Chapter 20
A diachronic account of converbal constructions in Old Rajasthani
This paper presents the results of a multilayered diachronic analysis of one of the most important subordinating devices in IA, i.e. converbs. This is a corpus-oriented study based on an early variety of New Indo-Aryan, namely Old Rajasthani. We discuss: (a) the morphology of the converb and the possible pathways of its evolution through the centuries; (b) the syntactic properties of converbal chains, with a special focus on main argument marking and the ‘same-subject constraint’; and (c) the semantics of converbal constructions and the adverbial and clause-chaining properties of converbs. Our research has interesting implications for the aspectual status of the converb: aspect seems to be the most important factor determining the main argument marking in converbal chains.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Morphology of Old Rajasthani converbs
- 3.Syntactic dimensions of converbs in Old Rajasthani, with particular emphasis on the “same-subject constraint”
- 4.Semantics of converbs in Old Rajasthani
- 4.1Converbs in light verb constructions
- 4.2Converbs in clause chaining
- 5.Conclusion
-
Acknowledgements
-
Notes
-
Abbreviations
-
References
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Primary sources
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