Serial Verbs in Oceanic
A Descriptive Typology
Published on 21. November 2002
Book
Hardback
300 pages
978-0-19-824135-5 (ISBN)
Description
This book describes the diversity of serial verb constructions within Oceanic languages. Serial verb constructions are sequences of verbs placed one after another to express meanings which in other languages are typically expressed by means of single verbs. It has long been established that West African, Southeast Asian and Papuan languages are serializing languages, but the construction has only comparatively recently been recognized in Oceanic languages, which belong to a very large sub-group of the Austronesian family.
Terry Crowley demonstrates that patterns of serial verbs can exhibit structural diversity even within a single language. He examines how serial verbs originate, investigating issues such as language contact and functional issues in language change. Serial verbs are often subject to reanalysis and this book investigates how they have developed new grammatical functions in different languages.
Serial Verbs in Oceanic will interest typologists, those concerned with Austronesian languages in particular, and syntactic change in general, as well as linguists interested in Austronesian, language contact, linguistic typology, and syntactic change.
Terry Crowley demonstrates that patterns of serial verbs can exhibit structural diversity even within a single language. He examines how serial verbs originate, investigating issues such as language contact and functional issues in language change. Serial verbs are often subject to reanalysis and this book investigates how they have developed new grammatical functions in different languages.
Serial Verbs in Oceanic will interest typologists, those concerned with Austronesian languages in particular, and syntactic change in general, as well as linguists interested in Austronesian, language contact, linguistic typology, and syntactic change.
Reviews / Votes
It is the breadth of coverage of topics in this book that is one of its biggest strengths, and what makes it so useful, particularly for those who are not primarily specialists in Oceanic or Austronesian languages ... Serial Verbs in Oceanic is a very rewarding book to read. * LINGUIST List * ... excellent book ... Crowley has a lucid and easy style, provides abundant illustrative examples and presents his arguments with clarity. I found the book immediately enjoyable, which is not true of many linguistic works. * The Journal of the Polynesian Society *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
1 map, numerous tables
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
617 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-824135-5 (9780198241355)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Terry Crowley was Associate Professor in the Department of General and Applied Linguistics at the University of Waikato. He has researched languages in Vanuatu for 25 years, and has written about the Paamese and Erromangan languages. He has produced a dictionary of Bislama, and a detailed account of its historical development.
Content
1. Linguistic typology and serial verbs ; 2. Oceanic languages, serial verbs and linguistic descriptions ; 3. Paamese serial verbs ; 4. The distribution and evolution of Oceanic serial verbs ; 5. The dissolution of Oceanic serial verbs ; 6. Oceanic serial verbs and Melanesian Pidgin ; 7. Oceanic serial verbs and the broader context ; References ; Index