Demonstratives and non-embedded nominalisations in three Papuan languages of the Timor-Alor-Pantar family

Abstract:

This paper explores the use of demonstratives in non-embedded clausal nominalisations. We present data and analysis from three Papuan languages of the Timor-Alor-Pantar family in south-east Indonesia. In these languages, demonstratives can apply to the clausal as well as to the nominal domain, contributing contrastive semantic content in assertive stance-taking and attention-directing utterances. In the Timor-Alor-Pantar constructions, meanings that are to do with spatial and discourse locations at the participant level apply to spatial, temporal and mental locations at the state or event level. © 2011 John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Año de publicación:

2011

Keywords:

• Demonstratives
• Timor-Alor-Pantar languages
• Papuan languages
• Non-embedded nominalisations

Fuente:

scopus