Full Description
This volume presents a cross-linguistic investigation of clausal noun-modifying constructions in genetically varied languages of Eurasia. Contrary to a common premise that, in any language, adnominal clauses that share some features of relative clauses constitute a structurally distinct construction, some languages of Eurasia exhibit a General Noun-Modifying Clause Construction (GNMCC) -- a single construction covering a wide range of semantic relations between the head noun and the clause. Through in-depth examination of naturally-occurring and elicited data from Ainu, languages of the Caucasus (e.g. Ingush, Georgian, Bezhta, Hinuq), Japanese, Korean, Marathi, Nenets, Sino-Tibetan languages (e.g. Cantonese, Mandarin, Rawang), and Turkic languages (e.g. Turkish, Sakha), the chapters discuss whether or not the language in question exhibits a GNMCC and the range of noun modification covered by such a construction. The findings afford us new facts, new theoretical perspectives and the first step toward a more global assessment of the possibilities for GNMCCs.
Contents
1. Preface; 2. Noun-modifying clause constructions in languages of Eurasia: Rethinking theoretical and geographical boundaries (by Matsumoto, Yoshiko); 3. General noun-modifying clause constructions in Japanese (by Matsumoto, Yoshiko); 4. The attributive versus final distinction and the manifestation of "main clause phenomena" in Japanese and Korean noun modifying clause constructions (by Horie, Kaoru); 5. Noun-modifying constructions in Korean (by Kim, Shin-Sook); 6. Noun-modifying clause constructions in Sino-Tibetan languages (by LaPolla, Randy J.); 7. Noun-modifying clauses in Cantonese (by Matthews, Stephen); 8. General noun-modifying clause constructions in Hinuq and Bezhta, with a note on other Daghestanian languages (by Comrie, Bernard); 9. The general noun-modifying clause construction in Tundra Nenets and its possible origin (by Nikolaeva, Irina); 10. Noun-modifying constructions and relativization in the central and western Caucasus (by Nichols, Johanna); 11. Noun-modifying clause constructions in Ainu (by Bugaeva, Anna); 12. Turkish and Turkic complex noun phrase constructions (by Kornfilt, Jaklin); 13. Noun-modifying constructions in Marathi (by Hook, Peter Edwin); 14. Conclusion (by Comrie, Bernard); 15. Examples to explore in noun-modifying constructions; 16. Relative clauses and noun-modifying clauses in Chantyal (by Noonan, Michael)
