Article published in:
Argument Realisation in Complex Predicates and Complex Events: Verb-verb constructions at the syntax-semantic interface
Edited by Brian Nolan and Elke Diedrichsen
[Studies in Language Companion Series 180] 2017
► pp. 191–211

Complex predication in three dialects of Australia’s Western Desert

| Trinity College Dublin
This chapter looks at complex predicates in three dialects of Australia’s Western Desert, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra. Complex predication involving syntactic and morphological structures as well as internally complex lexical items are analysed within the functional framework of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG). Based on evidence from written sources, the dialects are found to have both verb compounding and serial verb constructions; complexes may represent a single composite action or a sequence of related actions. Elements in a complex can serve as light verbs, providing tense, aspect or causation to the complex. Nominals may serve as the arguments of one predicate, or as the arguments of the complex predicate as a whole. Furthermore, they may become fused with verbs to provide semantic narrowing. There is productive derivational morphology; derived lexical items and simple lexical predicates can be shown to be internally complex.
Keywords: Western Desert, Australian languages, complex predication
Published online: 26 January 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.180.07pyl
References

References

Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. & Dixon, Robert M.W.
(eds) 2006 Serial Verb Constructions: A Cross-Linguistic Typology [Explorations in Linguistic Typology 2]. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.
2006 Serial verb constructions in typological perspective. In Aikhenvald & Dixon (eds), 1–68.Google Scholar
Alsina, Alex, Bresnan, Joan & Sells, Peter
(eds) 1997 Complex Predicates. Stanford CA: CSLI.Google Scholar
1997 Complex predicates: Structure and theory. In Alsina et al. (eds), 1–12.Google Scholar
Baker, Mark C.
1997 Complex predicates and argument in polysynthetic languages. In Alsina et al. (eds), 247–288.Google Scholar
Blake, Barry
1987 Australian Aboriginal Grammar. London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Bowe, Heather J.
1990 Categories, Constituents and Constituent Order in Pitjantjatjara. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bresnan, Joan & Mchombo, Sam A.
1995 The lexical integrity principle: Evidence from Bantu. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 13(2): 181–254. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Bril, Isabelle
2007 Nexus and juncture types of complex predicates in oceanic languages: Functions and semantics. Language and Linguistics 8(1): 267–310.Google Scholar
Butt, Miriam
1997 Complex predicates in Urdu. In Alsina et al. (eds), 107–150.Google Scholar
2005 Complex predicate compendium. Handout of talk given at Tromsø, May.Google Scholar
Dixon, Robert M.W.
2006 Serial verb constructions: Conspectus and coda. In Aikhenvald & Dixon (eds), 338–350.Google Scholar
2011 The Languages of Australia. Cambridge: CUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Eckert, Paul & Hudson, Joyce
1988 Wangka Wiru: A Handbook for the Pitjantjatjara Language Learner. Underdale SA: ASTEC, Aboriginal Studies and Teacher Education Centre.Google Scholar
Glass, Amee
1983 Ngaanyatjarra sentences. Work Papers of SIL-AAB, Series A, 7.Google Scholar
2006 Ngaanyatjarra Learner’s Guide. Alice Springs: IAD Press.Google Scholar
Glass, Amee & Hackett, Dorothy
1979 Ngaanyatjarra texts. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
2003 Ngaanyatjarra & Ngaatjatjarra to English Dictionary. Alice Springs: IAD Press.Google Scholar
Goddard, Cliff
1983 A Semantically-Orientated Grammar of the Yankunytjatjara Dialect of the Western Desert Language. Canberra: Australian National University.Google Scholar
1993 Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara Learner’s Guide. Alice Springs: IAD Press.Google Scholar
1996 Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara to English Dictionary, 2nd edn. Alice Springs: IAD Press.Google Scholar
Hale, Ken & Keyser, Jay
1997 On the complex nature of simple predicators. In Alsina et al. (eds), 29–66.Google Scholar
Haspelmath, Martin
2011 The indeterminacy of word segmentation and the nature of morphology and syntax. Folia Linguistica 45(2): 31–80.Google Scholar
Lewis, M. Paul, Simons, Gary F. & Fennig, Charles D.
(eds) 2014 Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 17th edn. Dallas TX: SIL International. http://​www​.ethnologue​.com
Mithun, Marianne
1999 The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
Nolan, Brian
2012 The Structure of Modern Irish. Sheffield: Equinox.Google Scholar
Obata, Kazuko & Kral, Inge
2005 Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary. Alice Springs: IAD Press.Google Scholar
O’Grady, Geoffrey N., Voegelin, C.F. & Voegelin, F.M.
1966 Languages of the world: Indo-Pacific fascicle six. Anthropological Linguistics 8(2): 1–197.Google Scholar
Pavey, Emma L.
2010 The Structure of Language: An Introduction to Grammatical Analysis. Cambridge: CUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Payne, Thomas E.
2006 Exploring Language Structure: A Student’s Guide. Cambridge: CUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Pustejovsky, James
1991 The generative lexicon. Computational Linguistics 17(4): 409–441.Google Scholar
Sheppard, Nancy
1975 Alitji Ngura Tjukurtjarangka. Adelaide: University of Adelaide Department of Adult Education.Google Scholar
Shibatani, Masayoshi & Pardeshi, Prashant
2002 The causative continuum. In The Grammar of Causation and Interpersonal Manipulation [Typological Studies in Language 48], Masayoshi Shibatani (ed.), 85–126. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Smith, Mike
2005 Desert archaeology, linguistic stratigraphy, and the spread of the western desert language. In Desert Peoples, Peter Veth, Mike Smith & Peter Hiscock (eds), 220–242. Oxford: Blackwell. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Van Valin Jr., Robert D.
2001 An Introduction to Syntax. Cambridge: CUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Van Valin Jr., Robert D. & LaPolla, Randy J.
1997 Syntax-Structure, Meaning and Function. Cambridge: CUP. CrossrefGoogle Scholar