Part of
Shared Grammaticalization: With special focus on the Transeurasian languagesEdited by Martine Robbeets and Hubert Cuyckens
[Studies in Language Companion Series 132] 2013
► pp. 227–250
The Qinghai-Gansu area in Northwestern China is home to a Sprachbund that encompasses languages of four groups: (Northwestern Mandarin) Chinese, (Amdo) Tibetan, Mongolic, and Turkic. Four of the Shirongol Mongolic languages (Mongghul, Mangghuer, Baoan, and Kangjia) and the Turkic language Salar have developed a postposed indefinite article, apparently under the influence of neighboring Tibetan. This paper provides a general survey of the development and usage of the indefinite article in this region, illustrated by examples from the Turkic and Mongolic Sprachbund members involved. It concludes (in appendix) with a Salar text sample that shows the usage of the article in context.