The Case System of Eastern Indo-Aryan Languages: A Typological Overview

180 Pages·2021·4.941 MB·

by  Bornini Lahiri

THE CASE SYSTEM OF EASTERN
INDO-ARYAN LANGUAGES
This book presents a typological overview of the case system of Eastern
Indo-Aryan (EIA) languages. It utilizes a Cognitive Framework to analyse
and compare the case markers of seven EIA languages: Angika, Asamiya,
Bhojpuri, Bangla, Magahi, Maithili and Odia. The book introduces seman-
tic maps, which have hitherto not been used for Indian languages, to plot
the scope of different case markers and facilitate cross-linguistic compari-
son of these languages. It also offers a detailed questionnaire specially
designed for fieldwork and data collection which will be extremely useful to
researchers involved in the study of case.
A unique look into the linguistic traditions of South Asia, the book will be
indispensable to academicians, researchers, and students of language stud-
ies, linguistics, literature, cognitive science, psychology, language technolo-
gies and South Asian studies. It will also be useful for linguists, typologists,
grammarians and those interested in the study of Indian languages.
Bornini Lahiri is Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and
Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. She has a
PhD in Linguistics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. She
has previously worked as a resource person with the Scheme for Protection
and Preservation of Endangered Languages, hosted by the Central Institute
of Indian Languages, Mysuru. She was a research assistant for Study and
Research of Indigenous and Endangered Languages of India, hosted by
Jadavpur University, Kolkata. She has also collaborated on projects studying
aggression and hate speech, including an ongoing project on studying com-
munal and misogynistic aggression, sponsored by Facebook Research. She
has worked extensively on typological and morpho-syntactic properties of
several lesser-known, low-resourced, under-researched languages, including
Toto, Mahali, Dhimal, Magahi and Angika. Her publications include
Bangla-Kurmali-English-Hindi Dictionary (forthcoming), Effect of Bangla
on Koda Verbs (2020), Kurmali: A Language of Undivided Bihar (2019),
Presence of Minor Languages of West Bengal in Social Media (2018), and
A Typological Study of Local Cases in EIA Languages (2013), among
others.

THE CASE SYSTEM OF
EASTERN INDO-ARYAN
LANGUAGES
A Typological Overview
Bornini Lahiri
LONDONNEW YORKNEW DELHI
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2021 Bornini Lahiri
The right of Bornini Lahiri to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-49822-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-75633-8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-04751-3 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by SPi Global, India
This book is dedicated to two inspiring women in my life. One introduced
me to the world of alphabets: my mother, Mrs Subhalakshmi Lahiri. The
other introduced me to the world of Linguistics: my Guru, (Padma Shri)
Prof. Anvita Abbi. Both of them share an infectious energetic personality
which is a source of inspiration and motivation to me.

CONTENTS
List of Tables viii
List of Figures ix
Preface x
Acknowledgements xii
List of Abbreviations xiii
1 Introduction 1
2 Local cases 17
3 Instrumental case 42
4 Objective and benefactive cases 61
5 Genitive case 83
6 Some Island cases 110
7 Conclusion 120
Appendix 138
Bibliography 146
Index 163
vii
TABLES
1.1 The number of speakers and states where the 7 EIA
languages are spoken 4
2.1 The differences between two locative markers 24
2.2 Difference in locative marker in two groups 30
2.3 The semantics of the ablative marker 35
2.4 Case markers used to mark dynamic locations 37
3.1 Comparing the use of the instrumental marker in
both groups 60
4.1 The different markers of the objective case 65
4.2 Use of objective case markers with inanimate objects 71
4.3 Markers of the benefactive case in EIA languages 81
5.1 Genitive markers in these languages 87
5.2 Semantic categories of the genitive marker in
EIA languages 107
7.1 Case markers of EIA languages 121
7.2 Animacy differentiating case marking 125
7.3 Semantics of location marked by various cases 133
viii
FIGURES
1.1 Discourse Space 13
2.1 Two layers of the locative case 40
2.2 The use of the local cases in both groups 40
3.1 Agent reaching action through instrument 43
3.2 Instrument as Partial Patient 47
3.3 Connection between the inanimate instrument and the
agent 47
3.4 Connection between the animate instrument
(Second agent) and the (First) agent 48
3.5 Connection between First agent, Second agent and the
(abstract) inanimate instrument 49
3.6 The use of instrumental case in Group 1 languages 58
3.7 Case relations as part of the same conceptual continuum 59
3.8 The use of the instrumental case in Group 2 languages 59
4.1 Goal takes the locative marker in absence of the
instrumental case 71
4.2 Goal takes the objective marker in the presence of the
instrumental case 71
4.3 Classification of the themes 77
4.4 Scale showing the hierarchy in use for marking
the objective case in EIA languages 81
5.1 Reference-point schema 84
5.2 Overall schema 85
5.3 Reference-point schema for generic sentence 93
5.4 Classification to show parts of an inanimate body 95
5.5 Schema showing reference point of an event 102
5.6 Classification of genitives 106
7.1 Scope of instrumental marker in Group 1 languages 130
7.2 Comparison of scope of instrumental marker in
Group 1 & 2 languages 131
7.3 Scope of genitive case marker 132
7.4 Location marking by different cases 133
ix