The development of the transfer construction and the honorific
domain
Eric Mélac | University of Montpellier 3, EMMA EA
741
Nicolas Tournadre | Aix-Marseille University | Lacito UMR 7107 | IUF
This paper aims to examine the behaviour of
the equivalents of ‘give’ in Lhasa Tibetan in order to confirm,
qualify or invalidate the universal tendencies that previous
cross-linguistic research has unveiled (Newman 1996, Ed., 1997). We will first explore the semantic
relations between the various forms that can express ‘give’ in
Tibetan: SPRAD, BTANG,
GNANG and PHUL, on the basis
of previous lexicographic and descriptive research on Lhasa Tibetan,
as well as a corpus of spoken Lhasa Tibetan (TSC). We will see that
the most basic term (SPRAD) has not developed much
beyond its literal meaning, whereas the hypernymic
BTANG is used as a light verb whose
constructions can be divided into several categories of meaning.
GNANG is the honorific form of
SPRAD, and PHUL is its
humilific form. While SPRAD is not used as a light
verb, its honorific and humilific counterparts are very productive
light verbs. To explain this phenomenon, we will explore the
honorific domain, and its systematisation in Lhasa Tibetan (Hajime, 1975; Rdorje et al.,
1993; DeLancey,
1998; Tournadre
& Sangda Dorje, 1998; Dorje & Lhazom, 2002). We will see that
the humilific plane is not the symmetrical opposite of the honorific
plane. We will also explore the productivity of
GNANG and PHUL, which can be
explained by the fact that giving is one of the most basic
interpersonal actions of the human behavioural repertoire. It
therefore establishes a link between two humans, which is essential
in order for the honorific and humilific notions to emerge.
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