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Article published In:
Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area
Vol. 43:1 (2020) ► pp.37–54

The copula system of Tawang Monpa

| SIL International

This paper is a description of the copula system of Tawang Monpa [Dakpa], an East-Bodish language, spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in India and by small groups of speakers in Bhutan and Tibet. There are two equative copulas in Tawang Monpa: personal jin and neutral jim, and three existential copulas: testimonial ni, neutral num and personal nou. In addition, there are separate negative copulas; equative: personal men and neutral menum, and existential: testimonial mon, neutral munum and personal monou. There is also one example of a past positive copula ne and a past negative copula monelu.

Keywords: Tawang Monpa [Dakpa, Cuona], East-Bodish, copula
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1About Tawang Monpa
    • 1.2Some issues with copulas in Bodish languages
    • 1.3Evidentiality, egophoricity and mirativity
  • 2.Copulas in Tawang Monpa
    • 2.1Existential copulas
      • 2.1.1Personal
      • 2.1.2Testimonial
      • 2.1.3Neutral
    • 2.2Equative copula
      • 2.2.1Personal
      • 2.2.2Neutral
  • 3.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 28 August 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ltba.17013.tom
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