31.1000, Diss: Tlingit; Na-Dene; Language Documentation; Linguistic Theories; Morphology; Semantics; Syntax: James A. Crippen: '' The syntax in Tlingit verbs''

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-31-1000. Fri Mar 13 2020. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 31.1000, Diss: Tlingit; Na-Dene; Language Documentation; Linguistic Theories; Morphology; Semantics; Syntax: James A. Crippen: '' The syntax in Tlingit verbs''

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Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2020 22:50:21
From: James Crippen [jcrippen at gmail.com]
Subject: The syntax in Tlingit verbs

 
Institution: University of British Columbia 
Program: Department of Linguistics 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2019 

Author: James A. Crippen

Dissertation Title: The syntax in Tlingit verbs 

Dissertation URL:  https://ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/005047

Linguistic Field(s): Language Documentation
                     Linguistic Theories
                     Morphology
                     Semantics
                     Syntax

Subject Language(s): Tlingit (tli)

Language Family(ies): Na-Dene


Dissertation Director(s):
Lisa Matthewson
Michael Rochemont
Rose-Marie Déchaine
Seth Cable

Dissertation Abstract:

Tlingit verbs appear to be single phonological words but they are constructed
from a large number of distinct morphological elements that correspond to
argument structure, event structure, aspect, mood, modality, tense, and
qualia. Previous analyses have accounted for the verbal morphology of Tlingit
with opaque position class template systems. These systems present the
internal structure of verbs as arbitrary and do not address the many
dependencies between elements. This dissertation argues that the Tlingit verb
implements a regular syntax with each morpheme instantiating a syntactic
terminal. Ordering within the verb word is a consequence of regular syntactic
structure with all dependencies between elements reflecting selection and
agreement phenomena. The verb-internal syntax requires no extraordinary
theoretical mechanisms: Tlingit verb morphology is neither unique nor
problematic from a theoretical perspective. To demonstrate this argument, this
dissertation develops a formal theoretical model of Tlingit verbal structure
within the Minimalist Program framework. An acategorial root forms the basis
of the syntactic structure, encoding the majority of lexical properties. Other
verbal morphology is either functional heads such as v, Voice, and Asp, or
minimal lexical elements such as D pronouns or N incorporates. As well as
phonological form and encyclopedic meaning, roots also encode valency, qualia,
durativity, stativity, and irrealis, along with other morphosyntactic
properties. These properties influence both the syntactic functions and
semantic interpretations of the functional heads, so that the syntax and
semantics of each head is contextually dependent, fully predictable and
compositional. Long distance dependencies arise from selection, movement, and
agreement between heads. Every morpheme either saturates or restricts an event
or an argument, thus predictably contributing to the structure and
interpretation of the whole verb. Movement and spellout are determined by
phases which correspond to regular domains in the phonological verb word and
phrase. Careful attention is paid to many supposedly irregular or lexical
phenomena, showing that most are extensions of regular phenomena, and that
some actually reflect underdocumented grammatical patterns. The results of
this research have many implications for linguistic theory and for related
Na-Dene languages and provide a robust analytical foundation for Tlingit
language teaching and revitalization.




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