21.1876, Qs: Nonverbal Subject Agreement: Proto-Afroasiatic

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LINGUIST List: Vol-21-1876. Mon Apr 19 2010. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 21.1876, Qs: Nonverbal Subject Agreement: Proto-Afroasiatic

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1)
Date: 17-Apr-2010
From: Julien Peter Benney < jpbenney at gmail.com >
Subject: Nonverbal Subject Agreement: Proto-Afroasiatic and/or Proto-Berber
 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:16:31
From: Julien Peter Benney [jpbenney at gmail.com]
Subject: Nonverbal Subject Agreement: Proto-Afroasiatic and/or Proto-Berber

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In reference to Leon Stassen's excellent book "Intransitive Predication," 
looking at the predicate data for colour adjectives in Kabyl on page 
506, I am curious as to whether the suffix -eth given there is really a 
relict of a system of nonverbal person agreement markers that were 
once more widely present either in Berber languages or possibly in 
Afroasiatic languages more generally.

I study linguistics as a hobby (and have done so on and off for a very 
long time). The research I am doing is essentially for personal study of
nonverbal subject agreement and it is of considerable interest to
me. I have tried to contact Stassen himself but cannot get through to 
his e-mail

When it says "suffixal conjugation occurs only in Kabyl, the 
easternmost Berber language in the sample," is this suffixal conjugation 
possibly a relictual case of general nonverbal person agreement for 
nominal predicates in earlier forms of Berber that have now been 
almost completely supplanted by the particle copula d' described in 
Chapter 2 of Intransitive Predication?

In other words, did earlier forms of Berber, and possibly Proto-
Afroasiatic, have a predication system:

1.) of type V-V-N-L
2.) whereby verbs and adjectives used one set of person markers
3.) and the nominal strategy involved a different set from those used on 
verbal and adjectival predicates (ie. nonverbal subject agreement)?

Thank you very much,
Julien Peter Benney 

Linguistic Field(s): Morphology
                     Syntax
                     Typology




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