2020 (Vol.5) Collection
Edited by Robert Painter
Displaying 1 to 3 of 3
- Abstract
- Possession relationships are cognitively complex as well as linguistically complex in that they use a combination of features to express their meaning. This means that children have multiple possible stages of possession acquisition. Few studies have focused on how children acquire possession in their language, but reports indicate two potential patterns: either 1) children build up possession utterances with possession units attested in target forms, shown in English, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, and French (Marinis 2016; Leroy-Collombel & Morgenstern 2012), or 2) they use an unattested form in adult speech as a preliminary method until they can produce meaningful possession relationships with elements of the target form, shown in the polysynthetic language Northern East Cree (Henke 2019). With these two patterns in mind, the current study explored how Inuktitut-acquiring children produce possession. Spontaneous speech of three children was investigated (aged 2;0-2;9, 2;6-3;3, and 3;7-4;4), as well as that of their caregivers. The three children showed patterns of possession relationships in their speech that were very similar to those of their caregivers in terms of overall possession use, the constructions of possession constituents, and types of possessor and possessee forms (pattern 1). This result suggests that the "preliminary method" of acquiring possession does not hold for all polysynthetic languages. Data from younger children and a more nuanced look at the possession relationships would be useful in order to fully detail how children acquire possession in Inuktitut. Expand / collapse toggle
- Abstract
- This paper examines neuroanatomical differences in Neanderthal and Homo sapiens brains and how those differences relate to behavioral or surface level characteristics for two purposes. First, did Neanderthals have language or a precursor to it? What evidence is there for or against Neanderthals having (an at least partial) linguistic system? Second, what aspects of these characteristics might have significantly contributed to the extinction of one species and the continued survival of the other species. Expand / collapse toggle
- Abstract
- This paper conducts a syntactic analysis of the language of Wambaya, a Mirndi family language spoken in the Northern Territory of Australia. Wambaya is classified as 'moribund' by Ethnologue and possesses only 60 remaining speakers. Syntactically, aside from the requirement for the auxiliary to appear in 2nd position, the word order of Wambaya is free, with subjects frequently occurring both before and after verbs. However, the language displays a preference for a VO ordering and fits the normal typological pattern of a VO language. Wambaya utilizes a mixed marking system, with auxiliary verbs exhibiting head-marking while noun phrases exhibit double marking. In terms of morphosyntax, Wambaya makes frequent use of pronoun-dropping, and reflexive and reciprocal constructions are produced through affixation. As a critically endangered language with a rich and unique morphosyntactic system, Wambaya merits further linguistic exploration and preservation. Expand / collapse toggle
Child Language Acquisition of Possession Forms in Inuktitut
Neuroanatomy and Behavioral Characteristics in Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens: Perspectives on Language Potential and Evolutionary Advantage.
The Syntax of Wambaya
Displaying 1 to 3 of 3