Article published in:
Diachronica
Vol. 37:2 (2020) ► pp. 133–177

Anti-scope prefix order and zero-marked obliques

Unusual outcomes of a grammaticalization pathway

| University of Melbourne
| University of Newcastle

A number of indigenous languages of northern Australia have complex systems of noun class prefixation incorporating the formal realization of case or topicality, as well as class. The markers of case and topicality occur inside the marking of class, in an unexpected position according to considerations of scope. In addition, where case is marked, zero marking is associated with oblique case roles while core roles are associated with substantive marking; again, an unexpected pattern given universals of case expression. We present evidence for the diachronic development of these noun class prefixation systems from an older system of demonstratives prefixed for class via a grammaticalization path: demonstrative > topic article > topic prefix. The class/topic prefixes then developed into class/case-marking prefixes through frequency correlations between topic, case, animacy and humanness. All stages in our reconstructed pathway are attested by extant languages.

Keywords: grammaticalization, noun class, gender, case, topic, prefixation; prefix stacking, Australian languages
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Reconstruction of nominal prefixation in Australia
  • 3.Stage 1: Topic Demonstrative
  • 4.Stage 2: Topic Demonstrative > Topic Article
  • 5.Stage 3: Topic Article > Class-Topic prefixation
    • 5.1Ngalakgan
    • 5.2Wubuy
  • 6.Stage 4: Class-Topic > Class-Case
    • 6.1Zero prefixal case
    • 6.2Prefixation and case in Wubuy
    • 6.3Historical development of zero prefixal case
  • 7.Scope and zero oblique case marking as synchronically active factors
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 10 April 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.18048.bak
References
Aissen, J.
2003 Differential object marking: Iconicity vs. economy. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 211. 435–483. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Austin, P.
2001 Zero arguments in Jiwarli, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Linguistics 211. 83–98. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Baker, B.
2004 Stem forms and paradigm reshaping in Gunwinyguan. In C. Bowern & H. Koch (eds.), Australian languages: Classification and the comparative method, by 313–340. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2008a The interpretation of complex nominal expressions in Southeast Arnhem Land languages. In B. Baker & I. Mushin (eds.), Discourse and grammar in Australian languages, 135–166. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2008b Word structure in Ngalakgan Stanford: CSLI.Google Scholar
2014 Word structure in Australian languages. In H. Koch & R. Nordlinger (eds.), The languages and linguistics of Australia: A comprehensive guide, 139–213. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Baker, M.
1985 The mirror principle and morphosyntactic explanation. Linguistic Inquiry 161. 373–415.Google Scholar
Bickel, B., B. Comrie & M. Haspelmath
2008 The Leipzig glossing rules: Conventions for interlinear morpheme by morpheme glosses. Leipzig.Google Scholar
Bybee, J.
1985 Morphology: A study of the relation between form and meaning. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2006 From usage to grammar: The mind’s response to repetition. Language 821. 711–733. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Carew, M.
2017 A grammar of Gun-nartpa. Unpublished ms.Google Scholar
Chadwick, N.
1978 The West Barkly languages: Complex morphology. Monash University, Doctoral dissertation.Google Scholar
Crysmann, B. & O. Bonami
2016 Variable morphotactics in information-based morphology. Journal of Linguistics 521. 311–374. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dalrymple, M. & I. Nikolaeva
2011 Objects and information structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
De Mulder, W. & A. Carlier
2011 The grammaticalization of definite articles. In H. Narrog & B. Heine (eds.), The Oxford handbook of grammaticalization, 522–534. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Diessel, H.
1999 Demonstratives: Form, function and grammaticalization. Amsterdam: John Benjamin. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dixon, R. M. W.
2002 Australian languages: Their nature and development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
van Egmond, Marie-Elaine
2012 Enindhilyakwa phonology, morphosyntax, and genetic position. University of Sydney, Doctoral dissertation.Google Scholar
Evans, N.
2003 Bininj Gunwok: A pan-dialectal grammar of Mayali, Kunwinjku and Kune. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Fletcher, J. & A. Butcher
2014 Sound patterns of Australian languages. In H. Koch & R. Nordlinger (eds.), The languages and linguistics of Australia: A comprehensive guide, 91–138. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Givón, T.
1971 Historical syntax and synchronic morphology: An archaeologist’s field trip. Papers from the regional meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society 71. 394–415.Google Scholar
Glasgow, K.
1984 Burarra word classes. In K. Glasgow, A. Capell, G. McKay, R. Kennedy & D. Trefry (eds.), Papers in Australian linguistics No. 16, 1–54. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Green, R.
1995 A grammar of Gurr-goni (North Central Arnhem Land). Australian National University, Doctoral dissertation.Google Scholar
2003 Proto-Maningrida within Proto-Arnhem: Evidence from verbal inflectional suffixes. In N. Evans (ed.), The Non-Pama-Nyungan languages of northern Australia: Comparative studies in the continent’s most linguistically complex region, 353–367. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Greenberg, J. H.
1963 Some universals of grammar with particular reference to the order of meaningful elements. In J. H. Greenberg (ed.), Universals of language: Report of a conference held at Dobbs Ferry, New York, April 13–15, 1961. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
1978 How does a language acquire gender markers. In J. H. Greenberg, C. A. Ferguson & E. A. Moravczik (eds.), Universals of human language, 47–82. Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Gundel, J. & T. Fretheim
2004 Topic and focus. In L. Horn & G. Ward (eds.), The handbook of pragmatics, 175–196. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Haig, G. & S. Schnell
2014 Annotations using GRAID (Grammatical Relations and Animacy in Discourse): Introduction and guidelines for annotators. Version 7.0. Online: https://​lac​.uni​-koeln​.de​/en​/multi​-cast​-annotations​-background​-and​-resources/. Bamberg University and La Trobe University, Melbourne [unpublished ms].
Hamilton, P.
1996 Phonetic constraints and markedness in the phonotactics of Australian Aboriginal languages. University of Toronto, Doctoral dissertation.Google Scholar
Harvey, M.
2003a An initial reconstruction of Proto-Gunwinyguan phonology. In N. Evans (ed.), The Non-Pama-Nyungan languages of northern Australia: Comparative studies in the continent’s most linguistically complex region, 205–268. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
2003b Reconstruction of pronominals among the Non-Pama-Nyungan languages. In N. Evans (ed.), The Non-Pama-Nyungan languages of northern Australia: Comparative studies of the continent’s most linguistically complex region, 475–513. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Harvey, M. & R. Mailhammer
2017 Reconstructing remote relationships: Proto-Australian noun class prefixation. Diachronica 341. 470–515. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Harvey, M. & N. Reid
(eds) 1997 Nominal classification in Aboriginal Australia (Studies in Language Companion Series. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Heath, J.
1978a Linguistic diffusion in Arnhem Land. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
1978b Ngandi grammar, texts, and dictionary. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
1980a Basic materials in Warndarang: Grammar, texts and dictionary. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
1980b Nunggubuyu myths and ethnographic texts. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
1981 Basic materials in Mara: Grammar, texts and dictionary. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
1984 A functional grammar of Nunggubuyu. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
1987 Story of *-n-: *CV- vs CV-n- noun-class prefixes in Australian languages. In D. Laycock & W. Winter (eds.), A world of language: Papers presented to Professor S. A. Wurm on his 65th birthday, 233–243. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Himmelmann, N.
1996 Demonstratives in narrative discourse: A taxonomy of universal uses. In B. Fox (ed.), Studies in anaphora, 205–254. Amsterdam: Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kimball, G.
1991 Koasati grammar. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.Google Scholar
König, C.
2008 Marked nominatives. In A. Malchukov & A. Spencer (eds.), The Oxford handbook of case (535–548). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Kripke, S.
1980 Naming and necessity. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Louagie, D.
2017 The status of determining elements in Australian languages. Australian Journal of Linguistics 371. 182–218. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Manova, S. & M. Aronoff
2010 Modeling affix order. Morphology 201. 109–131. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
McKay, G.
2011 Rembarrnga, a language of central Arnhem Land. Munich: Lincom Europa.Google Scholar
Merlan, F.
1983 Ngalakan grammar, texts and vocabulary. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Mithun, M.
2011 Grammaticalization and explanation. In H. Narrog & B. Heine (eds.), The Oxford handbook of grammaticalization, 177–192. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Mushin, I. & B. Baker
(eds.) 2008 Discourse and grammar in Australian languages (Studies in Language Companion Series 104). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Nordlinger, R.
1998 A grammar of Wambaya, Northern Territory (Australia). Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
Portner, P. & K. Yabushita
2001 Specific indefinites and the information structure theory of topics. Journal of Semantics. 181. 271–297. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Reinhart, T.
1982 Pragmatics and linguistics: An analysis of sentence topics. Philosophica 2781. 53–94.Google Scholar
Rice, K.
2000 Morpheme order and semantic scope: Word formation in the Athapaskan verb Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2011 Principles of affix ordering: An overview. Word Structure 41. 169–200. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Sands, K.
1995 Nominal classification in Australia. Anthropological Linguistics 371. 247–346.Google Scholar
Silverstein, M.
1976 Hierarchy of features and ergativity. In R. M. W. Dixon (ed.), Grammatical categories in Australian languages, 112–171. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
Simpson, J. & M. Withgott
1986 Pronominal clitic clusters and templates. In H. Borer (ed.), Syntax and semantics 19: The syntax of pronominal clitics, 149–174. New York: Academic. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Singer, R.
2006 Agreement in Mawng: Productive and lexicalised uses of agreement in an Australian language. University of Melbourne, Doctoral dissertation.Google Scholar
2016 The dynamics of nominal classification: Productive and lexicalised uses of gender agreement in Mawng. Berlin: De Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Spencer, A.
2003 Putting some order into morphology: Reflections on Rice (2000) and Stump (2001). Journal of Linguistics 391. 621–646. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2013 Lexical relatedness: A paradigm-based model. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Stump, G. T.
2001 Inflectional morphology: A theory of paradigm structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Zimmermman, M. & E. Onea
2011 Focus marking and focus interpretation. Lingua 1211. 1651–1670. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Zipf, G. K.
1929 Relative frequency as a determinant of phonetic change. Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 401. 1–95. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

Harvey, Mark & Brett Baker
2020. Epenthetic prefixation in Alawa and Marra. Australian Journal of Linguistics 40:3 ► pp. 273 ff. Crossref logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 08 april 2022. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.