1,720,989 research outputs found
Typology of case alignments in NENA dialects
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze different alignment types attested in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic (NENA) dialects. NENA dialects can be divided into three alignment types according to their degree of ergativity: Split-S, Dynamic-Stative and Extended-Ergative dialects. This research will provide an analysis of Extended-ergative system in comparison with instances of marked nominative alignment and a possible explanation for the diachronic changes in the alignment pattern
Making reference to categories through heterogeneity: the use of iroiro and samazama ‘various’ in Japanese
No full textThe aim of this paper is to investigate the use of Japanese adjectives iroiro and samazama whenever they are added to category labels, with the aim of making reference to conceptual categories. In real-life interactions, when speakers want to designate specific contextually relevant categories, they can use a wide range of linguistic strategies, from constructions that rely on the mention of category members (i.e. exemplification), to the creation of complex ad hoc labels. On the contrary, the designation of broader superordinate categories seems less straightforward and is made even more complex by inferential processes like lexical narrowing that favor more contextually dependent interpretation. In this regard, we will argue that the use of adjectives like iroiro and samazama (‘various’) that explicitly stress numerosity and heterogeneity is frequently exploited by speakers to stop contextual inferences, guiding the hearer to construe broader superordinate categories. In particular, we identify heterogeneity as the semantic component that triggers broadening inferences, discussing its role in categorization processes. Finally, we will also argue that the use of adjectives stressing numerosity can be used by speakers to further emphasize the non-exhaustivity of a given linguistic construction, facilitating the construal of reference to conceptual categories
Split ergativity in the NENA dialects
No full textDifferent types of split ergativity are attested in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic (NENA) dialects, a group of over a hundred varieties spoken by Jewish and Christian communities in south-eastern Turkey, northern Iraq and north-western Iran. Although historically Aramaic is nominative-accusative, some ergative phenomena developed early through the influence of Iranian languages, especially Kurdish, which are ergative or have been ergative at some stage of their history. Nevertheless, the NENA dialects show some interesting autonomous developments, such as the extension of the ergative suffix to all intransitive verbs.
The different types of split ergativity exhibited by the NENA dialects concern the expression of tense and aspect of the verbal phrase (ergativity developed only in the perfective aspect), the gradual extension of the ergative suffix to intransitive verbs, the expression of the pronominal object and the creation of new accusative markers and, finally, the expression of the pronominal subject. All these split-ergativity phenomena create a rather complex alignment system which can provide useful insights for future linguistic studies on ergativity
Non-exhaustive connectives
Full text linkThis paper provides the first cross-linguistic study on non-exhaustive connectives. After defining non-exhaustivity and briefly exploring the range of linguistic strategies encoding it across languages, the methodology underlying the study will be discussed. Based on the analysis of 35 languages, for which at least one non-exhaustive connective was found, it will be argued that non-exhaustive connectives exhibit quite homogenous distributional properties and derive from a restricted set of recurrent diachronic sources. Speakers are indeed likely to mobilize i) elements already encoding or implying non-exhaustivity, ii) elements expressing an epistemic condition of uncertainty, or iii) elements expressing exemplification
Discourse phenomena in typological perspective
No full textThis book aims at investigating discourse phenomena (i.e., linguistic elements and constructions that help to manage the organization, flow, and outcome of communication) from a typological and cross-linguistic perspective. Although it is a well-established idea in functional-typological approaches that grammar is shaped by discourse use, systematic typological cross-linguistic investigations on discourse phenomena are relatively rare. This volume aims at bridging this gap, by integrating different linguistic subfields, such as discourse analysis, pragmatics, and typology. The contributions, both theoretically and empirically oriented, focus on a broad variety of discourse phenomena (ranging from discourse markers to discourse function of grammatical markers, to strategies that manage the discourse and information flow) while adopting a typological perspective and considering typologically distant languages
Discourse phenomena in typological perspective
No full textThis book aims at investigating discourse phenomena (i.e., linguistic elements and constructions that help to manage the organization, flow, and outcome of communication) from a typological and cross-linguistic perspective. Although it is a well-established idea in functional-typological approaches that grammar is shaped by discourse use, systematic typological cross-linguistic investigations on discourse phenomena are relatively rare. This volume aims at bridging this gap, by integrating different linguistic subfields, such as discourse analysis, pragmatics, and typology. The contributions, both theoretically and empirically oriented, focus on a broad variety of discourse phenomena (ranging from discourse markers to discourse function of grammatical markers, to strategies that manage the discourse and information flow) while adopting a typological perspective and considering typologically distant languages
La verità visibile nella natura e nella scrittura. Sul baco da seta di Khamis bar Qardahe (fine del XIII secolo)
No full textKhamis bar Qardaḥe was an East Syrian author active in the last decades of the 13th century, probably a representative member of the East-Syrian community at the court camp of the Il-Khans, and somehow connected with the town of Arbela. In the present article, his poetic work is presented in the broader context of the so-called ‘Syriac Renaissance’, as an example of late East-Syriac literature profoundly influenced by Persian poetry. The poem On the Silk-Worm is here critically edited and translated for the first time into a European language. Its complicated imagery turns out to be an interesting mélange of philosophical concepts, meta-literary reflection – poetry as a way to knowledge and salvation –, Christian themes – including the virginal conception of Mary –, and Persian, possibly Sufic, motifs. The monorhyme poem is rich with sound figures such as alliteration and etymological play
Assolutamente: sì o no?
No full textThis paper focuses on the different functions of the Italian adverb assolutamente ‘absolutely’, investigating its uses as a part of minor clauses. Assolutamente can be used as an isolated form, as well as with affirmative particles (e.g. sì ‘yes’ and certo ‘of course’) and negative particles (e.g. no). According to previous studies and to dictionaries, assolutamente can be perceived as ambiguous, since it can be used both as in positive and negative replies, and it can mark both agreement and disagreement. In order to verify the actual ambiguity of assolutamente, we will analyse data of spoken Italian, based on two corpora (LIP and KIParla), collected in various Italian cities in a thirty-year span. The analysis will also allow us to find out possible diachronic changes in the functions of assolutamente. Finally, the discursive functions of these expressions will be discussed, showing that assolutamente without polarity markers is not an ambiguous expression; rather, it is strongly oriented towards consensus and agreement with the interlocutor
Nominal reduplication in cross-linguistic perspective From plurality to change of referents’ specificity
No full textThis paper aims at investigating the semantics of nominal reduplication cross-linguistically. Nominal reduplication is treated as an iconic morphological device expressing functions that have something to do with plurality. Nevertheless, in the languages of the world, other types of functions are attested as well, which seem to pivot around different notions like conceptual similarity, heterogeneity, combinations of them, or even possession. Based on a large-scale cross-linguistic analysis, we provide a typology of nominal reduplication considering the range of semantic functions and the type of reduplicative patterns. We argue that the attested variation clearly points to a common semantic core underlying the various functions, and this core can be identified in some modification of the degree and type of referentiality. Finally, the attested tendencies and correlations may shed new light on the role of iconicity in explaining the connection between reduplicated nouns and their functions
Reduplicazione e ripetizione in tipologia: due strategie separate o espressione dello stesso fenomeno?
No full textIl presente contributo affronta il problema della demarcazione tra due fenomeni molto discussi in linguistica: reduplicazione e ripetizione. A causa della loro somiglianza a livello formale, molti studi sono stati dedicati a capire quali siano le differenze e gli eventuali parametri linguistici (sia formali che funzionali) che possano tracciare una linea di demarcazione tra queste due strategie. In questo articolo, verranno discussi alcuni casi di reduplicazione e di ripetizione che mettono in difficoltà gli approcci presenti in letteratura. Mostreremo come l’approccio formale sia problematico a livello interlinguistico perché si basa su un concetto di difficile applicazione tipologica, la parola. Dopodiché ci soffermeremo sull’analisi funzionale di alcuni casi che sembrano contraddire l’approccio prettamente funzionale alla reduplicazione e ripetizione. Infine, proporremo un nuovo modo di concettualizzare le due strategie seguendo, e ricalibrando a livello interlinguistico, l’approccio che considera reduplicazione e ripetizione come due poli prototipici opposti connessi da un continuum di fenomeni definibili in maniera inequivocabile solamente a livello di singole lingue
- …
