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Notes from the field on perspective-indexing constructions: Irregular shifts and perspective persistence
Edited by Stef Spronck, An Van linden, Caroline Gentens and María Sol Sansiñena
[Functions of Language 27:1] 2020
► pp. 55–77

Recycling through perspective persistence in Monsang (Trans-Himalayan)

Reconstructing the desiderative from a reported intentionality construction

| University of Regensburg | University of Oregon

In a reported intentionality construction, intentionality is expressed as reported speech/thought (‘s/he says/thinks, <I will go>’). The quoted clause must contain a first person form and refer to the future. Reported intentionality displays perspective persistence and an accompanying apparent form-meaning mismatch, as it structurally marks the speech-act participant perspective of the volitional agent despite idiomatically translating only from the perspective of the current speaker. While this construction has been examined in languages around the world, this is the first treatment for the Trans-Himalayan (or Sino-Tibetan/Tibeto-Burman) language family. Monsang (South-Central; Northeast India) is shown to have a reported intentionality construction of the cross-linguistic type. In addition, there is a desiderative construction in the language that does not display perspective persistence but is argued to reconstruct back to a reported intentionality construction. Further evidence from synchronic and diachronic quotative constructions in Monsang is presented that illustrates the prominence of quotative-derived expressions of intentionality in Monsang verbal morphology.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1The reported intentionality construction
    • 1.2Reported intentionality and related constructions in Trans-Himalayan
  • 2.Reported intentionality in Monsang
    • 2.1Reported speech/thought in Monsang
    • 2.2Reported intentionality construction in Monsang
  • 3.From the reported intentionality construction to desiderative marking
    • 3.1Reconstructing the Monsang desiderative to a reported intentionality construction
    • 3.2Functional difference
  • 4.Reported speech and the expression of intentionality in Monsang
    • 4.1Synchronic use of reported speech to indicate intentions and motivations
    • 4.2Future constructions derived from reported speech/thought
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 15 April 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/fol.20002.kon
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