Part of
Finiteness and NominalizationEdited by Claudine Chamoreau and Zarina Estrada-Fernández
[Typological Studies in Language 113] 2016
► pp. 83–104
Edited by Claudine Chamoreau and Zarina Estrada-Fernández
[Typological Studies in Language 113] 2016
► pp. 83–104
Non-finite chain-medial clauses on the continuum of finiteness in Purepecha
On the continuum of finiteness that can characterize clauses, Purepecha is one of the languages in which the predicates of both independent and dependent clauses are usually finite. Some non-finite dependent clauses have been observed. The predicate is converted to a non-finite form by means of the non-finite marker -ni, without independent specification of tense or aspect. The use of non-finite clauses in clause-chaining, especially chain-medial clauses in narratives, is a phenomenon that appears to be frequent. Its primary function is to maintain event coherence. Reference tracking is almost always possible, but in specific contexts a new reference may be introduced in non-finite chain-medial clauses (participant discontinuity). Temporal continuity is generally attested, although some exceptions have been found with utterance predicates. Non-finite chain-medial clauses seem to display more finiteness features than the other non-finite clauses. In this paper, I describe and discuss in detail the uses of non-finite chain-medial clauses and the position of these non-finite clauses on the continuum of finiteness in Purepecha.
References (22)
Bisang, Walter. 2001. Finite vs. non finite languages. In The World Atlas of Language Structures, Martin Haspelmath, Matthew Dryer, David Gil & Bernard Comrie (eds), 1400-1413. Oxford: OUP.
. 2007. Categories that make finiteness: Discreteness from a functional perspective and some of its repercussions. In Finiteness: Theoretical and Empirical Foundations, Irina Nikolaeva (ed.), 115-137. Oxford: OUP.
Campbell, Lyle, Kaufman, Terrence & Smith-Stark, Thomas. 1986. Meso-America as a linguistic area. Language 62(3): 530-570. 
Capistrán, Alejandra. 2002. Variaciones de orden de constituyentes en p’orhépecha. Topicalización y focalización. In Del Cora al Maya Yucateco. Estudios lingüísticos sobre algunas lenguas indígenas mexicanas, Paulette Levy (ed.), 349-402. México: UNAM.
Carlson, Robert. 1992. A Grammar of Supyire. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Chamoreau, Claudine. 2007. Grammatical borrowing in Purepecha. In Grammatical Borrowing in Cross-Linguistic Perspective, Yaron Matras & Jeanette Sakel (eds), 465-480. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
. 2009. Hablemos purepecha, Wanté juchari anapu. Morelia: Universidad Intercultural Indígenas de Michoacán / IIH-UMSNH / IRD / CCC-IFAL / Grupo Kw’anískuyarhani de Estudiosos del Pueblo Purépecha.
. 2012. Dialectology, typology, diachrony and contact linguistics. A multi-layered perspective in Purepecha. Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung (STUF - Language Typology and Universals) 65(1): 6-25.
. 2014. Types of enclitic in Purepecha. In Patterns in Meso-American Morphology, Jean-Léo Léonard & Alain Kihm (eds), 119-143. Paris: Michel Houdiard Editeur.
. In press. Purepecha. In Handbook of Polysynthesis, Michael Fortescue, Marianne Mithun & Nicholas Evans (eds). Oxford: OUP.
. Forthcoming. Grammaticalization of the linking devices with ka in Purepecha. In Diverse Scenarios of Syntactic Complexity: Inter and intra Typological Diversity, Zarina Estrada-Fernández, Claudine Chamoreau & Albert Álvarez González (eds).
Friedrich, Paul. 1984. From meaning to sound. In Handbook of Middle American Indians, Vol. 2, Mundro S. Edmondson (ed.), 56-82. Austin TX: University of Texas Press.
Givón, T. 1983. Topic continuity in discourse. The functional domain of switch reference. In Switch Reference and Universal Grammar [Typological Studies in Language 2], John Haiman & Pamela Munro (eds), 51-82. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
. 2001. Syntax. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Heine, Bernd & Kuteva, Tania. 2002. World Lexicon of Grammaticalization. Cambridge: CUP.
Longacre, Robert. 2007. Sentences as combinations of clauses. In Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Vol. 2, Timothy Shopen (ed.), 52-150. Cambridge: CUP.
Matras, Yaron. 1998. Utterance modifiers and universals of grammatical borrowing. Linguistics 36(2): 281-331.
. 2007. The borrowability of structural categories. In Grammatical Borrowing in Cross-Linguistic Perspective, Yaron Matras & Jeanette Sakel (eds), 31-73. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
de Medina Plaza, Juan. 1998[1575]. Diálogo sobre la naturaleza. Zamora: El Colegio de Michoacán/Fideicomiso Teixodor.
Nikolaeva, Irina (ed.). 2007. Finiteness: Theoretical and Empirical Foundations. Oxford: OUP.
Roberts, John. 1987. Amele. London: Croom Helm.
Smith-Stark, Thomas. 1994. Mesoamerican calques. In Investigaciones lingüísticas en Mesoamérica, Carolyn Mackay & Verónica Vázquez (eds), 15-50. Mexico: IIF-UNAM.
Cited by (4)
Cited by four other publications
Bellamy, Kate & Martha Mendoza
2024. The expression of texture in P’urhepecha. LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas 24 ► pp. e024005 ff. 
Mwinlaaru, Isaac N.
2024. What is finiteness in Dagaare?. Journal of World Languages 0:0
Groff, Cynthia & Kate Bellamy
2020. Biliteracy development in Mexican primary education: analysing written expression in P’urhepecha and Spanish. The Language Learning Journal 48:3 ► pp. 285 ff.
Michael Fortescue, Marianne Mithun & Nicholas Evans
2017. The Oxford Handbook of Polysynthesis,
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 25 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.