1st Edition

Object and Absolutive in Halkomelem Salish

By Donna B. Gerdts Copyright 1988
    296 Pages
    by Routledge

    292 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book treats aspects of the syntax of Halkomelem, a Salish language spoken in southwestern British Columbia, specifically those constructions which involve objects, and seeks to accomplish two goals. First, it provides natural language fodder for the debate concerning the nature of grammatical relations and their place in syntactic theory. Second, by showing that Halkomelem draws from a familiar class of universal constructions and organizes its syntax around some simple and common parameters, the author has brought the Salish languages, which due to their phonological and morphological complexity seemed particularly fearsome, into cross-linguistic perspective.

    1. Introduction to Halkomelem  2. Some Basic Phenomena of Halkomelem  3. Advancements to Object  4. Object Resignations  5. Passives  6. Conclusion

    Biography

    Donna B. Gerdts