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Article published In:
Linguistic Variation
Vol. 24:1 (2024) ► pp.116–163

Indeterminate pronouns in Kaqchikel

| University of Kansas
| University of California Los Angeles
| University of Toronto
This paper investigates the morphology, syntax, and semantics of five non-interrogative constructions that involve wh-expressions in Kaqchikel, a Mayan language of the K’ichean branch spoken in Guatemala. We focus on the properties of maximal free relative clauses, existential free relative clauses, ever free relative clauses, free choice items and negative indefinites. We show that the interpretive properties of these constructions are strikingly similar to those found in a number of unrelated languages.
Keywords: wh-question, relative clause, negative indefinite, free relative clause
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background on Kaqchikel and Data Collection
  • 3.Wh-Questions and Wh-Words
  • 4.Relative Clauses
    • 4.1Types of relative clauses
    • 4.2Argument and locative free relatives
    • 4.3PP free relatives
    • 4.4 how free relatives
    • 4.5 when free relatives
    • 4.6 why free relatives
    • 4.7 how many free relatives
  • 5.The interpretation of free relatives in Kaqchikel
    • 5.1Maximal free relatives
    • 5.2Existential free relatives
    • 5.3Free-choice free relatives
  • 6.Wh-words in complex indefinite expressions
    • 6.1Free choice items
    • 6.2Negative indefinite construction
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 12 January 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/lv.22012.dun
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