Runyambo Verb Extensions and Constraints on Predicate Structure

326 Pages·1993·10.274 MB·English

by  Josephat Muhozi Rugemalira

Department of Linguistics
UC Berkeley
Title:
Runyambo Verb Extensions and Constructions on Predicate Structure
Author:
Rugemalira, Josephat
Publication Date:
1993
Series:
Dissertations, Department of Linguistics
Permalink:
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1xp5453s
Keywords:
Linguistics, Dissertations
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Runyambo Verb Extensions and Constraints on Predicate
Structure
by
Josephat Muhozi Rugemalira
B.A. (University of Dar es Salaam) 1984
M.A. (University of Lancaster) 1986
M.A. (University of California at Berkeley) 1991
A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in
Linguistics
in the
GRADUATE DIVISION
of the
UNIVERSITY Of CALIFORNIA at BERKELEY
Committee in charge:
Professor Charles J. Fillmore, Chair
Professor Sam A. Mchombo
Professor Johanna B. Nichols
Professor Larry M. Hyman
1993
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
The dissertation of Josephat Muhozi Rugemalira is approved:
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1993
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ABSTRACT
RUNYAMBO VERB EXTENSIONS AND CONSTRAINTS ON PREDICATE
STRUCTURE
by
Josephat Muhozi Rugemalira
Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics
University of California at Berkeley
Professor Charles J. Fillmore, Chair
This study presents a description of the productive verb
extensions in Runyambo, a Bantu language of Tanzania. It
challenges the common view that the extensions are
potentially a resource for increasing the number of a verb's
arguments indefinitely, and shows instead that the extensions
form part of a set of interrelated mechanisms, within the
Bantu languages, which ensure that the arguments of a verb
remain distinguishable from each other.
The first chapter provides a general background to the
language and its speakers. Chapter two articulates a
theoretical framework of argument differentiation which
proposes a two-level theory of predicate structure (argument
structure and lexical semantic structure) and helps focus
attention on the means for distinguishing arguments from each
other.
Chapters three and four treat the two extensions (the
applicative and causative) that expand predicate structure.
It is argued that the distinction between them suggests that
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the number of thematic roles that participate in grammatical
generalizations can be reduced to two, viz. actor and
nonactor. The actor is a causative role, while the nonactor
is an applicative role.
Chapter five deals with the three extensions (reciprocal,
stative, and passive) that contract predicate structure. It
shows that the extensions are organized around the binary
distinction between actor and nonactor thematic roles.
Chapter six shows that extension combinations are highly
constrained by the general requirement that arguments be
distinguishable from each other. It is this requirement that
finds reflection in restrictions on extension repetition and
cooccurrence. These restrictions furnish further evidence for
the dual thematic role organization proposed in this study.
In addition, evidence that undermines the significance of
variable ordering of the extensions is presented and it is
suggested that some of the restrictions are compatible with a
template-matching view of affixation.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Runyambo Verb Extensions and Constraints on Predicate
Structure
Copyright 1993
by
Josephat Muhozi Rugemalira
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
i i i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables vi
Abbreviations vii
Acknowledgements viii
Chapter One: General Background 1
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Geography and Society 2
1.2 Linguistic Profile of Runyambo 6
1.2.1 Phonological sketch 6
1.2.2 Nominal morphology 9
1.2.3 Verb morphology 11
1.3 The Challenge of the Verb Extensions 15
1.3.1 Identifying the extensions 15
1.3.2 Productive extensions and predicate
structure 18
1.4 Materials and Methods 22
Notes to Chapter One 25
Chapter Two: A Grammar of Argument Differentiation 28
2.0 Introduction 28
2.1 On Grammatical Relations and Thematic Roles 28
2.1.1 Lexical mapping theory 30
2.1.2 Problems in defining grammatical
functions 37
2.2 Predicate Structure 42
2.3 Linguistic Mapping and Argument
Differentiation 45
Notes to Chapter Two 50
Chapter Three: The Applicative 56
3.0 Introduction 56
3.1 Form and Terminology 56
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iv
3.2 Applicative Thematic Roles 59
3.2.1 Beneficiary role 59
3.2.2 Subjective role 63
3.2.3 Motive role 66
3.2.4 Locative role 68
3.2.5 Durative role 68
3.2.6 Neutral role 69
3.3 Locative Patterns 70
3.3.1 Morphosyntactic patterns 70
3.3.2 Semantic patterns 77
3.3.3 Semantic groups of verbs 84
3.4 Argument Structure and Argument
Differentiation 89
3.5 Summary 99
Notes to Chapter Three 100
Chapter Four: The Causative 104
4.0 Introduction 104
4.1 Forms of the Causative Extension 104
4.2 Causative Thematic Roles 113
4.2.1 Causee role 113
4.2.2 Instrument role 115
4.2.3 Subjective role 117
4.2.4 Causee vs instrument 118
4.3 Argument Structure and Argument
Differentiation 120
4.3.1 Valency increaser 120
4.3.2 Causee omission 125
4.3.3 Distinguishing causative from applicative 134
4.4 Conclusion 142
Notes to Chapter Four 142
Chapter Five: Detransitivizing Extensions 148
5.0 Introduction 148
5.1 The Reciprocal 148
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V
5.1.1 Forms of the reciprocal extension 148
5.1.2 Syntax and semantics of the reciprocal 152
5.1.3 Comparison with the reflexive 156
5.1.4 Summary 157
5.2 The Stative 157
5.2.1 Forms and terminology 157
5.2.2 Syntax and semantics of the stative 160
5.2.3 Summary 163
5.3 The Passive 163
5.3.1 Forms and distribution of the passive 163
5.3.2 Syntax and semantics of the passive 164
5.3.3 Summary 172
5.4 Conclusion 173
Notes to Chapter Five 175
Chapter Six: Cooccurrence Restrictions 180
6.0 Introduction 180
6.1 Extension Repetition 181
6.2 Extension Cooccurrence and Ordering 187
6.2.1 Phonological conditioning 187
6.2.2 Morphologically fixed sequences 190
6.2.3 Variable order 192
6.2.4 Predicate structure constraints 193
6.2.5 Summary 197
6.2.6 Combining three extensions 200
6.3 Conclusion 206
Notes to Chapter Six 211
Bibliography 220
Appendix: Lexicon of Runyambo Extended Verbs 232
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vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1.1 Nominal class prefixes 10
1.2 Suffix vowel harmony 14
1.3 Productive and non-productive verb extensions 16
2.1 Levels of representation of verb valency 2 9
3.1 Morphosyntactic patterns in applied locatives 72
3.2 Group two verbs 75
3.3 Group three verbs 7 6
3.4 Group four verbs 7 6
3.5 Displacing verbs 83
3.6 Time expressions (adjuncts) 96
3.7 Spatial expressions (arguments) 97
4.1 -is;- causative in CV roots 105
4.2 and -is;- causatives in C-final roots 106
4.3 Selective use of in Kiswahili 108
4.4 -is;- causative in "new consonants" 110
4.5 Distribution of and -is;- causative forms 111
4.6 Causee omission verbs 126
5.1 Passives with variable argument
structure requirements 169
6.1 Cooccurrence and ordering restrictions:
choice of two extensions 198
6.2 Cooccurrence and ordering restrictions:
choice of three extensions 200
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