DOCSLIB.ORG

Widespread but Not Universal: Improving the Typological Coverage of the Grammar Matrix

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Widespread but Not Universal: Improving the Typological Coverage of the Grammar Matrix Widespread but Not Universal: Improving the Typological Coverage of the Grammar Matrix Scott Drellishak A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2009 Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Department of Linguistics University of Washington Graduate School This is to certify that I have examined this copy of a doctoral dissertation by Scott Drellishak and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the final examining committee have been made. Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Emily M. Bender Reading Committee: Emily M. Bender Barbara Citko Sharon Hargus Date: In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the doctoral degree at the University of Washington, I agree that the Library shall make its copies freely available for inspection. I further agree that extensive copying of this dissertation is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use” as prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for copying or reproduction of this dissertation may be referred to Proquest Information and Learning, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346, 1-800-521-0600, to whom the author has granted “the right to reproduce and sell (a) copies of the manuscript in microform and/or (b) printed copies of the manuscript made from microform.” Signature Date University of Washington Abstract Widespread but Not Universal: Improving the Typological Coverage of the Grammar Matrix Scott Drellishak Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Assistant Professor Emily M. Bender Department of Linguistics The LinGO Grammar Matrix provides a foundation for building grammars of natural languages in hpsg. It includes a web-based questionnaire that allows a linguist to describe a natural language, and then creates a starter grammar for that language based on the answers. In this dissertation, I describe improvements I have made to the typological coverage of this system, including support for core case marking, agreement in person, number, and gender, direct-inverse languages, and a lexicon containing an arbitrarily large number of lexical types, lexical items, and inflectional morphemes. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ListofFigures ................................... vi ListofTables.................................... vii Chapter1: Introduction ............................ 1 1.1 Organization ............................... 3 1.2 Format................................... 3 1.3 Abbreviations ............................... 4 Chapter2: Background............................. 6 2.1 hpsg .................................... 6 2.1.1 Types ............................... 6 2.1.2 Syntax............................... 10 2.1.3 Semantics ............................. 14 2.1.4 Summary ............................. 18 2.2 Typology ................................. 18 2.2.1 Greenberg ............................. 18 2.2.2 Chomsky ............................. 20 2.2.3 SurveysandDatabases . 23 2.2.4 LinguisticQuestionnaires. 23 2.2.5 Summary ............................. 25 2.3 Multilingual Grammar Engineering . 26 2.3.1 ParGram ............................. 26 2.3.2 NaturalLanguageGeneration . 27 2.3.3 ReferentialPropertiesofNominals . 28 2.3.4 AutomaticAcquisitionofGrammars . 28 2.3.5 Porting a Grammar of a Closely-Related Language . 29 i 2.4 TheLinGOGrammarMatrix . 29 2.4.1 History............................... 30 2.4.2 CoreandLibraries ........................ 33 2.4.3 MatrixCustomizationSystem . 35 2.4.4 TheQuestionnaire ........................ 36 2.4.5 NewLibraries ........................... 45 2.5 Summary ................................. 46 Chapter3: Case................................. 47 3.1 Typology ................................. 47 3.1.1 Morphosyntactic Alignment . 48 3.1.2 SplitErgativity .......................... 50 3.1.2.1 NatureofMainVerb . 51 3.1.2.2 Nature of nps...................... 52 3.1.2.3 ClausalSplits.. .. 52 3.1.3 Focus-caseSystems . 53 3.1.4 Summary ............................. 54 3.2 Analysis .................................. 54 3.2.1 MarkingStrategies . .. .. 55 3.2.1.1 MixedMarking ..................... 56 3.2.1.2 Case-marked Determiners . 58 3.2.1.3 Summary ........................ 60 3.2.2 SimpleCase-Marking . 60 3.2.3 Split-S............................... 62 3.2.4 Fluid-S............................... 63 3.2.5 Split-N............................... 64 3.2.6 Split-V............................... 64 3.2.7 Focus-case............................. 65 3.2.8 Summary ............................. 66 3.3 Questionnaire ............................... 66 3.4 TestCases................................. 69 3.4.1 Pseudo-Languages . .. .. 70 3.4.2 NaturalLanguages ........................ 78 ii 3.4.2.1 German ......................... 78 3.4.2.2 Dyirbal ......................... 79 3.4.2.3 Hindi .......................... 82 3.4.2.4 Tagalog ......................... 86 3.5 Summary ................................. 87 Chapter4: Direct-inverseLanguages. ... 89 4.1 Typology ................................. 89 4.1.1 Algonquian ............................ 90 4.1.2 Fore ................................ 91 4.2 Analysis .................................. 92 4.2.1 sc-args .............................. 95 4.2.2 Algonquian ............................ 96 4.2.3 Fore ................................ 99 4.3 Questionnaire ............................... 102 4.4 TestCases................................. 103 4.4.1 Cree ................................ 103 4.4.2 Fore ................................ 107 4.5 Summary ................................. 109 Chapter5: Agreement ............................. 112 5.1 TypologyofAgreement. 114 5.2 AnalysisofAgreement . .. .. .. 121 5.3 Features .................................. 124 5.3.1 TypologyofGender. 125 5.3.2 AnalysisofGender . 128 5.3.3 TypologyofNumber . 129 5.3.4 AnalysisofNumber. 133 5.3.5 TypologyofPerson . 137 5.3.6 AnalysisofPerson . .. .. .. 140 5.3.6.1 Merging Person and Number . 141 5.3.6.2 Subdivided First Person . 144 5.3.7 Summary ............................. 146 iii 5.4 Questionnaire ............................... 146 5.4.1 Describing Hierarchies . 147 5.4.2 OtherFeatures .......................... 149 5.4.3 HierarchyAugmentation . 151 5.5 TestCases................................. 156 5.6 Summary ................................. 156 Chapter6: CaseStudy:Sahaptin . 157 6.1 ABriefSketchofSahaptin. 158 6.1.1 CaseMarking ........................... 159 6.1.2 Agreement and Argument Marking . 160 6.2 CustomizingaSahaptinGrammar. 162 6.2.1 WordOrder ............................ 164 6.2.2 Number .............................. 164 6.2.3 Person............................... 165 6.2.4 Case ................................ 167 6.2.5 Direct-Inverse . .. .. 167 6.2.6 OtherFeatures .......................... 168 6.2.7 Lexicon .............................. 169 6.3 TestingtheSahaptinGrammar . 176 6.4 Summary ................................. 181 Chapter7: Conclusion ............................. 183 7.1 TheMatrixandTypology . 183 7.1.1 RegressionTesting . 184 7.1.2 TestingTypology . 186 7.1.3 ADatabaseofChoicesFiles . 187 7.1.4 Computational Linguistic Typology . 188 7.2 FutureWork................................ 192 7.2.1 CoordinationandAgreement . 192 7.2.2 SyntacticErgativity . 194 7.2.3 LexicalTypeHierarchies . 194 7.2.4 Usability.............................. 195 iv 7.3 Conclusion................................. 196 Bibliography .................................... 198 AppendixA: GermanChoices . .. .. .. 208 AppendixB: DyirbalChoices. 212 AppendixC: HindiChoices............................ 216 AppendixD: TagalogChoices . .. .. .. 219 AppendixE: CreeChoices ............................ 222 AppendixF: ForeChoices ............................ 228 AppendixG: SahaptinChoices . 233 Appendix H: Sahaptin Test Sentences . 246 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Number Page 2.1 The customization system questionnaire main page . ..... 37 2.2 Noun types in the customization system questionnaire . ....... 39 2.3 Latin tense slot in the questionnaire . ... 41 2.4 Latin person/number slot in the questionnaire . ..... 42 3.1 The beginning of the case section of the questionnaire . ....... 69 3.2 The section of the questionnaire for defining quirky cases....... 70 4.1 The direct-inverse section of the questionnaire . ....... 104 5.1 The gender section of the questionnaire . ... 149 5.2 The number section of the questionnaire . 150 5.3 The person section of the questionnaire . ... 151 5.4 The “other features” section of the questionnaire . ....... 152 5.5 Algorithmforhierarchyaugmentation. ... 155 6.1 A Sahaptin pronoun defined in the questionnaire . .... 166 7.1 The general information section of the questionnaire . ........ 189 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Number Page 2.1 Basicwordordersacrosslanguages . 19 2.2 HeadingsgeneratedbyAgile . 27 2.3 Paradigm of the Latin verb amare .................... 40 2.4 Portion of a choices file corresponding to Figure 2.2 . ...... 43 3.1 Testsentences:None ........................... 71 3.2 Test sentences: Nominative-accusative . .... 71 3.3 Test sentences: Ergative-absolutive . .... 72 3.4 Testsentences: Tripartite . 72 3.5 Testsentences:Split-S .......................... 72 3.6 Testsentences:Fluid-S. .. .. .. 73 3.7 Testsentences:Split-N .......................... 74 3.8 Testsentences:Split-V .......................... 75 3.9 Test sentences: Focus-case . 76 3.10 Test sentences: Adpositions . 76 3.11 Test sentences:
Load more
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

270 pages remaining, click to load more.

Recommended publications
  • The Strategy of Case-Marking
    Case marking strategies Helen de Hoop & Andrej Malchukov1 Radboud University Nijmegen DRAFT January 2006 Abstract Two strategies of case marking in natural languages are discussed. These are defined as two violable constraints whose effects are shown to converge in the case of differential object marking but diverge in the case of differential subject marking. The strength of the case bearing arguments will be shown to be of utmost importance for case marking as well as voice alternations. The strength of arguments can be viewed as a function of their discourse prominence. The analysis of the case marking patterns we find cross-linguistically is couched in a bidirectional OT analysis. 1. Assumptions In this section we wish to put forward our three basic assumptions: (1) In ergative-absolutive systems ergative case is assigned to the first argument x of a two-place relation R(x,y). (2) In nominative-accusative systems accusative case is assigned to the second argument y of a two-place relation R(x,y). (3) Morphologically unmarked case can be the absence of case. The first two assumptions deal with the linking between the first (highest) and second (lowest) argument in a transitive sentence and the type of case marking. For reasons of convenience, we will refer to these arguments quite sloppily as the subject and the object respectively, although we are aware of the fact that the labels subject and object may not be appropriate in all contexts, dependent on how they are actually defined. In many languages, ergative and accusative case are assigned only or mainly in transitive sentences, while in intransitive sentences ergative and accusative case are usually not assigned.
    [Show full text]
  • Possessive Constructions in Modern Low Saxon
    POSSESSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS IN MODERN LOW SAXON a thesis submitted to the department of linguistics of stanford university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts Jan Strunk June 2004 °c Copyright by Jan Strunk 2004 All Rights Reserved ii I certify that I have read this thesis and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. Joan Bresnan (Principal Adviser) I certify that I have read this thesis and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. Tom Wasow I certify that I have read this thesis and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts. Dan Jurafsky iii iv Abstract This thesis is a study of nominal possessive constructions in modern Low Saxon, a West Germanic language which is closely related to Dutch, Frisian, and German. After identifying the possessive constructions in current use in modern Low Saxon, I give a formal syntactic analysis of the four most common possessive constructions within the framework of Lexical Functional Grammar in the ¯rst part of this thesis. The four constructions that I will analyze in detail include a pronominal possessive construction with a possessive pronoun used as a determiner of the head noun, another prenominal construction that resembles the English s-possessive, a linker construction in which a possessive pronoun occurs as a possessive marker in between a prenominal possessor phrase and the head noun, and a postnominal construction that involves the preposition van/von/vun and is largely parallel to the English of -possessive.
    [Show full text]
  • A Crosslinguistic Approach to Double Nominative and Biabsolutive Constructions
    A Crosslinguistic Approach to Double Nominative and Biabsolutive Constructions: Evidence from Korean and Daghestanian∗ Andrei Antonenko1 and Jisung Sun2 Stony Brook University1,2 1. Introduction Distribution of case among distinct grammatical relations is one of the most frequently studied topics in the syntactic theory. Canonical cases are, in accusative languages, subjects of both intransitive and transitive verbs being nominative, while direct objects of transitive verbs are usually marked accusative. In ergative languages, subjects of intransitive verbs share properties with direct objects of transitive verbs, and are marked absolutive. Subjects of transitive verbs are usually ergative. When you look into world languages, however, there are ‘non-canonical’ case patterns too. Probably the most extreme kind of non-canonical case system would be so-called Quirky Subject constructions in Icelandic (see Sigurðsson 2002). This paper concerns constructions, in which two nominals are identically case-marked in a clause, as observed in Korean and Daghestanian languages. Daghestanian languages belong to Nakh-Daghestanian branch of North Caucasian family. Nakh-Daghestanian languages are informally divided into Nakh languages, such as Chechen and Ingush, spoken in Chechnya and the Republic of Ingushetia, respectively; and Daghestanian languages, spoken in the Republic of Daghestan. Those regions are located in the Caucasian part of Russian Federation. Some Daghestanian languages are also spoken in Azerbaijan and Georgia. This study focuses on Daghestanian languages, such as Archi, Avar, Dargwa, Hinuq, Khwarshi, Lak and Tsez, due to similar behaviors of them with respect to the described phenomenon. 2. Ergativity in Daghestanian Aldridge (2004) proposes that there are two types of syntactically ergative languages, based on which argument is performing functions typical for subjects.
    [Show full text]
  • Dative (First) Complements in Basque
    Dative (first) complements in Basque BEATRIZ FERNÁNDEZ JON ORTIZ DE URBINA Abstract This article examines dative complements of unergative verbs in Basque, i.e., dative arguments of morphologically “transitive” verbs, which, unlike ditransitives, do not co-occur with a canonical object complement. We will claim that such arguments fall under two different types, each of which involves a different type of non-structural licensing of the dative case. The presence of two different types of dative case in these constructions is correlated with the two different types of complement case alternations which many of these predicates exhibit, so that alternation patterns will provide us with clues to identify different sources for the dative marking. In particular, we will examine datives alternating with absolutives (i.e., with the regular object structural case in an ergative language) and datives alternating with postpositional phrases. We will first examine an approach to the former which relies on current proposals that identify a low applicative head as case licenser. Such approach, while accounting for the dative case, raises a number of issues with respect to the absolutive variant. As for datives alternating with postpositional phrases, we claim that they are lexically licensed by the lower verbal head V. Keywords Dative, conflation, lexical case, inherent case, case alternations 1. Preliminaries: bivalent unergatives Bivalent unergatives, i.e., unergatives with a dative complement, have remained largely ignored in traditional Basque studies, perhaps due to the Journal of Portuguese Linguistics, 11-1 (2012), 83-98 ISSN 1645-4537 84 Beatriz Fernández & Jon Ortiz de Urbina identity of their morphological patterns of case marking and agreement with those of ditransitive configurations.
    [Show full text]
  • Verb Agreement and Case Marking in Burushaski
    Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session Volume 40 Article 5 1996 Verb agreement and case marking in Burushaski Stephen R. Willson SIL-UND Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.und.edu/sil-work-papers Part of the Linguistics Commons Recommended Citation Willson, Stephen R. (1996) "Verb agreement and case marking in Burushaski," Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session: Vol. 40 , Article 5. DOI: 10.31356/silwp.vol40.05 Available at: https://commons.und.edu/sil-work-papers/vol40/iss1/5 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Work Papers of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, University of North Dakota Session by an authorized editor of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact und.commons@library.und.edu. Verb Agreement and Case Marking in Burushaski Stephen R. Willson 1 Burushaski verb agreement and case marking phenomena are complex and have not been described adequately by any current theory ofsyntax. In particular, no explanation has yet been given as to why a variety of nominals can trigger agreement in the verbal prefix. In some cases the apparent subject triggers this agreement, in others the direct object appears to do so, in others the indirect object, in others the possessor of the direct object, in others a benefactive or source nominal. Also, the constraints on the usage of ergative, absolutive and oblique case, and other indicators ofgrammatical relations on nominals, have been insufficiently characterized in the literature on Burushaski.
    [Show full text]
  • Types of Crosslinguistic Variation in Case Assignment
    Types of Crosslinguistic Variation in Case Assignment Mark Baker Rutgers University In this work, I do not address directly issues about what range of hypotheses concerning crosslinguistic variation are or aren’t Minimalist, or questions about micro- vs. macro- parameters, or clarifying the role of the lexicon versus syntactic principles in crosslinguistic variation, or so on. It is not because I’m above talking about such things or don’t have opinions about them. That is simply not what I want to focus on here. Rather I want to offer something more along the lines of addressing what Cedric Boeckx calls Greenburg’s problem. I agree with him that Greenburg’s problem is quite distinct from Plato’s problem, but I think that it’s also interesting, and we should be trying to come up with solutions for it—although not perhaps in exactly the way Greenburg might have foreseen. In particular, I’ll focus here on a specific issue in syntactic variation, namely the theory of morphological case, especially overt structural case. I imagine that if there is such a thing as abstract Case (i.e. NP licensing) that that is systematically related, but that topic is not my focus here. In presenting this research, I also want to illustrate a style of relating to the material that I want to recommend, what I’ve been calling Formal Generative Typology (Baker, 2010). This involves committing to two kinds of ideas which I think are both attractive. The first is the generativist vision of accepting a degree of abstractness in our descriptions of languages, and looking at how insight into empirical details can emerge from proper formalization of the patterns.
    [Show full text]
  • Title Changes in Livestock Mobility and Grazing Pattern Among The
    Changes in Livestock Mobility and Grazing Pattern among the Title Hamer in Southwestern Ethiopia Author(s) Tefera, Samuel African study monographs. Supplementary issue (2014), 48: Citation 99-112 Issue Date 2014-03 URL https://doi.org/10.14989/185108 Right Type Journal Article Textversion publisher Kyoto University African Study Monographs, Suppl. 48: 99–112, March 2014 99 ChangeS in LiveStoCk MobiLity and grazing Pattern aMong the haMer in SouthweStern ethioPia Samuel tefera Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University abStraCt different ethiopian regimes have encouraged pastoral people to adopt a settled way of life and to practice agriculture. despite these efforts, pastoral people in ethiopia have maintained their mobility in search of better pastures and water for their livestock. this paper examines changes in livestock mobility and grazing lands among the hamer during three regimes. the data discussed in this paper were collected during ethnographic field research using a participant-observer approach, as well as focus group discussions held in different villages across the district. the hamer have experienced several significant changes over the course of different regimes: distance to camp herds (i.e., livestock kept at distant camps near grazing areas) has increased, leading to less frequent visits to village camps, and mobility between camp herds has increased in frequency due to livestock population growth and increased competition. additionally, rain irregularities and shortages have led to the use of livestock enclosures, while changes in mobility patterns over the last eight decades have resulted in increased encroachment into territories beyond hamer jurisdiction. disruptions in rainfall and shrinkage of grazing land have also rendered preexisting alliances vulnerable to conflict.
    [Show full text]
  • Mother Tongue Film Festival
    2016–2020 Mother Tongue Film Festival Five-Year Report RECOVERING VOICES 1 2 3 Introduction 5 By the Numbers 7 2016 Festival 15 2017 Festival 25 2018 Festival 35 2019 Festival 53 2020 Festival 67 Looking Ahead 69 Appendices Table of Contents View of the audience at the Last Whispers screening, Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center. Photo courtesy of Lena Herzog 3 4 The Mother Tongue Film Festival is a core to the Festival’s success; over chance to meet with guest artists and collaborative venture at the Smithso- time, our partnerships have grown, directors in informal sessions. We nian and a public program of Recov- involving more Smithsonian units and have opened the festival with drum ering Voices, a pan-institutional pro- various consular and academic part- and song and presented live cultural gram that partners with communities ners. When launched, it was the only performances as part of our festival around the world to revitalize and festival of its kind, and it has since events. sustain endangered languages and formed part of a small group of local knowledge. The Recovering Voices and international festivals dedicated We developed a dedicated, bilingual partners are the National Museum of to films in Indigenous languages. (English and Spanish) website for Natural History, the National Museum the festival in 2019, where we stream of the American Indian, and the Cen- Over its five editions, the festival has several works in full after the festival. ter for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. grown, embracing a wide range of And, given the changing reality of our Through interdisciplinary research, audiovisual genres and experiences, world, we are exploring how to pres- community collaboration, and pub- drawing audiences to enjoy screen- ent the festival in a hybrid live/on- lic outreach, we strive to develop ef- ings often at capacity at various ven- line model, or completely virtually, in fective responses to language and ues around Washington, DC.
    [Show full text]
  • Hamer Woreda Market Enhancement Study
    Livestock Market Enhancement Study Hamer Woreda, South Omo Zone Commissioned by Target Business Consultants Plc www.targetethiopia.com getconsult@ethionet.et December 2011 Pact Ethiopia- Hamer Woreda Livestock Market Enhancement study Livestock Market Enhancement Study Hamer Woreda, South Omo Zone Pact Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Ethiopia www.Pactworld.org Tel +251 116 614800, Addis Ababa Ethiopia Study by Getnet Haile and Dawit Mengistu Target Business Consultants Plc Africa Avenue (Bole Road), Friendship Business Center, 7th Flr Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251 116 636645 Fax: +251 116 180540 Cell phone +251 911 211989 www.targetethiopia.com, email : getnet@targetethiopia.com 1 Pact Ethiopia- Hamer Woreda Livestock Market Enhancement study Abbreviation and Acronyms AFD Action for Development AMREF African Medical and Research Foundation Inc CAHW Community Animal Health Workers CCPP Contagious Caprin Pluero Pneumonia CCSD-SO Capacity and Collaboration for Sustainable Development South Omo CEWARN Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism CSA Central Statistics Agency EIAR Ethiopia Institute of Agricultural Research EPaRDA Enhancing Pastoralist Research and Development Alternatives FAO United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization FGD Focus group discussion GEM Girls Empowerment and Management GIS Geographic Information System GO Governmental Organizations GTP Growth and Transformation Plan HABP Household Asset Building Program HIV Human Immuno Virus HRD Human Resources Development HTP Harmful Traditional Practices ICRDP Improved community
    [Show full text]
  • Case in Standard Arabic: a Dependent Case Approach
    CASE IN STANDARD ARABIC: A DEPENDENT CASE APPROACH AMER AHMED A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN LINGUISTICS AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO August 2016 © AMER AHMED, 2016 ABSTRACT This dissertation is concerned with how structural and non-structural cases are assigned in the variety of Arabic known in the literature as Standard Arabic (SA). Taking a Minimalist perspective, this dissertation shows that the available generative accounts of case in SA are problematic either theoretically or empirically. It is argued that these problems can be overcome using the hybrid dependent case theory of Baker (2015). This theory makes a distinction between two types of phases. The first is the hard phase, which disallows the materials inside from being accessed by higher phases. The second is the soft phase, which allows the materials inside it to be accessed by higher phases. The results of this dissertation indicate that in SA (a) the CP is a hard phase in that noun phrases inside this phase are inaccessible to higher phases for the purpose of case assignment. In contrast, vP is argued to be a soft phase in that the noun phrases inside this phase are still accessible to higher phases for the purposes of case assignment (b) the DP, and the PP are also argued to be hard phases in SA, (c) case assignment in SA follows a hierarchy such that lexical case applies before the dependent case, the dependent case applies before the Agree-based case assignment, the Agree-based case assignment applies before the unmarked/default case assignment, (d) case assignment in SA is determined by a parameter, which allows the dependent case assignment to apply to a noun phrase if it is c-commanded by another noun phrase in the same Spell-Out domain (TP or VP), (e) the rules of dependent case assignment require that the NPs involved have distinct referential indices.
    [Show full text]
  • Title Changes in Livestock Mobility and Grazing Pattern Among
    Changes in Livestock Mobility and Grazing Pattern among the Title Hamer in Southwestern Ethiopia Author(s) Tefera, Samuel African study monographs. Supplementary issue (2014), 48: Citation 99-112 Issue Date 2014-03 URL http://dx.doi.org/10.14989/185108 Right Type Departmental Bulletin Paper Textversion publisher Kyoto University African Study Monographs, Suppl. 48: 99–112, March 2014 99 ChangeS in LiveStoCk MobiLity and grazing Pattern aMong the haMer in SouthweStern ethioPia Samuel tefera Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University abStraCt different ethiopian regimes have encouraged pastoral people to adopt a settled way of life and to practice agriculture. despite these efforts, pastoral people in ethiopia have maintained their mobility in search of better pastures and water for their livestock. this paper examines changes in livestock mobility and grazing lands among the hamer during three regimes. the data discussed in this paper were collected during ethnographic field research using a participant-observer approach, as well as focus group discussions held in different villages across the district. the hamer have experienced several significant changes over the course of different regimes: distance to camp herds (i.e., livestock kept at distant camps near grazing areas) has increased, leading to less frequent visits to village camps, and mobility between camp herds has increased in frequency due to livestock population growth and increased competition. additionally, rain irregularities and shortages have led to the use of livestock enclosures, while changes in mobility patterns over the last eight decades have resulted in increased encroachment into territories beyond hamer jurisdiction. disruptions in rainfall and shrinkage of grazing land have also rendered preexisting alliances vulnerable to conflict.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview of Ergativity
    Chapter 2 Ergativity Chapter 2 Overview of Ergativity Ergativity is a term that refers to a certain pattern that some languages show in treating arguments of a verb. Generally, arguments are classified into three types: the subject of a transitive verb, the object of a transitive verb and the subject of an intransitive verb. Adopting Dixon’s (1979) terminology, we will refer to them as A, O, and S, respectively. If a language treats A and S in the same way, distinguishing O, the pattern is called accusative. In contrast, in an ergative pattern, S and O are treated as equivalent, while A is treated differently. The notion of ergativity is often used with regard to case marking. In an ergative case system, S and O appear in the same case, absolutive and A appears in a special case, ergative. An ergative pattern of case marking is referred to as morphological ergativity. Ergativity is not merely a morphological phenomenon. Some languages treat S and O as equivalents in some syntactic operations such as coordination and relativisation. An ergative pattern found at the level of syntax is referred to as syntactic ergativity. It should be noted that morphological ergativity does not entail syntactic ergativity. A language may have an ergative case marking without showing syntactic ergativity. However, a language that shows syntactic ergativity necessarily has an ergative case system. Syntactic ergativity is incompatible with accusative case marking. In other 13 Chapter 2 Ergativity words, there seems to be some correlation between morphological ergativity and syntactic ergativity. This leads to a hypothesis that ergative case marking is associated with syntactic configuration.
    [Show full text]