Proto Mirndi a Discontinuous Language Family in Northern Australia Pacific Linguistics 593
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Proto Mirndi a discontinuous language family in northern Australia Pacific Linguistics 593 Pacific Linguistics is a publisher specialising in grammars and linguistic descriptions, dictionaries and other materials on languages of the Pacific, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, East Timor, southeast and south Asia, and Australia. Pacific Linguistics, established in 1963 through an initial grant from the Hunter Douglas Fund, is associated with the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at The Australian National University. The authors and editors of Pacific Linguistics publications are drawn from a wide range of institutions around the world. Publications are refereed by scholars with relevant expertise, who are usually not members of the editorial board. FOUNDING EDITOR: Stephen A. Wurm EDITORIAL BOARD: John Bowden and I Wayan Arka (Managing Editors), Nicolas Evans, David Nash, Andrew Pawley, Malcolm Ross, Paul Sidwell, Jane Simpson, and Darrell Tryon EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Karen Adams, Arizona State University Bambang Kaswanti Purwo, Universitas Atma Alexander Adelaar, University of Melbourne Jaya Peter Austin, School of Oriental and African Marian Klamer, Universiteit Leiden Studies Harold Koch, The Australian National Byron Bender, University of Hawai‘i University Walter Bisang, Johannes Gutenberg- Frantisek Lichtenberk, University of Universität Mainz Auckland Robert Blust, University of Hawai‘i John Lynch, University of the South Pacific David Bradley, La Trobe University Patrick McConvell, Australian Institute of Lyle Campbell, University of Utah Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander James Collins, Universiti Kebangsaan Studies Malaysia William McGregor, Aarhus Universitet Bernard Comrie, Max Planck Institute for Ulrike Mosel, Christian-Albrechts- Evolutionary Anthropology Universität zu Kiel Soenjono Dardjowidjojo, Universitas Atma Claire Moyse-Faurie, Centre National de la Jaya Recherche Scientifique Matthew Dryer, State University of New York Bernd Nothofer, Johann Wolfgang Goethe- at Buffalo Universität Frankfurt am Main Jerold A. Edmondson, University of Texas Ger Reesink, Universiteit Leiden at Arlington Lawrence Reid, University of Hawai‘i Margaret Florey, Monash University Jean-Claude Rivierre, Centre National de la William Foley, University of Sydney Recherche Scientifique Karl Franklin, SIL International Melenaite Taumoefolau, University of Charles Grimes, SIL International Auckland Nikolaus Himmelmann, Ruhr-Universität Tasaku Tsunoda, University of Tokyo Bochum John Wolff, Cornell University Lillian Huang, National Taiwan Normal Elizabeth Zeitoun, Academica Sinica University Proto Mirndi: a discontinuous language family in northern Australia Mark Harvey Pacific Linguistics Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies The Australian National University Published by Pacific Linguistics Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Australia Copyright in this edition is vested with Pacific Linguistics First published 2008 National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Author: Harvey, Mark David, 1958– Title: Proto Mirndi: a discontinuous language family in northern Australia / Mark Harvey. ISBN: 9780858835887 (pbk.) Notes: Bibliography. Subjects: Mirindi language. Australian languages – Australia, northern. Aboriginal Australians – Languages. Other authors: Contributors: The Australian National University. Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. Pacific Linguistics. Dewey number: 499.15 Copyedited by Lila San Roque Typeset by Jeanette Coombes Cover design by Julie Manley Printed and bound by Addcolour Digital Pty Ltd, Fyshwick, Canberra Table of contents List of tables and maps ........................................................................................................vii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................viii Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................ix 1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 2 The Mirndi languages......................................................................................................1 3 Phonological reconstruction............................................................................................4 3.1 Synchronic inventories and patterns....................................................................4 3.2 Lexical reconstruction.........................................................................................5 3.3 Yanyuwa correspondences................................................................................10 3.4 Correspondences with other northern languages...............................................15 3.5 Summary of lexical correspondences and sound changes.................................16 4 Principles of morphological reconstruction...................................................................22 5 Verbal reconstruction....................................................................................................23 5.1 Synchronic verbal predicate structures..............................................................23 5.2 Proto Mirndi verbal roots and stems..................................................................28 5.3 Pre-Mirndi verbal structures..............................................................................31 6 Pronominal reconstruction.............................................................................................33 6.1 Synchronic free pronoun systems......................................................................34 6.1.1 Yirram free pronouns...........................................................................34 6.1.2 Jingulu free pronouns..........................................................................35 6.1.3 Ngurlun free pronouns.........................................................................36 6.2 Non-singular pronominals .................................................................................38 6.2.1 Mood prefixes......................................................................................42 6.2.2 Dative case...........................................................................................43 6.2.3 Genitive case .......................................................................................43 6.2.4 Non-singular pronominal roots............................................................45 6.2.5 Number marking..................................................................................48 6.3 Singular pronominals.........................................................................................50 6.3.1 The conditional....................................................................................50 6.3.2 Bound pronominals .............................................................................56 6.3.3 Absolutive pronouns............................................................................59 v vi 6.3.4 Dative and genitive pronouns.............................................................. 60 6.4 Summary of pronominal reconstruction............................................................ 61 7 Nominal reconstruction................................................................................................. 62 7.1 Synchronic nominal classification.................................................................... 62 7.2 Outline of Proto Mirndi nominal classification................................................. 63 7.3 The development of suffixal classification in Eastern Mirndi .......................... 64 7.3.1 The Ngurlun languages ....................................................................... 65 7.3.2 Jingulu ................................................................................................. 71 7.4 The development of classification in Western Mirndi...................................... 73 7.4.1 Jamijungan .......................................................................................... 73 7.4.2 Nungali................................................................................................ 74 7.5 Subsection terminologies .................................................................................. 79 7.5.1 The origin of subsection terminologies............................................... 89 7.5.2 The diffusion of subsection terminologies.......................................... 95 7.5.3 Summary of the diachrony of subsections ........................................ 109 7.6 Proto Mirndi nominal classification and Proto Ngarna nominal classification................................................................................... 110 7.6.1 Synchronic nominal classification in Yanyuwa................................ 110 7.6.2 Internal evidence for prefixal nominal classification in Proto Ngarna .............................................................................. 113 7.6.3 Yanyuwa nominal classification and Proto Mirndi nominal classification................................................................................... 116 7.7 The diachrony of nominal classification in Mirndi......................................... 119 7.8 Case suffixation............................................................................................... 122 8 The evidence for