Alignment in Vamale, South Oceanic
Diachrony and contact influence
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21239832 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jean Rohleder (University of Bern), Jean Karl Rohleder (University of Bern, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-30 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Open Linguistics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2300-9969 • E-ISSN: 2300-9969 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1515/opli-2024-0003 |
| OpenAlex | W4399178878 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 12 |
This article describes three homophonous morphemes ka integral to alignment in Vamale, a South Oceanic language: a relational classifier, a subject marker clitic, and a possessive linker in nominalizations. Northern New Caledonian languages tend towards ergativity, while southern ones favour accusative alignment in all domains. Vamale is spoken near the border between the two and shows a fascinating pattern: one system in nouns, another in verbs, and a third one in nominalizations. Using first-hand field data, this article introduces the relevant concepts with examples and compares Vamale to its neighbours. While the development of this system remains speculative, we argue that the language has assimilated to its powerful neighbour Cèmuhî
Clitic · Linguistics · Morpheme · Nominalization · Noun · Noun phrase · Possessive · Computer Science · History · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Philosophy · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation
| Highly cited | No |
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