[Lingtyp] Zero verb root in Papuan languages

[Denis CREISSELS]

Let me add a Bantu example. In Tswana, the root for ‘go’, otherwise /j/, also has a phonologically conditioned zero allomorph, as in /ʊ́-ílè/ ‘s/he went’, where /ʊ́-/ is the subject index ‘3rd person, class 1’, and /-ílè/ is a TAM-polarity suffix (perfect positive).

Denis

 

De : Lingtyp [mailto:lingtyp-bounces at listserv.linguistlist.org] De la part de Claire Bowern via Lingtyp
Envoyé : mardi 27 février 2024 14:08
À : Alexandre Arkhipov
Cc : lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
Objet : Re: [Lingtyp] Zero verb root in Papuan languages

 

The Bardi root for “give” is null. It’s historically from *wa but sound changes deleted both the consonant and the vowel. Inflected forms such as i-nga-na ‘3-pst-rem.past’ have no overt root.

Claire

 

On Tue, Feb 27, 2024 at 5:37 AM Alexandre Arkhipov via Lingtyp <lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org> wrote:

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  <mailto:luiph001 at gmail.com> <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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