[Lingtyp] Zero verb root in Papuan languages

Pun Ho Lui luiph001 at gmail.com
Sat Feb 24 06:06:56 UTC 2024


Dear All,

Recently I am interested in the “zero verb root” in Papuan languages, that is, the meaning of the verb(s) are indicated by a root that has no phonological expression (Comrie and Zamponi 2019), as in (1).

(1) Selepet (McElhanon 1973)
Ø-nek-sap
see-1sGO-3SGS.IMMPST 
'He saw me’

The Papuan languages (potentially) with zero verb root I have collected so far are: Abau, Abun, Coastal Marine, Edolo, Kalamang, Main, Nimboran, Amele, Yeri, Yima, Whitehead, Awe,Siroi, Gahuku, Bukiyip, Anêm, Kâte and Selepe.

I am wondering do you know of other Papuan languages with this feature.

Thank you.

Warmest,
Pun Ho Lui Joe

References: 
Bernard Comrie and Raoul Zamponi. 2019. Verb Root Ellipsis. In Matthew Baerman, Oliver Bond, Andrew Hippisley (eds.): Morphological perspectives: Papers in honour of Greville G. Corbett, 233–280. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

McElhanon, Kenneth A. 1972. Selepet Grammar. Part 1: From Root to Phrase. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
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