Cross-linguistic parallels and contrasts in a contact language perfect construction

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterScientificpeer-review

Abstract

This paper is about semantically and pragmatically comparable perfect constructions in the contact languages Sri Lankan Malay (SLM) and Sri Lankan Portuguese (SLP). The goal of the paper is to show that non-finite participles based on a conjunctive participle model in the Sri Lankan linguistic area convey perfect meaning and also combine with a semantically empty auxiliary to form a periphrastic perfect construction in main clauses. Irrespective of the similarities, the separability of the auxiliary and the negation facts associated with the SLM construction are suggestive of biclausal status, whereas the SLP construction is simply agglutinative and monoclausal.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Perfect Volume
Subtitle of host publicationPapers on the perfect
EditorsKristin Melum Eide, Marc Fryd
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company
Pages117-136
Number of pages20
ISBN (Electronic)9789027259998
ISBN (Print)9789027208606
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Publication typeA3 Book chapter

Publication series

NameStudies in Language Companion Series
Volume217
ISSN (Print)0165-7763

Keywords

  • Biclausality
  • Conjunctive participle
  • Contact languages
  • Event focus
  • Linguistic areas
  • Morphosyntactic convergence
  • Periphrastic perfect
  • Sri Lankan Malay
  • Sri Lankan Portuguese

Publication forum classification

  • Publication forum level 2

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language

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