Cover not available
Part of
Discourse Phenomena in Typological Perspective
Edited by Alessandra Barotto and Simone Mattiola
[Studies in Language Companion Series 227] 2023
► pp. 403–432

Chapter 14
A typological study of tail-head linkage constructions

 | University of California, Santa Barbara
This paper explores tail-head linkage constructions in a convenience sample of 58 languages. Special attention is paid to recapitulative constructions in which reported speech clauses are omitted and only the quotative verb is recapitulated and summary constructions composed of a light verb accompanied by a deictic and dependency marker. These strategies are more frequent in East Tucanoan languages in the sample. Interestingly, neighboring languages not genetically related to East Tucanoan have both strategies. It is proposed that the most obvious explanation seems to be language contact. This is because: (1) the languages are spoken in the same region, (2) they are not genetically related, and (3) the probability of chance resemblance is low given the rarity of the strategies.
Keywords: tail-head linkage, discourse, language contact, linguistic typology
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The sample and comparative concept
  • 3.Tail-head linkage constructions: Some brief remarks
    • 3.1A phenomenon of spoken discourse
    • 3.2Text genre
    • 3.3Function(s) of tail-head linkage constructions
    • 3.4Forms of the tail-head linkage construction
    • 3.5Semantic relations between discourse segments
  • 4.Recapitulative tail-head linkage constructions
  • 5.Summary tail-head linkage constructions
  • 6.Final remarks
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 1 March 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.227.14olg
References (124)
References
Abdulaev, Arsen K. & Abdullaev, Isa K. 2010. Didojskij (cezskij) Fol’klor. Leipzig-Makhachkala: Lotos.Google Scholar
Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. 1996. Areal diffusion in Northwest Amazonia: The case of Tariana. Anthropological Linguistics 38(1): 73–116.Google Scholar
1998. Warekena. In Handbook of Amazonian Languages 4, Desmond C. Derbyshire & Geoffrey K. Pullum (eds), 225–439. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
2002. Language Contact in Amazonia. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
2003. A Grammar of Tariana. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
2007. Semantics and pragmatics of grammatical relations in the Vaupés linguistic area. In Grammars in Contact: A Cross-Linguistic Typology, Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald & Robert M. W. Dixon (eds), 237–266. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
2008. The Manambu Language of East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
2019. Bridging linkage in Tariana, an Arawak language from Northwest Amazonia. International Journal of American Linguistics 85(4): 455–496. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Allen, Jerry. 1987. Halia Grammar. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics.Google Scholar
Andrade Martins, Silvana. 2004. Fonologia e Gramática Dâw. PhD dissertation, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Barnes, Janet. 1994. Tuyuca. In Typological Studies in Negation [Typological Studies in Language 29], Peter Kahrel & René van den Berg (eds), 325–342. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bazzanella, Carla. 2011. Redundancy, repetition, and intensity in discourse. Language Sciences 33(2): 243–254. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Beier, Christine, Michael, Lev & Sherzer, Joel. 2002. Discourse forms and processes in indigenous lowland South America: An area-typological perspective. Annual Review of Anthropology 31(1): 121–145. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
van den Berg, Helma. 1995. A Grammar of Hunzib (with Texts and Lexicon). Munich: Lincom.Google Scholar
van den Berg, René & Busenitz, Robert L. 2012. A Grammar of Balantak: A Language of Eastern Sulawesi. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
Bolaños, Katherine. 2016. A Grammar of Kakua [LOT Dissertation Series]. Utrecht: Netherlands National Graduate School of Linguistics.Google Scholar
Borgman, Donald M. 1990. Sanuma. In Handbook of Amazonian Languages 2, Desmond C. Derbyshire & Geoffrey K. Pullum (eds), 15–248. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Borman, M. B. 1977. Cofan paragraph structure and function. In Discourse Grammar: Studies in Indigenous Languages of Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador, Part 3, Robert E. Longacre & Frances Woods (eds), 289–338. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Texas at Arlington.Google Scholar
Boro, Krishna. 2017. A Grammar of Hakhun Tangsa. PhD dissertation, University of Oregon.
Bravo, Domingo A. 1965. Estado Actual del Quichua Santiagueño. Tucumán: Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras.Google Scholar
van Breugel, Seino. 2014. A Grammar of Atong. Leiden: Brill. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cook, Dorothy M. 1976. La pelea a cuchillo: La pelea de San Antonio (discurso exhortativo: Textos del coreguaje). In Estudios Tucanos 4, Linda A. Gawthorne (ed), 55–84. Bogotá: Ministerio de Gobierno.Google Scholar
Coupe, Alexander Robertson. 2006. A Grammar of Mongsen Ao. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Cysouw, Michael. 2005. Quantitative methods in typology. In Quantitative Linguistics: An International Handbook, Gabriel Altmann, Reinhard Köhler & Rajmund Piotrowski (eds), 554–578. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Devos, Maud. 2008. A Grammar of Makwe. Munich: Lincom.Google Scholar
Dimock, Laura Gail. 2009. A Grammar of Nahavaq (Malakula, Vanuatu). PhD dissertation, Victoria University of Wellington.
Dixon, Robert M. W. 2017. Summarizing clauses in Jarawara. Anthropological Linguistics 59(1): 105–115. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dol, Philomena. 2007. A Grammar of Maybrat: A Language of the Bird’s Head Peninsula, Papua Province, Indonesia. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Donohue, Mark. 2005. Skou Reference Grammar. Ms.Google Scholar
Dryer, Matthew S. 2013. Genealogical language list. In The World Atlas of Language Structures Online, Matthew S. Dryer & Martin Haspelmath (eds). Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.Google Scholar
Eberhard, David M. 2009. Mamaindê Grammar: A Northern Nambikwara Language and its Cultural Context. PhD dissertation, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Epps, Patience. 2007. The Vaupés melting pot: Tucanoan influence on Hup. In Grammars in Contact: A Cross-Linguistic Typology, Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald & R. M. W. Dixon (eds), 267–289. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
. 2008. A Grammar of Hup. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fabian, Grace, Fabian, Edmund & Waters, Bruce. 1998. Morphology, Syntax and Cohesion in Nabak, Papua New Guinea. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Foreman, Velma M. 1974. Grammar of Yessan-Mayo. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics.Google Scholar
Foris, David P. 2000. A Grammar of Sochiapan Chinantec. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington.Google Scholar
Forker, Diana & Anker, Felix. 2019. Bridging constructions in Tsezic languages. In Bridging Constructions, Valérie Guérin (ed), 99–128. Berlin: Language Science Press.Google Scholar
Frostad, Benedicte Haraldstad. 2013. A Grammar of Ughele: An Oceanic Language of Solomon Islands [LOT Dissertation Series]. Utrecht: Netherlands National Graduate School of Linguistics.Google Scholar
Gerdel, Florence L. & Slocum, Marianna C. 1976. Páez discourse, paragraph and sentence structure. In Discourse Grammar: Studies in Indigenous Languages of Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador, Part 1, Robert E. Longacre & Frances Woods (eds), 259–445. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Texas at Arlington.Google Scholar
van Gijn, Rik. 2006. A Grammar of Yurakaré. PhD dissertation, Radboud Universiteit.
. 2014. Repeated dependent clauses in Yurakaré. In Information Structure and Reference Tracking in Complex Sentences [Typological Studies in Language 105], Rik van Gijn, Jeremy Hammond, Dejan Matić, Saskia van Putten & Ana Vilacy Galucio (eds), 291–308. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Goudswaard, Nelleke. 2005. The Begak (Ida’an) Language of Sabah [LOT Dissertation Series]. Utrecht: Netherlands National Graduate School of Linguistics.Google Scholar
Gravelle, Gloria J. 2010. A Grammar of Moskona: An East Bird’s Head Language of West Papua, Indonesia. PhD dissertation, University of Amsterdam.
Grosh, Andrew & Grosh, Sylvia. 2004. Grammar Essentials for the Kaluli Language. Ms.Google Scholar
Guérin, Valérie. 2015. Demonstrative verbs: A typology of verbal manner deixis. Linguistic Typology 19(2): 141–199. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Guérin, Valérie & Aiton, Grant. 2019. Bridging constructions in typological perspective. In Bridging Constructions, Valérie Guérin (ed), 1–44. Berlin: Language Science Press.Google Scholar
Guillaume, Antoine. 2008. A Grammar of Cavineña. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2011. Subordinate clauses, switch-reference, and tail-head linkage in Cavineña narratives. In Subordination in Native South American Languages [Typological Studies in Language 97], Rik van Gijn, Katharina Haude & Pieter Musyken (eds), 109–139. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Halliday, Michael A. K. & Hasan, Ruqaiya. 1976. Cohesion in English. London: LongmanGoogle Scholar
Hammarström, Harald & Donohue, Mark. 2014. Some principles on the use of macro-areas in typological comparison. Language Dynamics and Change 4(1): 167–187. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Haspelmath, Martin. 2010. Comparative concepts and descriptive categories in cross-linguistic Studies. Language 86(3): 663–687. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Heath, Jeffrey & Hantgan, Abbie. 2018. Grammar of Bangime: Language Isolate of Mali. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.Google Scholar
Hemmilä, Ritva & Luoma, Pirkko. 1987. Urim Grammar. Ms.Google Scholar
Henry, Joan. 1992. Kombio Grammar Essentials. Ms.Google Scholar
van den Heuvel, Wilco. 2016. Aghu: Annotated Texts with Grammatical Introduction and Vocabulary Lists. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Hyslop, Catriona. 2001. The Lolovoli Dialect of the North-East Ambae Language, Vanuatu. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Jones, Wendell & Jones, Paula. 1991. Barasano Syntax. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics and The University of Texas at Arlington.Google Scholar
Johnson, Orville E. & Levinson, Stephen E. 1990. Gramática Secoya. Quito: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.Google Scholar
Juanatey, Mayra. 2019. Resumen y recapitulación discursiva en quechua: Enlaces tail-head en quechua IIB y quechua IIC. LIAMES 19(1): 1–25. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Klamer, Marian. 2010. A Grammar of Teiwa. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
van Kleef, Sjaak. 1988. Tail-head linkage in Siroi. Language and Linguistics in Melanesia 20(1): 147–156.Google Scholar
van Klinken, Catharina Lumien. 1999. A Grammar of the Fehan Dialect of Tetun, an Austronesian Language of West Timor. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Klumpp, Deloris A. 2019. A Grammar of Piapoco. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
Konnerth, Linda. 2014. A Grammar of Karbi. PhD dissertation, University of Oregon.
LaPolla, Randy & Huang, Chenglong. 2003. A Grammar of Qiang. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lock, Arnold. 2011. Abau Grammar. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics-Papua New Guinea Academic Publications.Google Scholar
Loeweke, Eunice & May, Jean. 1980. General grammar of Fasu (Namo Me): Lake Kutubu, Southern Highlands province. In Grammatical Studies in Fasu and Mt. Koiali, Workpapers in Papua New Guinea Languages 27, Don Hutchisson (ed), 5–106. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics.Google Scholar
Loughnane, Robyn. 2009. A Grammar of Oksapmin. PhD dissertation, University of Melbourne.
Lovestrand, Joseph. 2018. The background marker ná in Barayin. Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 39(1): 1–39. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, Jack. 1998. Notes on switch-reference in Creek. Santa Barbara Papers in Linguistics: Proceedings from the First Workshop on American Indigenous Languages 1: 97–107.Google Scholar
Matras, Yaron. 1998. Utterance modifiers and universals of grammatical borrowing. Linguistics 36(2): 281–331. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mauri, Caterina. 2008. Coordination Relations in the Languages of Europe and Beyond. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Meira, Sérgio. 1999. A Grammar of Tiriyó. PhD dissertation, Rice University.
Metzger, Ronald G. 1998. The Morpheme ka- of Carapana (Tucanoan). Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
Miller, Amy W. 2001. A Grammar of Jamul Tiipay. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
McKay, Graham. 2008. Cohesive features in Rembarrnga narratives. In Selected Papers from the 2007 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society, Timothy J. Curnow (ed), 297–304. Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society.
McKenzie, Andrew. 2015. A survey of switch-reference in North America. International Journal of American Linguistics 81(3): 409–448. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Miestamo, Matti, Bakker, Dik & Arppe, Antti. 2016. Sampling for variety. Linguistic Typology 20(2): 233–296. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mithun, Marianne. 1988. The grammaticalization of coordination. In Clause Combining in Grammar and Discourse [Typological Studies in Language 18], John Haiman & Sandra A. Thompson (eds), 331–360. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2008. Borrowed rhetorical constructions as starting points for grammaticalization. In Constructions and Language Change, Alexander Bergs & Gabriele Diewald (eds), 195–229. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Morse, Nancy L. & Maxwell, Michael B. 1999. Cubeo Grammar. Dallas TX: The Summer Institute of Linguistics and the University of Texas at Arlington.Google Scholar
Nicolle, Steve. 2015. Comparative Study of Eastern Bantu Narrative Texts. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
Noonan, Michael. 1992. A Grammar of Lango. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Oates, Lynette F. 1988. The Muruwari Language. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Obert, Karolin. 2019. Locative adverbial clauses and tail-head linkage in Dâw narratives (Naduhup-AM). Handout of paper presented at the workshop complex structures in Brazilian Languages, Universidad de São Paulo.
Olawsky, Knut J. 2006. A Grammar of Urarina. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Olguín Martínez, Jesús. 2020. Attributive temporal clauses in cross-linguistic perspective. Te Reo. The Journal of the Linguistic Society of New Zealand 63(1): 1–36.Google Scholar
Ospina Bozzi, Ana Maria. 2002. Les structures elémentaires du Yuhup Makú, langue de l’Amazonie Colombienne: Morphologie et syntaxe. PhD dissertation, Université Paris.
Overall, Simon. 2017. A Grammar of Aguaruna (Iiniá Chicham). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Papa Grefa, Selmira. 2015. Lunapa Wawakunamanta. Lima: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.Google Scholar
Pennington, Ryan. 2018. A Grammar of Ma Manda: A Papuan language of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Munich: Lincom.Google Scholar
Post, Mark. 2007. A Grammar of Galo. PhD dissertation, LaTrobe University.
Quesada, Juan Diego. 2017. Gramática de la Lengua Garífuna. Hermosillo: Universidad de Sonora.Google Scholar
Ramírez, Henri. 1997. A Fala Tukano dos Ye’pâ-Masa. Manaus: Inspetoria Salesiana Missionária da Amazônia.Google Scholar
Reesink, Ger P. 1999. A Grammar of Hatam, Bird’s Head peninsula, Irian Jaya. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Roberts, John R. 2016. Amele RRG Grammatical Sketch. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
Rosés Labrada, Jorge E. 2015. The Mako Language: Vitality, Grammar and Classification. PhD dissertation, The University of Western Ontario & Université Lumière-Lyon 2.
Schneider, Cynthia. 2010. A Grammar of Abma: A language of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Schokkin, Dineke. 2014. Discourse practices as an areal feature in the New Guinea region? Explorations in Paluai, an Austronesian language of the Admiralties. Journal of Pragmatics 62(1): 107–120. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Schulze, Marlene & Bieri, Dora. 1973. Chaining and spotlighting: Two types of paragraph boundaries in Sunwar. In Clause, Sentence, and Discourse Patterns in Selected Languages of Nepal, Irvine Davis (ed), 389–399. Kathmandu: Summer Institute of Linguistics Oklahoma & Tribhuvan University Press.Google Scholar
Soukka, Maria. 2000. A Descriptive Grammar of Noon. Munich: Lincom.Google Scholar
Sparing-Chávez, Margarethe. 2012. Aspects of Amahuaca Grammar: An Endangered Language of the Amazon Basin. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
van Staden, Miriam. 2000. Tidore: A Linguistic Description of a Language of the North Moluccas. PhD dissertation, Leiden University.
Stenzel, Kristine. 2016. More on switch-reference in Kotiria (Wanano, East Tukano). In Switch Reference 2.0. [Typological Studies in Language 114], Rik van Gijn & Jeremy Hammond (eds), 425–452. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Stirling, Lesley. 1993. Switch-Reference and Discourse Representation. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Terrill, Angela. 2003. A Grammar of Lavukaleve. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Thieberger, Nicholas. 2006. A Grammar of South Efate: An Oceanic language of Vanuatu. Honolulu HI: University of Hawai’i Press.Google Scholar
Thiesen, Wesley & Weber, David. 2012. A Grammar of Bora with Special Attention to Tone. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
Thompson, Sandra A., Longacre, Robert E. & Hwang, Shin Ja J. 2007. Adverbial clauses. In Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Vol 2: Complex Constructions, Timothy Shopen (ed), 237–300. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Thurman, Robert C. 1975. Chuave medial verbs. Anthropological Linguistics 17(7): 342–352.Google Scholar
Van de Velde, Mark L. O. 2008. A Grammar of Eton. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Velie, Daniel. 1975. Bosquejo de la Fonología y Gramática del Idioma Orejón (Coto). Lima: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.Google Scholar
Viljoen, Melanie Helen. 2015. Buwal Narrative Discourse. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics International.Google Scholar
de Vries, Lourens. 2004. A Short Grammar of Inanwatan: An Endangered Language of the Bird’s head of Papua, Indonesia. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
. 2005. Towards a typology of tail-head linkage in Papuan languages. Studies in Language 29(2): 363–384. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Walker, Neil Alexander. 2013. A Grammar of Southern Pomo. An Indigenous Language of California. PhD dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Wash, Suzanne. 2001. Adverbial Clauses in Barbareño Chumash Narrative Discourse. PhD dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Wegener, Claudia Ursula. 2008. A Grammar of Savosavo: A Papuan Language of the Solomon Islands. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Wheeler, Alva. 1987. Gantëya Bain (El Pueblo Siona del Río Putumayo, Colombia). Bogotá: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.Google Scholar
Whisler, David. 1977. Some aspects of Tatuyo discourse. In Discourse Grammar: Studies in Indigenous Languages of Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador, Part 3, Robert E. Longacre & Frances Woods (eds), 207–252. Dallas TX: Summer Institute of Linguistics Publications in Linguistics and Related Fields.Google Scholar
Whitehead, Carl R. 2004. A Reference Grammar of Menya, an Angan Language of Papua New Guinea. PhD dissertation, University of Manitoba.
Wojtylak, Katarzyna I. 2020. A Grammar of Murui (Bue): A Witotoan Language of Northwest Amazonia. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar
Yarapea, Apoi Mason. 2006. Morphosyntax of Kewapi. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Zariquiey, Roberto. 2016. Target, embedding and switch-reference constructions in Kakataibo (Panoan, Peru). In Switch Reference 2.0. [Typological Studies in Language 114], Rik van Gijn & Jeremy Hammond (eds), 473–492. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by (2)

Cited by two other publications

Olguín Martínez, Jesús & Alonso Vásquez Aguilar
2024. Counterfactual conditional strategies in some Amazonian languages. LIAMES: Línguas Indígenas Americanas 24 ► pp. e024010 ff. DOI logo
Olguín Martínez, Jesús
2023. Temporal adverbial clauses: A cross-linguistic perspective. Lingua Posnaniensis 65:2 ► pp. 47 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 26 september 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.