Temporal and co-varying clause combining in Austronesian languages

295 Pages·2012·2.65 MB·English

TEMPORAL AND CO- VARYING CLAUSE
COMBINING IN AUSTRONESIAN LANGUAGES
Niklas Jonsson
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Temporal and co-varying clause
combining in Austronesian languages
Semantics, morpho-syntax and distributional patterns

Niklas Jonsson
iii
Doctoal dissertation 2012
Department of Linguistics
Stockholm University
106 91 stockholm

©Niklas Jonsson, Stockholm 2012

ISBN 978-91-7447-488-6

Printed in Sweden by Universitetsservice AB, Stockholm 2012
Distributor: Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University
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Abstract

Various semantic relations are represented by combined clause constructions
in the languages of the world. This study investigates combined clause con-
structions for ten distinct semantic relations in a cross-section of Austrone-
sian languages. The semantic relations selected for the study are of a tem-
poral or co-varying nature, the former commonly expressed in English by
such markers as when, then, until, etc. and the latter by if, so, because, etc.
The research falls into three main domains: semantics, morpho-syntax and
distributional patterns.
First, the study provides an overview of the semantics of temporal and
co-varying relations in the Austronesian languages. Several subdistinctions
are found to be made within the semantic relations investigated, some cross-
linguistically rare, such as general vs. fulfilled purpose, and others more
common, such as distinguishing counterfactuality and concessivity for con-
ditionals. The study also explores polysemic relation markers, and several
patterns are identified. The single most common pattern is the overlap be-
tween (open) conditional and (non-past) co-occurrence relations, for which
many Austronesian languages employ the same relation marker.
Second, the study develops a morpho-syntactic typology of Austronesian
clause combining based on three parameters related to features common to
clause combining constructions. The typology divides the constructions into
five different types that are ranked with regard to structural tightness based
on notions of compactness and dependency. Some constructions, cutting
across several types, are also discussed; in particular, asymmetric coordina-
tion, which involves the use of a coordinator to connect a fronted topicalized
adverbial clause to the rest of the sentence. It is argued that the construction
facilitates cognitive processing as the coordinator renders both clauses as
independent, and the hearer does not have to try and fit in a cumbersome
initial constituent into the sentence structure.
Finally, the study explores the distributional patterns of the morpho-
syntactic types across the semantic relations, as well as across three geo-
graphical areas in the Austronesian region. In the former case, a clear corre-
lation is found between posteriority and result relations on the one hand and
looser structural types on the other. The other relations show more complex
patterns and cannot easily be ordered into a linear hierarchy. One of the ana-
lyses made, however, shows that several pairs of individual relations display
clear differences in average tightness. The distribution of types across three
Austronesian macro-regions revealed few differences between the areas,
although two tendencies could be detected: the Oceanic languages generally
employ slightly looser morpho-syntax for clause combining constructions,
while the Formosan and Philippine languages employ slightly tighter mor-
pho-syntax.
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Table of contents
Abbreviations ............................................................................................... xi
Acknowledgements ..................................................................................xvii
1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 1
1.1 The domain of study ...................................................................................... 2
1.2 Aim and scope of the study .......................................................................... 7
1.3 Why Austronesian? Why temporality and co-variation? .......................... 9
1.4 Terminological notes .................................................................................... 11
1.4.1 Clauses, combined clauses and sentences ................................ 11
1.4.2 Relation marker .............................................................................. 12
1.4.3 Construction .................................................................................... 12
1.5 Organization of the thesis ........................................................................... 14
2 Earlier research on clause combining .............................................. 15
2.1 Coordination and subordination ................................................................. 16
2.1.1 The notions of coordination and subordination ......................... 16
2.1.2 Defining criteria for subordination ............................................... 19
2.2 Parallel continua, iconicity and implicational hierarchies ...................... 29
2.2.1 Parallel continua: Lehmann's typology ....................................... 29
2.2.2 Iconicity in clause combining: the RRG approach .................... 33
2.2.3 Typological hierarchies and functional motivations:
Cristofaro (2005) on subordination ............................................. 40
2.3 Clause combining in Austronesian languages .......................................... 42
3 Austronesian languages and sources of data ................................. 48
3.1 The Austronesian language family............................................................. 48
3.1.1 Genealogical relationships ............................................................ 49
3.1.2 Typological characteristics ............................................................ 59
3.2 Sources, sample and database .................................................................. 65
3.2.1 Sources of data ............................................................................... 65
3.2.2 Sample of languages ...................................................................... 66
3.2.3 The database ................................................................................... 72
3.2.4 Factors possibly distorting the results ........................................ 72
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4 Semantic relations ............................................................................... 75
4.1 General discussion .......................................................................... 75
4.1.1 Background and the semantic relations used in the present
study ................................................................................................. 75
4.1.2 The universality of semantic relations ........................................ 77
4.2 Practical considerations in the semantic classification ........................... 81
4.2.1 Principles and procedures ............................................................. 81
4.2.2 Discourse levels of interpretation ................................................ 85
4.2.3 Some terminological notes with regard to temporal
ordering ............................................................................................ 86
4.2.4 Semantic relations reference map ............................................... 88
4.3 Relational categories in the Austronesian languages ............................. 90
4.3.1 Co-occurrence ................................................................................. 91
4.3.2 Posteriority ....................................................................................... 95
4.3.3 Anteriority ........................................................................................ 96
4.3.4 Terminal boundary ......................................................................... 99
4.3.5 Initial boundary ............................................................................. 103
4.3.6 Condition ........................................................................................ 104
4.3.7 Concession ..................................................................................... 113
4.3.8 Purpose ........................................................................................... 116
4.3.9 Reason ............................................................................................ 121
4.3.10 Result .............................................................................................. 123
5 Patterns of polysemy ......................................................................... 126
5.1 Three paths of development well-attested cross-linguistically ........... 126
5.2 Austronesian polysemic relation markers .............................................. 134
5.2.1 Co-occurrence-condition polysemy ........................................... 135
5.2.2 Posteriority-result polysemy ....................................................... 137
5.2.3 Condition-concession polysemy ................................................. 139
5.2.4 Purpose-reason and purpose-result polysemy ........................ 141
5.2.5 Posteriority-anteriority polysemy .............................................. 144
6 Morpho-syntactic properties of Austronesian clause
combining ............................................................................................. 146
6.1 Classifying parameters .............................................................................. 146
6.1.1 Deviating morpho-syntax ............................................................ 147
6.1.2 Syntactic relation between clauses ........................................... 155
6.1.3 Explicitness of semantic relation................................................ 164
6.2 Morpho-syntactic types ............................................................................. 171
6.2.1 The tightness scale ....................................................................... 171
6.2.2 Asymmetric coordination............................................................. 186
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7 Distributions ........................................................................................ 199
7.1 Distribution of semantic relations across structural types .................. 199
7.1.1 Paradigmatic iconicity .................................................................. 199
7.1.2 Distributional patterns ................................................................. 202
7.1.3 Range of variation ........................................................................ 213
7.1.4 Discussion ...................................................................................... 219
7.2 Distribution across areas ............................................................. 222
8 Summary .............................................................................................. 227
8.1 Semantics of Austronesian clause combining ........................................ 228
8.1.1 Relation internal nuances of meaning ...................................... 228
8.1.2 Polysemy ........................................................................................ 233
8.2 Morpho-syntax of Austronesian clause combining ............................... 234
8.2.1 Structural typology ....................................................................... 234
8.1.2 Constructions of special interest ................................................ 236
8.3 Distributional patterns ............................................................................... 239
References ................................................................................................ 242
Appendix 1: Native speaker's questionnaire ..................................... 263
Appendix 2: Linguist's questionnaire .................................................. 263
Appendix 3: Prinicipal source material ............................................... 268
Appendix 4: Language samples ........................................................... 272

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