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13th International morphology meeting5.02.2008,Vienna
Variation
of oblique noun stem markers in Daghestanian languages
Aleksandr Kibrik
Russia, Lomonosov Moscow State University
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Remarkable properties Remarkable properties of noun declension of Daghestanian of noun declension of Daghestanian
languages:languages:
• the wide spread two-stem inflection: the opposition of initial stem
(coinciding with nominative case) and oblique stem for other cases,
• the multiplicity of oblique stem markers (further - oblique markers) and, especially,
• their intricate distribution with regard to initial noun stems,
• the multiplicity of plural markers.
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One stem pattern (Khinalug)
gis-irdir-i
gis-iERG
gis-irdirgisNOM
‘root’ (sg –pl)
mɩda-d-imɩd-iERG
mɩda-dmɩdaNOM
‘mountain’ (sg –pl)
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Two stem pattern (Archi)
el-um-če-ngel-li-nGEN
gel-um-čajgel-li-∅ERG
gel-umgelNOM
Cup (sg – pl)
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Is there zero ergative marker?Is there zero ergative marker?
• Decision1: -li is the ergative marker, other cases being derived from ergative (tradition & I.A. Melchuk)
• Decision 2: -li is the oblique marker, all cases being derived from it, including ergative. It is the least marked case, naturally using zero marker. The majority of Daghestanian languages use overt case markers for ergative.
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Two stem pattern (Bagvalal)
zin-ē-lazin-a-laDAT
zin-ē-rzin-a-rERG
zin-azinNOM
Cow (sg – pl)
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Ergative markersErgative markers
• Languages with zero ergative markers:• Lezgic:
Archi,LezgiTabasaran,Agul
• TsezicKhvarshiBezhta
• Other languages have overt ergative marker
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Variation of one - two stem Variation of one - two stem inflectioninflection
56%44%Hinukh
100% 0%Agul, Lak, Dargwa, Tabasaran
50%50%Tsez, Khvarshi
~100%~0%Archi, Agul, Kryz, Budukh
35%65%Tsakhur
90%10%Bezhta, Hunzib20%80%Udi, Akhvakh
70%30%Tindi5%95%Chamalal, Gigatli dialect
60%40%Chamalal, Gakwari dialect
0%100%Khinalug
Two stem-One stem-
LanguageTwo stem-
One stem-
Language
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Multiplicity of oblique Multiplicity of oblique markersmarkers
Archi
boc-ro-sbacmoon
mež-de-smocʼorbeard
niӀš-i-snoӀšhorse
berq-e-sbarqsun
kʼas-a-skʼosknife
bošor-mu-s
bošorhusband
noʟʼ-li-snoʟʼhouse
DAT.SGNOM.SGmeaning
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Multiplicity of oblique markers
17Udi
11Avar, Akhvakh, Tindi
13Bezhta, Hinukh, Agul
14Andi
15Lezgi
20Hunzib
24Rutul
>30Lak
Number of OBL markers
Languages
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Paradigmatic versatility of oblique markers
In many languages, especially in Avar, nouns can have alternative case
forms, see Sogratl dialect
CONTESSIVEχir-i-χ / χer-du-χχer grass
SUPERESSIVEtʼeh-da/ tʼoh-u-da tʼehflower
ERGʕiždi-la / ʕožd-o-la / ʕiždi-du-la
ʕiždi axe
ERGʟʼili-la / ʟʼol-o-la / ʟʼili@-du-la
ʟʼilisaddle
Oblique caseVariants of oblique caseNOM.SGMeaning
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Multiplicity of plural markersMultiplicity of plural markers
9Dargi, Archi, Budukh, Khinalug
10Rutul, Kryz
11Akhvakh, Bezhta
13Hunzib
14Andi
17Udi
>30Lak
Number of PL markers
Languages
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Historical grounds Historical grounds of this tremendous of this tremendous multi-dimensional multi-dimensional
variationvariation
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In what follows
a long period of the historical development
of Proto-Daghestanian is assumed.
The properties attributed to the proto-stage
should therefore
not be assumed to have evolved simultaneously.
We first summarize those inflectional phenomena
that are relevant for the historical reconstruction
of Daghestanian inflection.
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Evidence from obliquesEvidence from obliques • Two-stem inflection
distinguishing the oblique cases from the nominative presupposes a stage when this opposition was alive.
• The multiplicity of oblique singular markers preserves a stage when the direct/oblique case
opposition was not yet generalized and only existed in the form of various noun classes
differently interacting with syntactic positions.In general,
• two-stem inflection appears to be rare. In Burushaski, where this phenomenon is attested, only female nouns can have oblique singular stem
markers added to all the oblique cases.
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Evidence from the pluralEvidence from the plural
In addition to the multiplicity
of plural markers in Daghestanian
these also occur in different orders
relative to oblique markers,
or they may also be cumulated with them (with obl.pl markers being
relatively regular).
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CASE + NUMBERCASE + NUMBER
R.OBL-OBL.PL-GEN
R.OBL-OBL.SG-GEN
R-PL.NOMR(+SG.NOM)
burc’-urdi-lburc’-i-lbarc’-rubarc’
‘wolf’Lak
R-OBL-OBL.PL-ERG
R-OBL-ERGR-PL.NOMR(+SG.NOM)
p’ɩz-ɩ-mɩ-rp’ɩz-ɩ-rp’ɩz-bɩrp’ɩz
‘lip’Rutul
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• This contrasts with generally rather regular
cross-linguistic patterns of number being closer
to stems than case and other relational marking.
• In one of the rare instances of case being closer
to stems than number, seen in Kajtitj (an Arandic Australian language), dual and plural markers originate from independent words 'two' and 'many' and, not yet fully grammaticalized, are still outside nominal case markers.
• On such evidence plural as a unified category plural as a unified category
can be inferred not to have been original in Daghestanian. can be inferred not to have been original in Daghestanian.
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PROTODAGHESTANIAN PROTODAGHESTANIAN WITHOUT CASE AND NUMBERWITHOUT CASE AND NUMBER
• Lacking case and number in the present sense, Proto-Daghestanian arguably had different inflections for different classes of nouns.
• The argument thus is that the singular/plural opposition emerged as a reinterpretation of noun class oppositions. The plural originally appeared, at least in some noun classes, as a derivational category sensitive to meanings of noun roots. This hypothesis is supported by several arguments, both typological and from within the Daghestanian languages .
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• For one thing, there is a correlation between the absence of number and the presence of numeral classifiers.
• Then, the co-existing irregular and unproductive plural markers in Daghestanian make diachronic sense as reinterpreted nominal classifiers. Some current markers have semantic properties (e.g., human, masculine, feminine, animate, animals, birds and insects).
• Last, in languages with elaborate class systems such as Fula case is lacking and number is co-expressed with class, class functioning both derivationally and inflectionally.
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The origin of the case The origin of the case systemsystem
It is primarily connected
with the direct/oblique opposition,
where the (unmarked) direct covered
the core grammatical relations (S,A,P) and
oblique - the peripheral relations.
Though differing from contemporary Daghestanian, such two-way case systems
with such a distribution of labour are encountered elsewhere, for instance in Bare (Arawak family) and in Riau Indonesian (Sumatra).
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After separationAfter separation
All individual Daghestanian languages acquired the grammatical categories
of number, case, and localization,
drifting in the same direction
from their common past.
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Drift to current case Drift to current case systemssystems
• The oblique case was split into an ergative (inheriting the oblique form if unmarked) and completive cases (with adverbial or
locative meaning), along with the restriction of the direct case
to absolutive meaning.• This yields the ergative pattern which the
Daghestanian langages have preserved to the present time.
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The previous multiplicity of oblique The previous multiplicity of oblique markers markers
• is reduced and sometimes fossilized;
• regular, productive markers are developed, distributed morphonologically or by default rules;
• versatility of oblique markers is developed;
• the previous pattern may also be obliterated entirely, drifting from two-way to one-way inflection.
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TDhanks for your attention