Optional case marking in Darma (Tibeto-Burman)

In this paper I will explore the limitations of using a single methodology in language description and documentation. Specifically, I will argue as others have (Chelliah 2001; Sherzer 1987; Urban 1991), that multiple methods of data collection are necessary in order to adequately describe a la...

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محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Willis, Christina M.
مؤلفون آخرون: Rice University
التنسيق: مقال
اللغة:English
منشور في: 2024
الموضوعات:
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177662
الوسوم: إضافة وسم
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المؤسسة: Nanyang Technological University
اللغة: English
الوصف
الملخص:In this paper I will explore the limitations of using a single methodology in language description and documentation. Specifically, I will argue as others have (Chelliah 2001; Sherzer 1987; Urban 1991), that multiple methods of data collection are necessary in order to adequately describe a language. To illustrate my point I will examine the distribution of ergative case marking in Darma. Described in early sketches as having a split-ergative system, I demonstrate that the pattern of distribution for the ergative morpheme is not obligatory and that it can appear in a variety of contexts that extend beyond the limits described in the split-system. Using data obtained through multiple methodologies, I show that the use of the ergative is not only optional, but its use may serve a pragmatic function that is not yet fully understood.