[Lingtyp] Zero verb root in Papuan languages

[Alexandre Arkhipov]

Dear Joe,

If you do not limit yourself to the Papuan languages, zero verb roots 
should be occasionally found in many languages, I guess (although I 
don't have many examples).
E.g. the Russian verb /вынуть /"take out" is considered to have no root 
due to historical changes (вы- is a regular prefix "out(wards)", -ну is 
a regular suffix (semelfactive), and -ть is the infinitive suffix).
Some forms of Basque auxiliaries should probably be analyzed as having 
no root, e.g. zen (Past 3SG of the intransitive auxiliary, where both z- 
and -en appear elsewhere as past markers).

All best,
Alexandre

27/02/2024 05:26, Pun Ho Lui via Lingtyp пишет:
> Dear All, and 哈佬 Hilario,
>
> Thank you for all the responses.
>
> To slightly summarize (which is already claimed by Comrie and Zamponi 
> 2019), the zero verb root/allomorph can be found in Trans New Guinea 
> (e.g. Horokoi by Wesley Kuhron Jones). Those verbs tend to be 
> semantically light, e.g. ‘hit’, ‘come’, ‘give’ and ‘be’ (e.g. Menggwa 
> Dla).
> It also seems like such phenomenon can be found in other languages, 
> e.g. Yawuru (Nyulnyulan) and Bardi in Australia, and potentially Ket.
>
> Warmest,
> Joe
>
>> Pun Ho Lui <luiph001 at gmail.com> 於 2024年2月24日 下午2:06 寫道：
>>
>> 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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