North Ambrym, an Oceanic language spoken in Vanuatu, exhibits the two common Oceanic possessive construction types: direct and indirect. This thesis focuses on the indirect construction which occurs when the possessed noun refers to a semantically alienable item. In North Ambrym the indirect possessive construction is marked by one of a set of possessive classifiers. The theory within Oceanic linguistics is that the possessive classifiers do not classify a property of the possessed noun but the relation between possessor and possessed (Lichtenberk 1983b). Thus, it is the intentional use of the possessed by the possessor that is encoded by the possessive classifier, such that an ‘edible’ classifier will be used if the possessor intends to eat the possessed or the ‘drinkable’ classifier will be used if the possessed is intended to be drunk. This thesis challenges this theory and instead proposes that the classifiers act like possessed classifiers in North Ambrym and characterise a functional property of the possessed noun. Several experiments were conducted that induced different contextual uses of possessions, however this did not result in classifier change, which would be expected in the relational classifier theory. Each classifier has a large amount of seemingly semantically disparate members and they do not all share the semantic features of the central members, thus an analysis using the classical theory of classification is untenable. Instead the classifier categories are best analysed using prototype theory as certain semantic groups of possessions are considered to be more central members. This hypothesis is supported by further experimentation into classification which helps define the centrality of classifier category members. Finally an analysis using cognitive linguistic theory proposes that non-central members are linked to central members via semantic chains using notions of metaphor and metonymy. All languge data from this project has been deposited at the Endangered Language Archive (ELAR) at SOAS,University of London.

This thesis is the first to study female characters from Western Malayo-Polynesian oral tradition. It is also the first to apply an evolutionary literary analysis to these stories. The aim was to analyse the life history cycle of women as portrayed in oral stories from the Western Malayo-Polynesian language group, which includes languages spoken across southern Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, the island states of western Micronesia, and Madagascar. The general principle behind evolutionary literary theory is that any knowledge (including stories) generated by the mind is a biological phenomenon and worthy of scientific study. This tenet is then compounded with an evolutionary understanding of life whereby all animals, including humans, are driven to ensure somatic success through the preservation of life, and reproductive success through the proliferation of genes. It is argued that oral stories contain implicit evolutionary ‘lessons’ that may assist humans in obtaining somatic and reproductive success. The most recurring evolutionary theme in female-led Western Malayo-Polynesian oral stories revolves around reproductive success, with approximately 90% of stories in this thesis focusing either on family life or the search for a partner. In the section ‘Tales of Family Life’, stories portray the complexity of family dynamics, showing how family members must sacrifice their selfish interests for the sake of their kin in order to maximize the propagation of their genes. In ‘Tales of Searching for a Partner’, heroines take part in complex mate attraction and retention strategies, showing that the search for a ‘Happily Ever After’ (or evolutionary fitness) is not always a straightforward journey. Unsurprisingly, themes without direct correlations with evolutionary fitness form only 10% of the entire corpus. ‘Tales Beyond Family and Partners’ attempt to explore stories of evolutionary anomalies through the phenomenon of childfree and heroic women. Evolutionary studies, however, have yet to provide a satisfactory theory on women whose behaviour seems to hold little or no reproductive advantages, and analysis of these types of stories would benefit from further research. As a multidisciplinary study, this thesis is able to impact future research in three different ways. Firstly, it is hoped that it will bring attention to and increase knowledge of the lesser known and under-studied Western Malayo-Polynesian oral traditions. Secondly, the thesis can also serve as a model for the application of evolutionary theory to the folkloric study of oral stories. Finally, it shows the potential of applying evolutionary literary theory to non-Western cultures. It is hoped that future research will be able to expand the findings of this thesis either through larger or more concentrated pools of data, with the aim of emphasizing the universal drives that underlie our common humanity.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 薬学博士 / 薬博第30号 / 新制||薬||12(附属図書館) / UT51-40-B309 / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬学専攻 / (主査)教授 宇野 豊三, 教授 上尾 庄次郎, 教授 富田 真雄 / 学位規則第5条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 薬学博士 / 甲第414号 / 薬博第37号 / 新制||薬||17(附属図書館) / UT51-42-H178 / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬学専攻 / (主査)教授 宇野 豊三, 教授 岡田 寿太郎, 教授 中垣 正幸 / 学位規則第5条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 薬学博士 / 甲第862号 / 薬博第60号 / 新制||薬||38(附属図書館) / UT51-44-N17 / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬学専攻 / (主査)教授 上尾 庄次郎, 教授 山科 郁男, 教授 犬伏 康夫 / 学位規則第5条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 薬学博士 / 薬博第21号 / 新制||薬||9(附属図書館) / UT51-40-A1208 / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬学専攻 / (主査)教授 宇野 豊三, 教授 上尾 庄次郎, 教授 富田 真雄 / 学位規則第5条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(薬学) / 甲第9516号 / 薬博第498号 / 新制||薬||194(附属図書館) / UT51-2002-G274 / 京都大学大学院薬学研究科創薬科学専攻 / (主査)教授 佐治 英郎, 教授 赤池 昭紀, 教授 乾 賢一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 薬学博士 / 乙第7799号 / 論薬博第454号 / 新制||薬||147(附属図書館) / UT51-92-J211 / (主査)教授 冨士 薫, 教授 米田 文郎, 教授 藤多 哲朗 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(薬学) / 乙第8131号 / 論薬博第471号 / 新制||薬||152(附属図書館) / UT51-93-F231 / (主査)教授 市川 厚, 教授 佐藤 公道, 教授 川嵜 敏祐 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(薬学) / 乙第8222号 / 論薬博第483号 / 新制||薬||153(附属図書館) / UT51-93-J545 / (主査)教授 橋田 充, 教授 宮嶋 孝一郎, 教授 中川 照眞 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当