Niuean: Predicates and Arguments in an Isolating Language PDF
Preview Niuean: Predicates and Arguments in an Isolating Language
Niuean OXFORD STUDIES OF ENDANGERED LANGUAGES Generaleditor StephenR.Anderson,YaleUniversity Advisoryeditors W.F.H.Adelaar,UniversityofLeiden;PeterAustin,SchoolofOrientalandAfrican Studies;JonathanDavidBobaljik,UniversityofConnecticut;ClaireBowern,Yale University;DavidBradley,LaTrobeUniversity;SandraChung,Universityof California,SantaCruz;AliceC.Harris,UniversityofMassachusetts,Amherst; K.DavidHarrison,SwarthmoreCollege;LarryHyman,UniversityofCalifornia, Berkeley;ChristianLehmann,UniversityofErfurt;OsahitoMiyaoka, MaxPlanckInstituteforEvolutionaryAnthropology,Leipzig; PamelaMunro,UniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles KayardildMorphologyandSyntax ErichR.Round TheClause-TypingSystemofPlainsCree Indexicality,Anaphoricity,andContrast ClareCook ToneandAccentinOklahomaCherokee HirotoUchihara Archi ComplexitiesofAgreementinCross-TheoreticalPerspective EditedbyOliverBond,GrevilleG.Corbett,MarinaChumakina, andDunstanBrown NominalContactinMichif CarrieGillonandNicoleRosen Niuean PredicatesandArgumentsinanIsolatingLanguage DianeMassam Surmiran ASwissRumantschLanguage StephenR.Anderson AdjectivesandAdverbsinInuktitut RichardCompton BarayinMorphosyntax JosephLovestrand HeadMarkinginYucatecMaya ElisabethNorcliffe ThePhonologyandMorphologyofModernSouthArabian JanetC.E.Watson Niuean Predicates and Arguments in an Isolating Language DIANE MASSAM 1 3 GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OX26DP, UnitedKingdom OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford. ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship, andeducationbypublishingworldwide.Oxfordisaregisteredtrademarkof OxfordUniversityPressintheUKandincertainothercountries ©DianeMassam2020 Themoralrightsoftheauthorhavebeenasserted FirstEditionpublishedin2020 Impression:1 Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedin aretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthe priorpermissioninwritingofOxfordUniversityPress,orasexpresslypermitted bylaw,bylicenceorundertermsagreedwiththeappropriatereprographics rightsorganization.Enquiriesconcerningreproductionoutsidethescopeofthe aboveshouldbesenttotheRightsDepartment,OxfordUniversityPress,atthe addressabove Youmustnotcirculatethisworkinanyotherform andyoumustimposethissameconditiononanyacquirer PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyOxfordUniversityPress 198MadisonAvenue,NewYork,NY10016,UnitedStatesofAmerica BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Dataavailable LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2019948976 ISBN 978–0–19–879355–7 PrintedandboundinGreatBritainby ClaysLtd,ElcografS.p.A. LinkstothirdpartywebsitesareprovidedbyOxfordingoodfaithand forinformationonly.Oxforddisclaimsanyresponsibilityforthematerials containedinanythirdpartywebsitereferencedinthiswork. General Preface Thevolumes inthis series bring original materialfrom endangeredlanguages to bearonarangeofissuesinourunderstandingofthenatureofhumanlanguage. The importance of the study of endangered languages for linguistic theory is widely acknowledged, as is the need to document linguistic structures that are indangerofdisappearingfromviewinthenearfuture. Similarly, the importance of recording and preserving the diverse range of human languages for broader cultural and ethical reasons is undeniable. Unfortunately, difficult problems are posed by the desire to satisfy the twin goals of comprehensive description on the one hand and of highlighting the theoretical significance of specific areas of a language’s structure on the other in asingleworkofmanageablesize. As a result, linguists approaching the documentation of the world’s many endangered languages face something of a dilemma. Many researchers have collected important information on some areas of the languages they work on withoutbeinginapositiontoproduceafullgrammar,orperhapsinthepresence of other literature that accomplishes that basic descriptive goal adequately but without detailed attention to specific points of unusual structure. Furthermore, comprehensive grammars tend to be very large and expensive to produce, while havingalimitedaudience. ‘Oxford Studies of Endangered Languages’ aims to support the publication of theoretically informed work on endangered languages, while striking a balance among these concerns. Books in the series do not attempt to provide full gram- mars but rather to combine the documentation of portions of (one or perhaps more) endangered languages with sophisticated analysis that establishes the theoretical interest of the facts described. In the process, they contribute to the explication of the role endangered languages can play in enhancing our under- standingofthediversityofthehumanlanguagefaculty. Theseriesintendstocoverallareasoflinguisticstructurefromphoneticsand phonology through morphology and syntax to semantics and pragmatics. It is open to work produced in a variety of theoretical frameworks, the only require- ments being that the analysis be explicit and make testable claims within some framework ofassumptions about thenature andorganizationof language, while being based in substantial part on material whose publication serves the goal of enhancingthedocumentationofthelanguage(s)underinvestigation. The present volume addresses the syntactic organization of Niuean, a PolynesianlanguagemostcloselyrelatedtoTongan,whichisspokenontheisland x ofNiueandbyasubstantialcommunityinNewZealand.Thislanguagepresents an unusual complex of basic typological properties: isolating, analytic word structure;Verb-Agent-Objectprimaryconstituentorder;andanergative/absolu- tive case system (indicated by phrase-initial particles, rather than word level inflection) forcore arguments. Massam argues indetailthattheseproperties are inter-related. Theanalysis isformulated interms ofcurrent Minimalist assump- tionsaboutsyntax,butislargelytheory-neutralincontent.Muchofthediscussion concernsthenatureofpredicatesinNiueanandtheirsyntacticformation,which is argued to involve a distinctive set of functional configurations and operations including merger of Arguments at a higher structural level than is usually assumed. Theanalysisislaidoutinaccessibletermsandwillbeofvaluetotypologistsas well as syntacticians. There is currently no available comprehensive reference grammarofNiuean,andwhilethepresentvolumedoesnotfillthatroleexactly, itwillprovidemuchinformationofusetothegeneralstudentofthelanguageand to members of the Niuean community interested in the structure of their language. Acknowledgements Asalinguistworkingonalanguagewhichisnotmyown,Ihavereliedheavilyon the help of many fluent speakers of Vagahau Niue. For graciously sharing their knowledgeof theirlanguage, Iam particularlygrateful to Ofania Ikiua, Malotele Kumitau Polata, Harry Manamana, Lynsey Talagi, and the late Reverend Lagi Sipeli. I would also like to thank several Niue language professionals for their generous help of various kinds, including Moira Zeta Enetama (Director, Tāoga Niue), Tifaole Ioane (Chair, Niue Language Commission), and Birtha Lisimoni- Togahai(DirectorofEducation,GovernmentofNiue).Inaddition,Ithankother Niuean educators and authors for their warm support, including Rosa Jackson, Lino Nelisi, Gaylene Tasmania, and Tose Tuhipa, as well as audience members and speakers at the Leo Pasifika COOL conference in Niuean in 2000 in Kamatautoga, Alofi, and the Vagahau Niue conference in 2017 in Mutalau, Niue. I would also like to acknowledge all the speakers of Niuean, who have shapedandfosteredtheirbeautifullanguage.Fakaauelahimahaki! I am also grateful to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canadaforresearchsupport(Grants410-97-0493,410-01-1415,410-2005-1112, 410-2009-2589,and 435-2015-1987), andtothe Facultyof Arts andScience,the Research Opportunity and the Work Study programs, and the Department of LinguisticsallattheUniversityofToronto,forfinancialandcollegialsupport,and forfosteringastrongresearchenvironment.SpecialthanksareduetoMaryHsu, andalsotoBillForrest,forsupportiveadministrativeguidance. Turning to linguistics, I would like to thank my New Zealand, Pacific, and theoretical linguistics colleagues. I am especially grateful to Elizabeth Pearce, Heidi Quinn, Wolfgang Sperlich, and Donna Starks, for inspiration and for facilitating several of my trips to Victoria University of Wellington, University ofCanterbury,Christchurch,andAucklandUniversityinNewZealand,aswellas to Niue. I would also like to recognize Winifred Bauer, Juliette Blevins, Andrew Carnie, Noam Chomsky, Sandra Chung, Ross Clark, Robert Early, the late Ken Hale,KyleJohnson,KateKearns,ChrisLane,ÉricMathieu,LisaMatthewson,Jim McCloskey,MiriamMeyerhoff,YukoOtsuka,BillPalmer,AndrewPawley,Maria Polinsky,BetsyRitter,IanRoberts,andMartinaWiltschkofortheirkindnessand inspirational help at various points along the way. I also thank all my close colleagues, especially Susana Bejar, Jack Chambers, Elizabeth Cowper, Cristina Cuervo, Elan Dresher, Jila Ghomeshi, Elaine Gold, Alana Johns, Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, Catherine Macdonald, Ileana Paul, Keren Rice, Yves Roberge, Ana-Teresa Pérez-Leroux, Sali Tagliamonte, Rebecca Tollan, and Lisa Travis, as xii well as the broader AFLA, COOL, CLA, and Canadian DP communities, who haveinfluencedmythinkingandhavealsolistenedtovariousearlyversionsofthe ideas herein. Many other dear colleagues and scholars who are not named here, Irecognizethroughcitationoftheirwork.EnormousthanksgotomystellarPhD students,whowillallseetheirnames andtheirinfluence onmythinkinginthis work,andtomymuch-valuedMAandBAstudents,severalofwhomcanalsobe found herein as co-authors. I have co-authored a lot of papers on Niuean, and I am keenly grateful to all my co-authors, but rather than name them all here, I will let their names be found throughout the volume. Each of these co- authorships is dear to my heart, and if I over-cite my previous work, it is partly because I want to pay tribute to them all. In addition, I am very grateful to the talentedandgenerouseditorsandreviewersatOxfordUniversityPress,particu- larly Vicki Sunter and Julia Steer, and Lydia Shinoj, Joy Mellor, and Hayley Buckley.GratefulthanksgoalsotoLiamDonohueforeditorialassistance. On the home front, I acknowledge the loving support of my wonderful extended families on all sides, upwards, downwards, and outwards, as well as the good cheer of the Usuals. Finally, my deepest thanks go to Sophie and Madeleine Roberge, and to the one who has helped me the most in every way, YvesRoberge. Glossing and Technical Abbreviations 1 Firstperson 2 Secondperson 3 Thirdperson A Agent Absolutive Adj Adjunct/Adjective Anim Animate Agr Agreement Appl Applicative Args Argumentdomain Asp Highaspectmodifier AspP Aspectphrase Benefactive Common(ornon-proper) C-comp Completioncomplement C-movement Categorialmovement(roll-up) Causative Cl Classifier Comparative Comitative Complementizer CP Complementizerphrase D Determiner D-structure Deep-structure Definitiveaccent(Tongan) Demonstrative Directional DP Determinerphrase DscP Discourseparticle Dual ECM Exceptionalcasemarking Emphatic EPP ExtendedProjectionPrinciple Ergative Exclusive Exhortative Fin Finite/finiteness FinP Finitenessphrase Focus xiv Future GB GovernmentandBindingTheory Genitive GR Genitiverelative Habitual HiAM Highargumentmerge HMan Highmanner Human Imperative Inan Inanimate Inclusive Indefinite INFL Inflection Instr Instrument(al) Int Interrogative IO Indirectobject IP Inflectionalphrase K Case KP Casephrase LMan Lowmanner Linker Locative Mod Modifier MR Minimalresponse Negative non-future(relativeclauses) NP Nounphrase Non-specific NVI Non-volitionalinitiator O Object Obl Oblique P Preposition P Phrase(inNP,VP,etc.) P/C Proper/Common PAH PronominalArgumentHypothesis Perfect Personalarticle PF Predicateformative Plural PNI Pseudonounincorporation Pol Polarity Pos Position PP Prepositionalphrase Predicativeparticle PredP Predicativephrase
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