A Grammar of Sabanê: A Nambikwaran language

268 Pages·2004·2.047 MB·English

by  Gabriel Antunes de Araujo

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Gabriel Antunes de Araujo G Gabriel Antunes de Araujo
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A Grammar of Sabanê i A Grammar of Sabanê
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A Nambikwaran language A Nambikwaran language
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This work contains the first comprehensive description of Sabanê, an e
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endangered language of the Nambikwara family, spoken in Southern
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Rondônia, Brazil. The Sabanê live divided over two villages in the states of
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Rondônia and Mato Grosso. While around 140 people regard themselves as
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ethnic Sabanê, only three speak the language as their mother tongue, all of
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whom are over sixty years old. The language is no longer used in the society, a
and is therefore severely threatened by extinction. This study is based on first- u
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hand data collected in fieldwork trips conducted between 2000 and 2004, and o
it intends to contribute to the documentation and maintenance of the
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This Grammar contains a wide-ranging description of the Phonology,
Morphology, and the Syntax.
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The book is of interest to scholars of South American languages, Nambikwara r
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languages, linguistic typology, grammar, and general linguistics.
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ISBN 90-76864-59-4
A GR AMMAR OF SAB ANÊ

A Namb ikwaran Langu age
Published by
LOT phone: [phone]
Trans 10 fax: [phone]
3512 JK Utrecht e-mail: [email protected]
The Netherlands http://wwwlot.let.uu.nl/

Cover photo: Tapawulusi, a clay star. A Sabanean archaeological artefact.

ISBN 90-76864-59-4

NUR 632

Copyright © 2004 by Gabriel Antunes de Araujo. All rights reserved.
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT

A GR AMMAR OF SAB ANÊ

A Namb ikwaran Langu age

ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT

ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan
de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,
op gezag van de rector magnificus
prof.dr. T. Sminia,
in het openbaar te verdedigen
ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie
van de faculteit der Letteren
op maandag 1 november 2004 om 10.45 uur
in de aula van de universiteit,
De Boelelaan 1105

door

Gabriel Antunes de Araujo

geboren te Belo Horizonte, Brazilië
promotor: prof.dr. W.L.M. Wetzels

copromotor: prof.dr. W. Adelaar
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.................................................................................................i
List of Abbreviations..........................................................................................iii
1 Preliminaries................................................................................................1
1.1 Introduction..............................................................................................1
1.2 Notation....................................................................................................2
1.3 The Sabanê People...................................................................................3
1.3.1 Ethno-history...................................................................................6
1.4 Genetic Affiliation and Previous Works................................................12
1.4.1 Lévi-Strauss 1948..........................................................................13
1.4.2 Price 1978......................................................................................16
1.5 Methodology..........................................................................................23
2 Phonology..................................................................................................27
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................27
2.2 Vowels...................................................................................................27
2.2.1 Introduction....................................................................................27
2.2.2 Vowel Phonemes and their Allophones.........................................30
2.2.3 Glides.............................................................................................39
2.2.4 Diphthongs.....................................................................................41
2.3 Consonants.............................................................................................43
2.3.1 Introduction....................................................................................43
2.3.2 Consonant Phonemes and their Allophones..................................44
2.3.3 Consonantal Oppositions...............................................................57
2.4 Syllable Structure...................................................................................65
2.5 Stress......................................................................................................70
2.6 Phonological Processes..........................................................................84
3 Morphology................................................................................................89
3.1 Introduction............................................................................................89
3.2 Noun Morphology..................................................................................89
3.2.1 Introduction....................................................................................89
3.2.2 Root and Morphological Word......................................................89
3.2.3 Referential Suffixes.......................................................................92
3.2.4 Lack of Gender..............................................................................94
3.2.5 Number and Numerals...................................................................95
3.2.6 Possessives.....................................................................................98
3.2.7 Further Issues on Possessiveness.................................................101
3.2.8 Derivation....................................................................................103
3.2.8.1 Diminutive...............................................................................103
3.2.8.2 Augmentative..........................................................................107
3.2.9 Compounds..................................................................................110
3.2.10 Classifiers....................................................................................113
3.2.10.1 Classifier Suffixes...............................................................113
3.2.10.2 Anaphoric Use of Classifiers...............................................118
3.2.10.3 Classifiers as a Derivational Suffix.....................................122
3.2.10.4 Class Terms.........................................................................124
3.2.11 Action, Participant, and Agent Nominalization...........................125
3.2.12 Comitative....................................................................................125
3.2.13 Locative.......................................................................................126
3.3 Verb Morphology.................................................................................128
3.3.1 Introduction..................................................................................128
3.3.2 Verbal Root..................................................................................128
3.3.3 Verbal Theme..............................................................................128
3.3.4 Auxiliary Verbal Roots................................................................132
3.3.5 Negation.......................................................................................132
3.3.6 Aspect..........................................................................................137
3.3.7 Tense and Evidentiality...............................................................138
3.3.7.1 Tense........................................................................................141
3.3.7.1.1 Preterit...................................................................................141
3.3.7.1.2 Present...................................................................................144
3.3.7.1.3 Future....................................................................................145
3.3.8 Mood and Modality.....................................................................146
3.3.8.1 Assertive and Interrogative......................................................146
3.3.8.2 Imperatives and other Commands...........................................147
3.3.9 Other Verbal Components...........................................................153
3.3.9.1 Imminentive.............................................................................153
3.3.9.2 Suppositive..............................................................................154
3.3.9.3 Quotative/Hearsay...................................................................154
3.3.9.4 Desiderative Morphology: –tan and palisin...........................155
3.3.9.5 Reflexive..................................................................................156
3.3.10 Weather Verbs.............................................................................157
3.3.11 Verbal Adjectives........................................................................158
4 Syntax.......................................................................................................167
4.1 Introduction......................................................................................167
4.2 Personal Pronouns............................................................................167
4.3 Agentive/Patientive Typology.........................................................171
4.4 Word Order......................................................................................182
4.4.1 Intransitive Sentences..................................................................183
4.4.2 Transitive Sentences....................................................................183
4.4.3 Transitive and Intransitive Sentences..........................................186
4.4.4 Stative Sentences.........................................................................186
4.4.5 Verbal Adjectives........................................................................187
4.4.6 Existential Constructions.............................................................188
4.4.7 Serial Verbs.................................................................................189
4.5 Coordinate Clauses..........................................................................189
4.5.1 Additive Clauses..........................................................................189
4.5.2 Adversative Clauses.....................................................................190
4.6 Comparative Clauses.......................................................................191
4.7 Subordinate Clauses.........................................................................192
4.7.1 Relative Clauses...........................................................................192
4.7.2 Temporal Clauses........................................................................193
4.7.3 Temporal Consecutive Clauses....................................................193
4.7.4 Concessive Clauses......................................................................194
5 Adverbs....................................................................................................195
5.1 Introduction......................................................................................195
5.2 Free Adverbs....................................................................................195
5.3 Bound Adverbs................................................................................202
6 Interrogatives............................................................................................205
6.1 Introduction......................................................................................205
6.2 Interrogative Suffix..........................................................................205
6.3 Question Words...............................................................................208
7 Conclusion................................................................................................213
References........................................................................................................215
Samenvatting (Summary in Dutch)..................................................................221
Summary...........................................................................................................225
Appendix..........................................................................................................229
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Acknowledgments

First, I would like to express my warm thanks to my supervisor, Professor Dr.
Leo Wetzels for his penetrating remarks, which led to improvements in both the
analysis of the data and the overall composition of this work. I have also
profited from the observations made in our regular Nambikwara seminars by my
co-supervisor, Professor Dr. Willem Adelaar, whom I also thank for his careful
reading of the pre-final manuscript.
Much appreciated are comments from my Manuscriptcommissie, J. Lachlan
Mackenzie, Pieter Seuren, and Hein van der Voort. Especially useful have been
suggestions from Januacele Costa and Angel Corbera Mori. Special thanks to
Jeroen van de Weijer. This dissertation has also benefited from help and
comments from many other people over the last four years, including Cristina
Borella, Jesus Mario Hiron Higuita, Demerval da Hora, Odileiz Cruz, Silvana
Martins, Valteir Martins, Edwin Reesink, and Stella Telles. Needless to say that
all remaining errors are my own.
This work was supported by CAPES, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de
Pessoal de Nível Superior, bolsa processo 1790/99-4; by WOTRO,
Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek van de Tropen en Ontwikkelingslanden, subsidy
WAG 39-280, and, in many occasions, by the Faculteit der Letteren, Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam. I wish to thank the Van Coevorden Adriani Stichting
for subsidizing the costs of translating the manuscript from Portuguese to
English.
It is with particular pleasure that I express my deeply felt gratitude to the
Faculteit der Letteren of the Vrije Universiteit. They provided me perfect
conditions to develop my work. The Faculty’s staffs were always ready to give
me any kind of assistance I needed.
I would like to express my gratitude to my dear Sabanê friends and
informants Manoel Sabanê and his family, Ivone Sowaintê, Maria Teresa
Lakondê, Lino Sabanê, Filipe Sabanê, and Avelina Sabanê.
My gratitude to my friends Leonardo Oliveira and Flávia Troccoli in New
Haven, and Marco Catalão in Campinas. Thanks also to my cousin and friend
Judson Araujo.
I am thankful to my friends in Vilhena, Jaimir Assmann, Zilney Freitas,
Solange and Reginaldo, Wagner and his family. I am also in debt to FUNAI’s
staff in Vilhena.
Leo Wetzels did everything he could to make my family’s stay in Holland
remarkable. We are very grateful to him. My family in Belo Horizonte and
Sorocaba have provided all the support we needed.
My wife Daniela deserves every Acknowledgments cliché.