Avoidance and emergence of conjunctions in Mori Bawah (an Austronesian language of Sulawesi, Indonesia)

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Authors: 
Issue Date: 
2000
Conference: 
The Providence University Colloquium Series in Linguistics, Taichung, Taiwan, Providence University, 2000-06-05
Extent: 
19 pages
Abstract: 
As Lakoff (1984) and Mithun (1984, 1988) have documented, some languages make relatively less use, and have relatively fewer conjunctions than other languages. In this paper I follow their line of research and describe three strategies by which Mori Bawah speakers avoid the use of overt conjunctions. These are (a) verb chaining, (b) clause juxtaposition, and (c) the use of subordinate (nominalized) verb forms in preposed clauses. Although Mori Bawah is perhaps unremarkable in its use of these three strategies, herein I go the further step of demonstrating how using each of these strategies has led in turn to the grammaticalization of new conjunctions or conjunctive elements, primarily from verbal sources. Although in other languages an increased use of conjunctions has been described as a contact phenomenon, the Mori Bawah data are a reminder that conjunctions can also be of the local ‘home-grown’ variety.
Publication Status: 
Draft (posted 'as is' without peer review)
Table of Contents: 
Introduction -- A brief overview of Mori Bawah grammar -- Verb chaining -- The case of motae 'saying' -- Clause juxtaposition -- The twin cases of iaopo and onaemo -- Subordinate verb forms -- From nominalized verb to conjunction/sentence adverb -- Conclusions -- References
Country: 
Indonesia
Subject Languages: 
Content Language: 
Field: 
Work Type: 
Nature of Work: 
Entry Number: 
64998