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Article published In:
Source-Goal (a)symmetries across languages
Edited by Anetta Kopecka and Marine Vuillermet
[Studies in Language 45:1] 2021
► pp. 75–108

Linguistic expressions of Goal, Source and Place in Polynesian languages

| UMR 7107 Lacito-CNRS

In Polynesian languages, as in many other Oceanic languages, the linguistic expression of Source and Goal is mainly express by (i) demonstratives and directional modifiers, which combine deictic and spatial information (toward speaker, addressee or third person, upwards, downwards, transverse axe), (ii) locative static and dynamic prepositions which may combine with body-part terms to introduce local and landmark nouns, or place names, and (iii) posture and motion verbs. We examine the occurrences of the Source and Goal prepositions on the one hand, and the directional modifiers on the other, taking into account their compatibilities, the spatial coding they convey, the position of the participants, and the verb meaning. In Polynesian languages, Goal and Source are of similar complexity, though in different ways, and a variety of resources can express fine-grained distinctions for Source vs. Goal depending on the position of the figure.

Keywords: Polynesian languages, East Uvean, East Futunan, demonstratives, directional adverbs, locative prepositions, position and motion verbs
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Locative prepositions
    • 2.1The source/ablative preposition
      • 2.1.1Source located in space
      • 2.1.2Fictive source without actual motion
      • 2.1.3Temporal source
      • 2.1.4Abstract or metaphoric source
    • 2.2The static/essive preposition
      • 2.2.1Spatial localisation
      • 2.2.2Temporal localisation
      • 2.2.3Expression of the source
      • 2.2.4Other functions of the static/essive preposition
    • 2.3The goal/allative preposition
      • 2.3.1Allative meaning
      • 2.3.2Other functions
    • 2.4Combination of two prepositions
    • 2.5Complex prepositions
      • 2.5.1Complex ‘nominal’ prepositions
      • 2.5.2Complex ‘verbal’ prepositions
    • 2.6Conclusion on the prepositions occurring in spatial relations
  • 3.Directionals
    • 3.1Personal/deictic directionals
      • 3.1.1The centripetal directional ‘hither’
      • 3.1.2The centrifugal directional ‘thither’
      • 3.1.3The transverse directional ‘away’
    • 3.2Local directionals
    • 3.3Main uses of directionals
    • 3.4Other uses of directionals
  • 4.Combination of prepositions and directionals
    • 4.1Combination of the centripetal directional and the source preposition
    • 4.2Combination of the centripetal directional and the Goal or static/essive prepositions
  • 5.Other constructions linked to spatial expressions
    • 5.1Constructions with the multifunctional conjunction/adverb mo
    • 5.2The faka- adverbial derivation
    • 5.3Incorporation of local nouns
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 14 December 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.00017.moy
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