Chapter 16
Lexicalized nominalized clauses in Matses (Panoan)
Nominalization is ubiquitous in the Matses language. Many functions that are performed by relative and adverbial clauses in other languages are accomplished by nominalization in Matses. Verbs are nominalized by attaching one of 27 different suffixes to the verb stem in place of inflectional morphology, creating either a word that falls into the noun lexical category, or a multi-word nominalizations which I call here a “nominalized clause.” Matses nominalized clauses, rather than being noun phrases built up around a de-verbalized noun, have essentially main-clause syntax, including main-clause case-marking frame. The present paper describes the internal and external syntax of Matses nominalized clauses in comparison to simple lexicalized nominalized words. Of particular interest is that nominalized clauses can become lexicalized.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Overview of nominalization in Matses
- 2.1Parameters of nominalization in Matses
- 2.2Action nominalizations vs. participant nominalizations
- 2.3Inventory of nominalizing suffixes
- 3.Basic features of Matses grammar essential for analyzing nominalizations
- 4.Grammar of nominalized clauses
- 4.1Internal syntax
- 4.2External syntax
- 4.3Relativization
- 4.4Summary of grammatical differences between types of nominalizations
- 5.Lexicalized nominalized clauses
- 5.1Internal grammar
- 5.2External grammar
- 5.3Inventory of lexicalized nominalizations
- 6.Discussion
- 6.1A comparison with English nominalization
- 6.2Lexicalization paths
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Morpheme gloss abbreviations:
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Notes
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References