426 [Google Scholar]
  43. Paudyal, Netra Prasad
    2015 Aspects of Chintang syntax. Zürich: University of Zürich PhD dissertation.
  44. Plaisier, Helen
    2007 A grammar of Lepcha. Leiden: Brill.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Schorer, Nicolas
    2016 The Dura language: Grammar and phylogeny. Amsterdam: Brill. 10.1163/9789004326408
     https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004326408 [Google Scholar]
  46. Singh, Chungkham Yashawanta
    2010 Koireng grammar. New Delhi: Akansha.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. So-Hartmann, Helga
    2009 A descriptive grammar of Daai Chin. Berkeley: Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus Project, University of California.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Teo, Amos
    2019 Investigating Differential Case Marking in Sümi, a language of Nagaland, using language documentation and experimental methods. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon PhD dissertation.
  49. Thurgood, Graham
    1982 The Sino-Tibetan copula *wəy(o). Cahiers de linguistique Asie Orientale(). –. 10.3406/clao.1982.1104
     https://doi.org/10.3406/clao.1982.1104 [Google Scholar]
  50. Tolsma, Gerard
    2006 A grammar of Kulung. Leiden: Brill.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Watters, David
    2002 A grammar of Kham. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511486883
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486883 [Google Scholar]
  52. Yliniemi, Huha
    2016 Nepali attention marker ni. Himalayan Linguistics(). –.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Yu, Dominic
    2012 Proto-Ersuic. Ph.D. dissertation, Berkeley: University of California.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Zakaria, Muhammad
    2017 A grammar of Hyow. Singapore: Nanyang Technological University PhD dissertation.
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/sl.21065.del
Loading
Copula to negator
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.21065.del
/content/journals/10.1075/sl.21065.del
/content/journals/10.1075/sl.21065.del
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: Sino-Tibetan ; copula ; Trans-Himalayan ; negation ; Tibeto-Burman ; grammaticalization

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error