Article published in:
Studies in Language
Vol. 46:1 (2022) ► pp. 40–75

Beyond nominal tense

Temporality, aspect, and relevance in Tariana noun phrases

| James Cook University
Tariana, an Arawak language from Brazil, has nominal markers which convey temporal and aspectual information about the noun phrase. Besides nominal future, there is a distinction between completed and non-completed nominal pasts. The completed nominal past has three meanings – decessive (‘late, gone’), temporal (‘former’), and commiserative or deprecatory (‘poor thing’). The latter is only applicable to humans and higher animates. The non-completed nominal past has a further semantic component of relevance of the state or property for the present time. The usage of the markers is governed by the principle of communicative necessity – in contrast to clausal, or propositional, tense-cum-evidentiality markers which are always obligatory. Having special means for expressing tense, aspect and relevance within a noun phrase – distinct from tense and aspect categories with clausal scope – constitutes a typologically rare feature of the language.
Keywords: nominal tense, decessive meaning, relevance, Tariana, Arawak languages
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Non-propositional tense in its varied guises
    • 1.2Expressing tense in Tariana
  • 2.Non-propositional pasts in Tariana: Temporality, completion, and relevance
    • 2.1The non-completed non-propositional past in Tariana
    • 2.2The completed non-propositional past in Tariana
      • 2.2.1Decessive meaning of the completed non-propositional past
      • 2.2.2The temporal meaning of the completed non-propositional past
      • 2.2.3Commiserative and deprecatory meanings of the completed non-propositional past
      • 2.2.4The completed non-propositional past in Kumandene Tariana
      • 2.2.5The Tariana completed non-propositional past: A typological backdrop
  • 3.‘Tense stacking’
    • A.Completed non-propositional past followed by non-propositional future
    • B.Non-completed non-propositional past followed by completed non-propositional past
  • 4.Beyond non-propositional tense: Temporality, aspect, and relevance
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 23 February 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.20056.aik
References
Abbott, Miriam
1991 Macushi. In Desmond C. Derbyshire & Geoffrey K. Pullum (eds.), Handbook of Amazonian languages, Vol. 11, 23–160. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton.Google Scholar
Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.
2003 A grammar of Tariana. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
2004 Evidentiality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
2010 Language contact in Amazonia. Oxford: Oxford University Press (revised paperback edition).Google Scholar
2014a The grammar of knowledge in typological perspective. In Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald & Robert M. W. Dixon (eds.), The grammar of knowledge, 1–51. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
2014b Language contact, and language blend: Kumandene Tariana of north-west Amazonia. International Journal of American Linguistics 801. 323–70. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
2015a The art of grammar: A practical guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
2015b The languages of the Amazon. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
2017 Tariana, an Arawak language from north-west Amazonia. In Michael Fortescue, Marianne Mithun & Nicholas Evans (eds.), The Oxford handbook of polysynthesis, 713–34. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
& the Brito family 2002 Dicionário Tariana-Português e Português-Tariana. Museu Goeldi: Belém. (Boletim do museu Goeldi 17: 1, Julho 2001, copyright 2002).Google Scholar
Allin, Trevor R.
1975 A grammar of Resigaro. St Andrews: University of St. Andrews PhD dissertation.Google Scholar
Bertinetto, Pier Marco
2020 On non-propositional tense. Linguistic Typology 241. 311–52. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Bezerra, Zenilson A.
2005 Gramática Kuripako. São Gabriel da Cachoeira: Missão Novas Tribos do Brasil.Google Scholar
2012 Dicionário Kuripako/Português. São Gabriel da Cachoeira: Missão Novas Tribos do Brasil.Google Scholar
Burton, Strang
1997 Past tense on nouns as death, destruction and loss. In Kiyomi Kusumoto (ed.), Proceedings of North-eastern Linguistic Society 271, 67–77. Amherst: University of Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Camargo, Eliane
2008 Operadores aspectuais de estado marcando o nome em wayana (caribe). LIAMES 81. 85–104.Google Scholar
Carlin, Eithne B.
2004 A grammar of Trio, a Cariban language of Suriname. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
2006 Feeling the need: The borrowing of Cariban functional categories into Mawayana (Arawak). In Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald and R. M. W. Dixon (eds.), Grammars in contact: A cross-linguistic typology, 313–32. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Chang, Henry
2015 Non-propositional tense in Tsou: Nia and its syntax/semantics. UCLA Working Papers in Linguistics 171. 57–68.Google Scholar
Ciucci, Luca
2020 Wordhood in Chamacoco. In Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald, R. M. W. Dixon & Nathan M. White (eds.), Phonological word and grammatical word. A cross-linguistic typology, 78–120. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Comrie, Bernard
1985 Tense. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Courtz, Henk
2008 A Carib grammar and dictionary. Toronto: Magoria books.Google Scholar
Derbyshire, Desmond. C.
1979 Hixkaryana (Lingua Descriptive Studies 1). Amsterdam: North-Holland.Google Scholar
1999 Carib. In R. M. W. Dixon & Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (eds.), The Amazonian languages, 33–64. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Dixon, R. M. W.
2004 The Jarawara Language of Southern Amazonia. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
2005 A semantic approach to English grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
2010 Basic Linguistic Theory. Volume 1. Methodology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
2012 Basic Linguistic Theory. Volume 3. Further grammatical topics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
2014 Making new words in English: Morphological Derivation in English. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Eberhard, David
2009 Mamaindê grammar: A Northern Nambiquara language in its cultural context. Utrecht: LOT.Google Scholar
Fleck, David
2007 Evidentiality and double tense in Matses. Language 831. 589–614. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Franchetto, Bruna & Santos, Mara
2009 Tempo nominal em Kuikuro (Karib Alto-Xinguano). ReVEL 31. 1–16.Google Scholar
Franchetto, Bruna & Thomas, Guillaume
2016 The nominal temporal marker -pe in Kuikuro. In Thui Bui & Ivan Rudmila-Rodica (eds.), SULA 9: Proceedings of the Ninth Conference on the Semantics of Under-Represented Languages in the Americas, 25–40. Amherst, Mass.: GLSA.Google Scholar
Galloway, Brent D.
1993 A grammar of Upriver Halkomelem. Berlekey: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Gregores, Emma & Jorge A. Suárez
1967 A description of colloquial Guaraní. The Hague, Paris: Mouton. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Hall, Katherine L.
1988 The morphosyntax of discourse in De’kwana Carib. St. Louis: Washington University PhD dissertation.Google Scholar
Haude, Katharina
2006 Grammar of Movima. Nijmegen: Radboud University PhD dissertation.Google Scholar
Hawkins, Robert E.
1998 Wai Wai. In Desmond C. Derbyshire & Geoffrey K. Pullum (eds.), Handbook of Amazonian languages, Vol. 41, 25–224. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton.Google Scholar
Hoff, Berend
1968 The Carib language. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.Google Scholar
Jacques, Guillaume
2018 Non-propositional evidentiality. In Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (ed.), The Oxford handbook of evidentiality, 109–23. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Klumpp, Deloris
1990 Piapoco grammar. Colombia: SIL.Google Scholar
Koch-Grünberg, Theodor
1911 Aruak-Sprachen Nordwestbrasiliens und der angrenzenden Gebiete. Mitteilungen der anthropologischen Gesellschaft Wien 411. 33–153, 203–82.Google Scholar
Koehn, Ed & Sally Koehn
1986 Apalai. In Desmond C. Derbyshire & Geoffrey K. Pullum (eds.), Handbook of Amazonian languages, Vol. 11, 33–127. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Lapenda, G.
1968 Estrutura da língua Iatê. Recife: Imprensa Universitária da universidade Federal do Pernambuco.Google Scholar
Lecarme, Jacqueline
2008 Tense and modality in nominals. In Jacqueline Guéron & Jacqueline Lecarme (eds.), Time and modality, 195–225. Dordrecht: Springer. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Lowe, Ivan
1999 Nambiquara languages. In R. M. W. Dixon & Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald (eds.), The Amazonian languages, 269–92. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Matthews, P. H.
2014 Concise dictionary of linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Michael, Lev D.
2008 Nanti evidential practice: language, knowledge and social action in an Amazonian society. Austin: University of Texas at Austin PhD dissertation.Google Scholar
Mihas, Elena
2013 Non-propositional and verbal temporal morphology in Ashéninka Perené (Arawak). Acta Linguistica Hafniensia 451. 43–72. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Nikolaeva, Irina
2015 On the expression of TAM on nouns: Evidence from Tundra Nenets. Lingua 1661. 99–126. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Nordlinger, Rachel & Louisa Sadler
2004 Nominal Tense in Crosslinguistic Perspective. Language 801. 776–806. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Ramirez, Henri
1997 A fala Tukano dos Yepâ-masa. Tomo 1: Gramática. Manaus: Inspetoria Salesiana Missionária da Amazônia CEDEM.Google Scholar
2001a Uma gramática do Baniwa do Içana. Manaus: UFAm.Google Scholar
2001b Dicionário Baniwa-Português. Manaus: Universidade do Amazonas.Google Scholar
Reinoso Galindo, A. E.
2002 Gramática de la lengua piapoco. Santafé de Bogotá: Ministerio de cultura.Google Scholar
Seki, Lucy
2000 Gramática da língua Kamaiurá. Campinas: Editora da Unicamp.Google Scholar
Thomas, Guillaume
2014 Nominal tense and temporal implicatures: Evidence from Mbyá. Natural Language Semantics 221. 357–412. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Tavares, Petronila
2005 A grammar of Wayãna. Houston: Rice University PhD dissertation.Google Scholar
Tonhauser, Judith
2007 Nominal tense? The meaning of Guaraní nominal temporal markers. Language 831. 831–69. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
2008 Defining crosslinguistic categories: The case of nominal tense (Reply to Nordlinger and Sadler). Language 841. 332–342. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, P.
1992 Una descripción preliminar de la gramática del Achagua (Arawak). Bogotá: SIL.Google Scholar
Wiltschko, Martina
2003 On the interpretability of tense on D and its conseqeunces for case theory. Lingua 1131. 659–696. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Wojtylak, Katarzyna I.
2017 A grammar of Murui (Bue): A Witotoan language of north-west Amazonia. Smithfield: James Cook University PhD dissertation.Google Scholar