Nominal Structure in Tai Khamti

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Authors: 
Issue Date: 
2007
Publisher: 
Faculty of Humanities, Linguistics Program, Payap University
Publisher Place: 
Chiang Mai
Sponsored By: 
Payap University Linguistics Program, Research Paper #312
Extent: 
35 pages
Abstract: 
This paper is a descriptive account of the nominal structure of Tai Khamti, a language of Northwest Myanmar and Northeast India (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh areas). Khamti is a Daic language, specifically Kadai, Kam-Tai, Tai, Southwestern, Northwest branch. The analysis is based upon both elicited grammatical structures as well as a collection of texts of various genres (first and third person narratives, expository, legend, and processual accounts). These were recorded and transcribed from five fluent speakers of Khamti. This grammatical analysis divides the nominal structure into two major parts, simple modification and complex modification using the relative clause. After first establishing and categorizing the noun word class the majority of the paper focuses on noun modification. The most significant results in the analysis is a definite determiner that is iconically abstracted from the demonstrative and a relative marker that is abstracted from a generic classifier. The relative, numeral-classifier and indefinite constructs all share similar functional behavior providing motivation for this relative marker. Of special note also is the use of adjectives and indefinite structures that position themselves between the head noun and its modifying relative clause. Finally, after establishing nominal structure it is very briefly shown how it can be marked for different arguments in the sentence. This will lend itself nicely to the next level of grammatical description of the clause. Future research will show that this Tai-Kadai language will function like Tibeto-Burman languages in its argument marking. Specifically, it will be demonstrated that Khamti operates with a Tibeto-Burman-like 'anti-ergative' marking system as outlined generally in Dryer (1986) and specifically in LaPolla (1992).
Publication Status: 
Published
Table of Contents: 
1. Introduction and Preliminaries -- 2. Nouns -- 3. Noun Phrases -- 4. Summary -- 5. References
Country: 
India
Myanmar
Subject Languages: 
Content Language: 
Field: 
Work Type: 
Nature of Work: 
Entry Number: 
62020