This dissertation proposes an analysis of certain aspects of the syntax and morphology of Gitksan, a Tsimshianic language of northwestern British Columbia. In particular, the goal of the dissertation is to show that, despite claims and surface appearances to the contrary, the structure of a Gitksan sentence conforms to the putatively universal constraints on sentence structure proposed in Government and Binding theory. In order to defend this claim, I show that other structures which have been proposed for the language are not well-motivated by data, and that the structure I propose is able to account for the complex case and agreement facts observed in declarative Gitksan sentences. The thesis is structured in the following way. Chapter 1 briefly sketches the theoretical framework I assume, while Chapter 2 consists of a short introduction to some salient aspects of Gitksan phonology, morphology and syntax. Chapter 3 contains a comprehensive discussion of typological and structural properties of Gitksan sentences. I review those characteristics of the language which have led researchers to claim that Gitksan is either an ergative or a non-configurational language, but I argue that these surface characteristics do not provide compelling evidence that Gitksan should be assigned any divergent type of syntactic structure. On the contrary, I show that there is syntactic evidence in Gitksan to support a standard structure. I conclude Chapter 3 by examining a possible alternative proposal, namely that Gitksan is a pronominal argument language.’ Once again, however, I argue that the data are more consistent with a conservative account- in this case, one in which nominals function as arguments rather than adjuncts. In Chapter 4, I present in some detail data relating to agreement, case and the distribution of overt and silent pronominals in Gitksan, showing how these complex data can be accounted for under the structure I assume. The analysis presented in this chapter has important consequences for the treatment of morphological agreement and case in GB theory.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-198). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

This dissertation proposes an analysis of certain aspects of the syntax and morphology of Gitksan, a Tsimshianic language of northwestern British Columbia. In particular, the goal of the dissertation is to show that, despite claims and surface appearances to the contrary, the structure of a Gitksan sentence conforms to the putatively universal constraints on sentence structure proposed in Government and Binding theory. In order to defend this claim, I show that other structures which have been proposed for the language are not well-motivated by data, and that the structure I propose is able to account for the complex case and agreement facts observed in declarative Gitksan sentences. The thesis is structured in the following way. Chapter 1 briefly sketches the theoretical framework I assume, while Chapter 2 consists of a short introduction to some salient aspects of Gitksan phonology, morphology and syntax. Chapter 3 contains a comprehensive discussion of typological and structural properties of Gitksan sentences. I review those characteristics of the language which have led researchers to claim that Gitksan is either an ergative or a non-configurational language, but I argue that these surface characteristics do not provide compelling evidence that Gitksan should be assigned any divergent type of syntactic structure. On the contrary, I show that there is syntactic evidence in Gitksan to support a standard structure. I conclude Chapter 3 by examining a possible alternative proposal, namely that Gitksan is a pronominal argument language.’ Once again, however, I argue that the data are more consistent with a conservative account- in this case, one in which nominals function as arguments rather than adjuncts. In Chapter 4, I present in some detail data relating to agreement, case and the distribution of overt and silent pronominals in Gitksan, showing how these complex data can be accounted for under the structure I assume. The analysis presented in this chapter has important consequences for the treatment of morphological agreement and case in GB theory. / Arts, Faculty of / Linguistics, Department of / Graduate

Written texts of Navajo and Western Apache speakers in English revealed rhetorical patterns which seem to be tied to the native languages. The theoretical framework of interlanguage is used to analyze language transfer of two rhetorical features at the discourse level: (1) rhetorical redundancy and (2) narrative technique. Both features can be viewed as fossilizations of discourse which are forced upon the surface of written Navajo and Western Apache English interlanguage by the process of language transfer. Rhetorical redundancy exists in Navajo and Western Apache for emphasis and is transferred to English discourse as emphasis by the repetition of lexical items, syntactic strings and sentential paraphrases. The purposes for rhetorical redundancy in Navajo and Western Apache English interlanguage include the emphasis of emotional concerns, clarifications, and conventions of courtesy. A discourse rule is suggested which summarizes rhetorical redundancy transfer. Narrative technique in Navajo and Western Apache English interlanguage involves idiosyncratic tense shifting patterns at the discourse level. Navajo and Western Apache speakers seem to transfer the semantics of Navajo and Western Apache modes and aspects to English tenses. It is suggested that Navajo and Western Apache speakers find standard English tense usage inadequate for their underlying narrative discourse motivations. The Navajo and Western Apache usitative mode, imperfective mode, and continuative aspect are expressed through the English present tense. The Navajo and Western Apache perfective mode is realized in English through the past tense. The Navajo and Western Apache progressive mode, optative mode, iterative mode, and repetitive aspect surface in English as two possible nonstandard forms of the progressive aspect. A set of three mode and aspect transfer rules at the narrative discourse level is suggested.

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Orientador: Wilmar da Rocha D'Angelis / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-09T04:52:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Costa_ConsuelodePaivaGodinho_D.pdf: 1274193 bytes, checksum: 2b0516ea14f10b0e23a5168f80ee765a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Os processos de nasalização em línguas Guarani têm sido objeto de interesse da Fonologia há várias décadas, já tendo sido tratados em diferentes abordagens e modelos teóricos. Apesar disso, nenhuma das interpretações sugeridas encontrou aceitação irrestrita entre os estudiosos dessas línguas. Esta tese aborda os processos de nasalização no Nhandewa-Guarani, a língua falada por uma parcialidade Guarani que habita o Estado de São Paulo e o norte do Estado do Paraná, no Brasil meridional, e pretende contribuir à busca por uma interpretação abrangente e conclusiva desses processos nas mencionadas línguas. Além disso, ao tentar abarcar, com o mesmo aparato explicativo, fenômenos de nasalização de outras línguas da família Tupi-Guarani, como o Tapirapé, pretendo romper o círculo que tem separado a análise de fenômenos das línguas Guarani daquela de outras línguas da mesma família e, ao mesmo tempo, romper a barreira que parece existir para uma aceitação de que fenômenos de harmonização nasal também ocorrem no 'ramo Tupi¿ daquela família lingüística / Abstract: The nasalization process in the Guarani languages has been object of the Phonology interest by several decades. This process has been treated by different approaches and theoretical models. Although, none interpretation proposed was unrestrictedly accepted among the scholars of these languages. This work approaches the nasalization process in the Nhandewa-Guarani, language spoken by the Guarani people living in São Paulo and in the north region of Paraná, Southern Brazil. This work intends to contribute to the quest of a productive and conclusive interpretation for the process in these languages. Furthermore, in attempting to include, with the same explanatory apparatus, the nasalization phenomena of the others languages of the Tupi-Guarani family, such as Tapirapé, I intend to break the circle which has separated the analysis of the phenomena of the Guarani languages from those of the others languages in the same family, and, at same time, to break down the obstacle that seems to exist concerning to the acceptation that nasal harmony phenomena also occurs in the 'Tupi branch¿ of that linguistic family / Doutorado / Linguistica / Doutor em Linguística

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This dissertation examines the uses, functions, and meaningfulness of traditional personal names and naming practices in Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Indian) culture. The current study indicates that Niitsitapi personal names appear to play a major role in capturing and conveying various aspects of traditional Niitsitapi sociocultural knowledge. Niitsitapi personal names thus appear to form an integral part of Niitsitapi oral tradition, and also seem to play a powerful role in establishing and maintaining Niitsitapi conceptualisations of individual, as well as social and cultural, identity. This dissertation supports the position that, in addition to their nominative function, names contain and communicate sociocultural meaning, based on their associations with a wide range of non-linguistic factors which form part of the sociocultural environment within which they are used. The methodological approach stresses the importance of studying personal names in cultural context and strongly emphasises the use of indigenous knowledge as a means of explaining personal naming phenomena from a native cultural perspective. / Linguistics / M. A. (Sociolinguistics)

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This dissertation examines the uses, functions, and meaningfulness of traditional personal names and naming practices in Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Indian) culture. The current study indicates that Niitsitapi personal names appear to play a major role in capturing and conveying various aspects of traditional Niitsitapi sociocultural knowledge. Niitsitapi personal names thus appear to form an integral part of Niitsitapi oral tradition, and also seem to play a powerful role in establishing and maintaining Niitsitapi conceptualisations of individual, as well as social and cultural, identity. This dissertation supports the position that, in addition to their nominative function, names contain and communicate sociocultural meaning, based on their associations with a wide range of non-linguistic factors which form part of the sociocultural environment within which they are used. The methodological approach stresses the importance of studying personal names in cultural context and strongly emphasises the use of indigenous knowledge as a means of explaining personal naming phenomena from a native cultural perspective. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M. A. (Sociolinguistics)