Abstract
In Dolakha Newar the boundaries of syntactic sentences are clearly demarcated. However, each tightly-bounded sentence has the potential for infinite expansion and structural complexity. This results from the recursive interaction of two basic combinatorial structures: chaining and embedding. While these structures are basic to many of the world's languages, in Dolakha Newar speakers combine them freely and frequently to spontaneously create sentences of remarkable intricacy. Additional structural nuance is provided by the chaining of constituents at levels below the clause and the sharing of core arguments. The result is a syntactic fabric of depth and complexity.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 5-24 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Linguistic Typology |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2011 |
Keywords
- Newar
- Tibeto-Burman
- clause chaining
- clause combining
- converb
- discourse structure
- recursion
- speech reporting
- syntactic complexity
- syntax
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics and Language