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Article published In:
Usage-based and Typological Approaches to Linguistic Units
Edited by Tsuyoshi Ono, Ritva Laury and Ryoko Suzuki
[Studies in Language 43:2] 2019
► pp. 444–458
Regular Article

Truth, person, and personal truth

Kuke copulas, a construction caught between descriptive systems

ORCID logo | Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages
| Tribhuvan University

In this paper we present data on the copula system of Kuke, a language of the lower Nubri valley, in northern Nepal. We present data showing that the system of copulas cannot easily be categorised in terms of the different descriptive categories that are frequently used in discussion of languages of the Himalayan region (evidentiality, egophoricity, conjunct/disjunct). Further, the different contrasts encoded in the morphologically simple copula system shows a range of semantics (loosely associated with first person interpretations) that has rarely been described as occurring in one system.

Keywords: Kuke, Nubri, Nepal, Himalayas, evidentiality, egophoricity, mirativity, copula, personal
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background, 1: Kuke
  • 3.Background, 2: Categories and labels
  • 4.Kuke and the essentials of the system of copulas
  • 5.Extended uses of copulas
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 13 November 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.17027.don
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