Pronouns and pronominals in Eastern Labrador Eskimo

• Main Author: Clase, Leila Mirjam
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1974
• Subjects: Nain; eskimo*
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/7456/; https://research.library.mun.ca/7456/1/Clase_Leila.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/7456/3/Clase_Leila.pdf

The object of this study is the pronominal system of the Eskimo dialect of Eastern Labrador. The study includes not only pronouns but also those pronominal adverbs which have inflection. The emphasis is throughout on the present day usage, which has been studied with the help of two native speakers from Nain, Labrador, but a diachronic dimension is added by comparing modern usage with that of earlier times in order to find out what changes, if any, have taken place within the last hundred years or so. Bourquin's grammar of 1891 Grammatik der Eskimo-Sprache, wie sie im Bereich der Missions-Niederlassungen der Brüdergemeine an der Labradorküste gesprochen wird has been the main source of information of the earlier stage of Eastern Labrador Eskimo. -- The thesis is divided into six chapters. Chapter I consists of phonological and morphological introduction. The next three chapters are devoted to the morphology and semantics of the pronouns. The pronouns are divided into three groups according to their form. Chapter II deals with those pronouns which end in a personal suffix, Chapter III with demonstratives, which have a morphology peculiar to themselves, and Chapter IV with interrogative pronouns kina and suna and a pronominal adverb nani. These three do not fall morphologically into either of the previous categories. All three morphological categories are examined together from a syntactic viewpoint in Chapter V. In Chapter VI findings are summarized and conclusions drawn.