Case markers and language contact in the Gansu-Qinghai linguistic area

This paper examines the forms and usage of case markers in the Gan-Qing dialects and in the Amdo Tibetan and Altaic languages in the Gansu-Qinghai linguistic area (GQLA), including datives, accusatives, absolutives, comitatives, instrumentals, ablatives, locatives, genitives, comparatives and reflexive possessives. We come to two conclusions: (1) most markers in Gan-Qing dialects are widely distributed, but some are narrowly distributed and (2) case markers in Gan-Qing dialects are overwhelmingly from the Chinese inventory rather than direct copies from Amdo Tibetan or Altaic languages. These findings enable us to shed light on the situation of language contact in the GQLA and illustrate that there are two major strata of contact in the GQLA.