Barayin Morphosyntax: A Lexical-Functional Approach

Lovestrand, Joseph

Abstract

This volume offers a Lexical-Functional Grammar (LFG) analysis of the morphosyntax of Barayin, a Chadic language spoken by about 6000 people in the Guera region of Chad. The core chapters of the book draw on rich empirical data to provide analyses of the basic clause, noun phrases, verb phrases, and serial verb constructions. The version of LFG adopted here includes two recent innovations: the first is minimal c-structure, which results in simpler phrase structure representations; the second is the assumption that glue semantics accounts for argument selection, rejecting the need for a level of a-structure or for Completeness and Coherence in f-structure. Argument sharing in serial verb constructions can thus be modeled in a connected s-structure. This method of modeling semantic composition in complex predicates is extended to directional and associated motion complex predicates in Choctaw and Wambaya, removing the need to appeal to a special mechanism to unite semantic forms in such constructions.

Citation

Lovestrand, J. (2022). Barayin Morphosyntax: A Lexical-Functional Approach. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198851158.001.0001

• Book Type: Authored Book
• Acceptance Date: Mar 24, 2021
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: May 30, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 2, 2122
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Series Title: Oxford Studies of Endangered Languages
• ISBN: 9780198851158
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198851158.001.0001
• Keywords: Barayin, Chadic, Lexical-Functional Grammar, syntax, morphology, semantics, serial verb constructions, endangered languages
• Publisher URL: https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/oso/9780198851158.001.0001/oso-9780198851158