On the Etymology of the Present Tense in Tamil

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4889754
AutoresSanford B Steever (autor de correspondencia)
Año1989
Volumen109
Número2
Páginas237
Fecha de publicación1989-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of the American Oriental Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0003-0279 • E-ISSN: 2169-2289
EditorialJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/604428
OpenAlexW2331598068
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas10

The evolution of the present tense markers -(k)kinrand -d-ninrin Tamil is considered in light of comparative Dravidian grammar. Both are shown to descend from compound verbs in early medieval Tamil. Bloch's (1946) etymology is brought up to date with new, explicit arguments, buttressed with cognate evidence from Toda. Comparison of the argumentation used in three different etymologies reveals that Bloch's best integrates these forms and their evolution into the synchronic and diachronic grammar of Tamil. This evolution is then placed in the context of the common Dravidian historical development which re-establishes central verbal functions by innovating new simple verb forms from ancient compound verbs

Etymology · Linguistics · Tamil · Historical Linguistics and Language Studies · History · Linguistics and language evolution · Philosophy · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation