how basic is the notion of alternative? a diachronic ... · pdf filehow basic is the notion of...
TRANSCRIPT
Howbasicisthenotionofalternative?
Adiachronictypologyofdisjunction
CaterinaMauri [email protected]
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Examinationofthecross-linguistic codingofdisjunction
Identificationoftherecurrent sourcesofgrammaticalizationthat leadtothedevelopment ofdisjunctive constructions
Aimsandsample
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Synchrony
Diachrony
Data hasbeencollected bymeansofdescriptive grammarsandquestionnaires fromaconvenience sampleof130languages.DATA
!
Parameters ofanalysis
1. PRESENCE vs.ABSENCE ofovertmarkers specificallyencodingtherelationofalternative (syndesis vs.asyndesis): isthereadisjunctive connective?
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Forcross-linguistic variation:
2. SEMANTIC DOMAIN oftheattestedmarkers:maytheconnectivebeusedinallthecontextswherewewouldhaveEnglishor?Morefunctions?Lessfunctions?Whatfunctions(basedongrammars)?
Fordiachronic variation:
LEXICAL SOURCE forthedisjunctive construction not enough information ingrammars onthecontexts oflanguage change
Background:thedebate ondisjunction
Chierchia et al. 2001:the interpretation of disjunction is governed by the same rules underlying thedistribution of negative polarity items, such as any (i.e. or is interpretedinclusively in downward entailing contexts) the principles governing the correct interpretation of a disjunctive relationare innate and are part of the UG.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Background:thedebate ondisjunction
Chierchia et al. 2001:the interpretation of disjunction is governed by the same rules underlying thedistribution of negative polarity items, such as any (i.e. or is interpretedinclusively in downward entailing contexts) the principles governing the correct interpretation of a disjunctive relationare innate and are part of the UG.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Crain (2008:151):children draw upon a priori knowledge of the meaning of 'or'. Thisconclusion is reinforced by the observation that all languages adopt thesame meaning of 'or' in certain structures.
Background:thedebate ondisjunction
Crain (2008: 151):The ability to recognize the inclusive value of or is a linguistic property that(a) emerges in child language without decisive evidence from experience, and(b) is common to all human languages, and it is therefore a likely candidatefor innate specification.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
[] why do children adopt the logical meaning of disjunction, inclusive-or,given that the majority of their experience directs them towards a differentmeaning of disjunction, namely an exclusive-or reading? [] children'sknowledge that disjunction is inclusive-or comes from universal grammar.(Crain 2008: 2-3)
Background:thedebate ondisjunction
TWO ASSUMPTIONS: Theexclusivevs. inclusive distinctionisrelevant tonaturallanguages Thenotionofinclusive-or isinnateanduniversal.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Background:thedebate ondisjunction
TWO ASSUMPTIONS: Theexclusivevs. inclusive distinctionisrelevant tonaturallanguages Thenotionofinclusive-or isinnateanduniversal.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Whatmaycross-linguisticvariationtellus?
Background:thedebate ondisjunction
TWO ASSUMPTIONS: Theexclusivevs. inclusive distinctionisrelevant tonaturallanguages Thenotionofinclusive-or isinnateanduniversal.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
We have someexpectations
All languages have adisjunctive connective
Theinclusivevs.exclusive distinction is relevantforspeakersandwill therefore have linguisticreflections intheworlds languages
Whatmaycross-linguisticvariationtellus?
Aglance attheworlds languages
Payne(1985:40)On the whole [] it is rare to find anything unusual in disjunction. Themajority of languages appear to possess at least one unequivocal strategy andthis is invariably permitted at sentential and at phrasal levels.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Aglance attheworlds languages
Payne(1985:40)On the whole [] it is rare to find anything unusual in disjunction. Themajority of languages appear to possess at least one unequivocal strategy andthis is invariably permitted at sentential and at phrasal levels.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Aglance attheworlds languages
Payne(1985:40)On the whole [] it is rare to find anything unusual in disjunction. Themajority of languages appear to possess at least one unequivocal strategy andthis is invariably permitted at sentential and at phrasal levels.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Actually,thepictureseemsmorecomplicatedthanthat
Somesignificant quotesa) Kibrik (2004:547-48)onKuskokwimAthabaskan (Athabaskan, Alaska):
there does not seem to exist any native way to express disjunction.[] one of theUKA consultants said, after my repeated attempts to get him to translate a sentencesuch as Do you want tea or coffee?: They did not offer you a choice in the old days
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
b) Press(1975:145,167)onChemehuevi (Uto-Aztecan, USA- California):
I have been unable to obtain any obvious alternative questions in Chemehuevi (oralternative statements for that matter). In order to ask something like "Is he here orthere? " in Chemehuevi, one simply asks two Yes-No questions in succession [...]Disjunctive coordination is even more restricted in Chemehuevi. The followingexamples illustrate available ways to get around thee lack of any syntactic ormorphological "or" []
Somesignificant quotesc) Kimball (1985:450)onKoasati (Muskogean, USA- Georgia):
Certain conjunctive ideas, such as 'but,"because,' and ' if ' are handled by means ofthe verbal suffixes in the Consequence slot []. On the other hand the idea of 'or' ismost generally indicated by putting the verbs between which there is a choicetogether in apposition.
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
d) Post(2008:790)onGalo (Tibeto-Burman, India):
Disjunctive coordination of declarative clauses is not well-coded by Galo grammar,and generally requires a paraphrastic construction involving a linking clause with asense like if that is not the case, then.
Somesignificant quotesOhori (2004: 56-59): AND and OR, the two basic logical connectives in formallogic, can sometimes be underdifferentiated in natural languages:
3) UpriverHalkomelem (Salish,Ohori 2004:57,Galloway1993:363)Thedeclarativeconstructionseems toallowaconjunctivereadingina),andtheinterrogativeconstructionadisjunctivereading inb).
a) L lmlstxws t Bill t sqml xwlm t Jim q Bob.3 throw.3 DEM Bill DEM paddle to DEM Jim and BobBill threwthepaddletoJimandBob.
b) L lm kw Bill q Bob?Q go DEM Bill or BobDidBillorBobgo?
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
Languages without OR
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
1 apposition,notwell codednonativewaytoexpressdisjunction
meanslanguageswithoutOR!
Languages without OR
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
1
Howcananalternativebetweenstates ofaffairs,properties orentities
beconveyedWITHOUT
adisjunctive connective?
apposition,notwell codednonativewaytoexpressdisjunction
meanslanguageswithoutOR!
Plan
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
11. Languages without OR
2. Languages with different ORs
3. Diachronic sources out of which ORsdevelop
4. Semantic domains relevant to disjunction
Languages without OR
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
134)Wari,Chapacura-Wanam (EverettandKern1997:162)
a. mo tapata hwam ca, mo taCOND realis.future kill1sg:realis.future fish 3sg.M COND realis.futurepata carawa cakill1sg:realis.future animal 3sg.MHewillfish orhewillhunt.(lit. ifhe(says)Iwillkillfish,ifhe(says)Iwillkillanimals.)
b.'am e caam mi pin caperhaps live 3sg.M perhaps give complete 3sg.MEitherhewill liveorhewilldie.(lit.perhaps hewilllive,perhapshewilldie)
Languages without OR
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
135)Wari,Chapacura-Wanam (EverettandKern1997:162)
a. mo tapata hwam ca, mo taCOND realis.future kill1sg:realis.future fish 3sg.M COND realis.futurepata carawa cakill1sg:realis.future animal 3sg.MHewillfish orhewillhunt.(lit. ifhe(says)Iwillkillfish,ifhe(says)Iwillkillanimals.)
b.'am e caam mi pin caperhaps live 3sg.M perhaps give complete 3sg.MEitherhewill liveorhewilldie.(lit.perhaps hewilllive,perhapshewilldie)
6)Hup (VaupsJapur,Epps2005:683)
wh cm-y=cud hny, yaamb g-y=cud hnyhawk claw-DYNM=INFR maybe dog bite-DYNM=INFR maybeEither thehawk clawed (it),orthedogbit(it),apparently.
Languages without OR
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
17)Aranda (Australian,Pama-Nyungan;Wilkins1989:385-86)
Theparticle (a)peke 'maybe,might; if;or'hasawiderangeofrelatedused.Commontoallitsuses isthesense thatthespeaker issayingthatsomeproposition ispossiblythecase.Itthereforecommonlytranslates as'might' or'maybe' []peke 'maybe'canalsobeusedtosignaldisjunction betweenco-ordinatedelements.
Kere nyente peke-rle kwele re atwe-ke peke are-ke pekeanimalone maybe-FOC QUOT 3sgAkill-pc maybe,see-pc maybekwele; arrangkwe.QUOT nothingPerhapstherewassupposedly oneanimalthathekilled orsaw;no,nothingatall.
Languages without OR
DisjunctionDays- Berlin,2-3June2016
18)Galo (Post2008:312)
Disjunctivecoordination[]isbest-attested inuncertain and/orinterrogative moods.ThetwoNPsjaka=go black=IND blackoneandjapu=go white=IND whiteoneareeachmarkedbyConjectural particlebree.
a