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Article published In:
Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area
Vol. 46:1 (2023) ► pp.6–34

Elevational deixis in the Kiranti verb

ORCID logo | CNRS-CRLAO-EPHE-INALCO
ORCID logo | CNRS-HTL

This article deals with elevational deixis in Kiranti languages, a feature which is pervasive in these languages in both the verbal and nominal domains. The system of elevation is described in most grammars of these languages as tripartite, following the typologically common system comprising up(wards), same level/across, down(wards) elevations.

This work reviews the available data on elevational deixis in the verbal system, and has two main contributions. First, it shows that motion verbs unspecified for elevation are an essential part of the elevation marking paradigm, and are obligatory in some specific elevational configurations. Second, it argues that on the one hand elevationally marked motion verbs are cognate as whole sets across Kiranti, and probably reconstructible to proto-Kiranti and beyond, and on the other hand that a subgroup of Kiranti including Chintang, Athpare, Belhare and Yamphu have innovated a second set of elevationally-marked motion verbs.

Keywords: Kiranti, elevational deixis, motion verbs, Thulung, Khaling, Belhare, Bantawa, case marking
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Features of elevational deixis
    • 2.1Elevation distinctions
    • 2.2Type of elevation coding
    • 2.3Domains of elevation coding
  • 3.Motion verbs
    • 3.1Venitive and itive verbs and elevation
    • 3.2Caused accompanied motion verbs
  • 4.Mismatches in the encoding of elevational deixis
    • 4.1Elevationally neutral locative with elevationally marked motion verbs
    • 4.2Neutralization of deixis
      • 4.2.1Neutralization of elevational deixis
      • 4.2.2Neutralization of motion deixis
    • 4.3Omission of allative and ablative marking
  • 5.Fluidity of the deictic center
  • 6.Diachronic evolution
    • 6.1Two sets of elevation deixis verbs
      • 6.1.1Set A
      • 6.1.2Set B
    • 6.2Historical shifts
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 12 May 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ltba.21018.jac
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