Article published In:
Functions of LanguageVol. 1:1 (1994) ► pp.25–66
Complex sentence constructions in Nyulnyul, Western Australia
This paper investigates complex sentence constructions in Nyulnyul (Kimberley, Western Australia). Three primary types of inter-clausal relationships — embedding (part-whole), dependence (part-part) and scope (whole-whole) — permit an initial typology of complex sentence types. This paper focuses on embedding and dependence, ignoring scope. It is argued that non-finite clauses must be embedded in a finite clause, whereas finite clauses cannot be, and may only be related to another finite clause by dependence. Dependence relations can be classified (following Halliday 1985) according to two independent emically significant parameters: parataxis vs. hypotaxis; and extension vs. elaboration vs. enhancement. The contrast between parataxis and hypotaxis is examined, and it is argued that hypotaxis involves the reduction in status of the dependent clause; consequences of this are discussed. Embedding involves nominalisation, and with this the 'entitisation' of an event, and the consequent unchallangeability of the clause.
Cited by
Cited by 7 other publications
Bowern, Claire
2010. The typological implications of Bardi complex predicates. Linguistic Typology 14:1 
McGregor, William B.
1994. Review of Hopper & Traugott (1993): Grammaticalization. Functions of Language 1:2 ► pp. 304 ff.
Mwinlaaru, Isaac N. & Winfred Wenhui Xuan
2016. A survey of studies in systemic functional language description and typology. Functional Linguistics 3:1
Nordlinger, Rachel
2006. Spearing the Emu Drinking: Subordination and the Adjoined Relative Clause in Wambaya* Some aspects of this paper were presented at the Blackwood workshop on subordination in Australian languages, March 2002. I would like to thank the participants of that workshop for helpful feedback, and particularly Nick Evans, Ian Green, Mary Laughren, Nick Piper, Nick Reid, Jean-Christophe Verstraete and the anonymousAJLreviewers for discussions, comments and suggestions that have helped shape and improve this paper. Of course, these people may not necessarily agree with the perspective presented here and cannot be held responsible for remaining errors or inadequacies. This research has been financially supported by an ARC APD Fellowship (F9930026) held at the University of Melbourne.. Australian Journal of Linguistics 26:1 ► pp. 5 ff.
Saulwick, Adam
2009. Incorporating the interpersonal: Some topic manipulation in Rembarrnga. Linguistics 47:4
Verstraete, Jean-Christophe
2006. The role of mood marking in complex sentences A case study of Australian languages. <i>WORD</i> 57:2-3 ► pp. 195 ff.
Verstraete, Jean-Christophe
2006. The Nature of Irreality in the Past Domain: Evidence from Past Intentional Constructions in Australian Languages* This paper was written while I was a visiting research fellow at the linguistics department of the University of Melbourne. I would like to thank the department for its hospitality, as well as the Fund for Scientific Research–Flanders for its financial support. I am grateful to Rachel Nordlinger and two anonymous reviewers for very helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper, and to Bruce Birch, Alan Dench, Nick Evans, Ian Green, Shelly Harrison, Ekkehard König, Bill McGregor, Nele Nivelle, Marie-Eve Ritz and Adam Saulwick for general discussion or specific comments on some of the ideas presented here. I am of course responsible for any errors of fact or interpretation.. Australian Journal of Linguistics 26:1 ► pp. 59 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 29 march 2024. 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.