Alignment change in Chukotkan
Abstract This paper examines current approaches to studying alignment change and the role of language contact in the spread of ergativity, using the Chukotkan languages as a case study. Chukotkan is exceptional in that there does not appear to be a single reanalysis pathway that can account for the...
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John Benjamins Publishing Company
2019
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/dia.18016.kan http://www.jbe-platform.com/deliver/fulltext/dia.18016.kan.pdf |
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crjohnbenjaminsp:10.1075/dia.18016.kan 2024-06-09T07:50:10+00:00 Alignment change in Chukotkan Further exploration of the pathways to ergativity Kantarovich, Jessica 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/dia.18016.kan http://www.jbe-platform.com/deliver/fulltext/dia.18016.kan.pdf en eng John Benjamins Publishing Company Diachronica volume 36, issue 2, page 222-261 ISSN 0176-4225 1569-9714 journal-article 2019 crjohnbenjaminsp https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.18016.kan 2024-05-15T13:26:38Z Abstract This paper examines current approaches to studying alignment change and the role of language contact in the spread of ergativity, using the Chukotkan languages as a case study. Chukotkan is exceptional in that there does not appear to be a single reanalysis pathway that can account for the development of ergative case. Rather, the system appears to be the product of several changes that operated in different domains. This paper provides an alternative to an earlier account that claims that Chukotkan ergativity developed due to Yupik substrate effects, which is not supported by the historical accounts of the contact between these groups. This explanation is consistent with a problematic tendency of treating ergativity as a special phenomenon, even though ergative alignment regularly arises via internal change. Instead, I propose that the loss of split ergative case marking occurred due to the reanalysis of a passive participle, which was motivated by the tendency to encode animacy distinctions in these languages. Article in Journal/Newspaper Yupik John Benjamins Publishing Company Diachronica 36 2 222 261 |
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John Benjamins Publishing Company |
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crjohnbenjaminsp |
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English |
description |
Abstract This paper examines current approaches to studying alignment change and the role of language contact in the spread of ergativity, using the Chukotkan languages as a case study. Chukotkan is exceptional in that there does not appear to be a single reanalysis pathway that can account for the development of ergative case. Rather, the system appears to be the product of several changes that operated in different domains. This paper provides an alternative to an earlier account that claims that Chukotkan ergativity developed due to Yupik substrate effects, which is not supported by the historical accounts of the contact between these groups. This explanation is consistent with a problematic tendency of treating ergativity as a special phenomenon, even though ergative alignment regularly arises via internal change. Instead, I propose that the loss of split ergative case marking occurred due to the reanalysis of a passive participle, which was motivated by the tendency to encode animacy distinctions in these languages. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kantarovich, Jessica |
spellingShingle |
Kantarovich, Jessica Alignment change in Chukotkan |
author_facet |
Kantarovich, Jessica |
author_sort |
Kantarovich, Jessica |
title |
Alignment change in Chukotkan |
title_short |
Alignment change in Chukotkan |
title_full |
Alignment change in Chukotkan |
title_fullStr |
Alignment change in Chukotkan |
title_full_unstemmed |
Alignment change in Chukotkan |
title_sort |
alignment change in chukotkan |
publisher |
John Benjamins Publishing Company |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/dia.18016.kan http://www.jbe-platform.com/deliver/fulltext/dia.18016.kan.pdf |
genre |
Yupik |
genre_facet |
Yupik |
op_source |
Diachronica volume 36, issue 2, page 222-261 ISSN 0176-4225 1569-9714 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.18016.kan |
container_title |
Diachronica |
container_volume |
36 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
222 |
op_container_end_page |
261 |
_version_ |
1801383384952340480 |