Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Nouns and Noun Phrases in the Bhujel Language


In this study, the author analyzes both nouns and noun phrases in the Bhujel language, an endangered Tibeto-Burman language of Nepal, from functional-typological perspective. This study unearths many interesting morpho-syntactic features in Bhujel. Like in other TB languages, there is neither gender nor number agreement. But unlike in the Kiranti languages, Bhujel lacks both duality and inclusive-exclusive distinction. It employs numeral classifiers for human and non-human noun distinction. Subject is the only grammatical relaiton which is pronominalized, but there is split, and is restricted for the first person only. It exhibits split ergativity constrained by tense and aspect (Like in Nepali). Case markers signal different grammatical relations and roles of noun phrase in the clause. The order of modifiers in noun phrase is rigid. However, order of clause constituents is relatively free. A permuted constituent triggers a semantic change. Relative clauses are mainly formed by nominalization. Finite relative clauses are also formed with interrogative pronouns. Except possessor, major grammatical relations can be relativized with gap strategy. Bhujel does not show one-to-one correspondence between the grammatical relations and thematic roles. Since grammatical relations are characterized by semantic, coding and behavioral properties in Bhujel.

Book details:
Author: Dr. Dan Raj Regmi
  • Taschenbuch: 120 Seiten
  • Verlag: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing (30. Juli 2012)
  • Sprache: Englisch
  • ISBN-10: 3659192228
  • ISBN-13: 978-3659192227
  • Größe und/oder Gewicht: 22 x 15 x 0,7 cm