SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.1 issue1Attributive constructions in KwazaMorphosyntatic aspects of relativization in shipibo-konibo (pano) author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

  • Have no cited articlesCited by SciELO

Related links

  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO

Share


Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi Ciências Humanas

Print version ISSN 1981-8122

Abstract

MEIRA, Sérgio. Relative clauses in Cariban languages. Bol. Mus. Para. Emilio Goeldi Cienc. Hum. [online]. 2006, vol.1, n.1, pp.105-121. ISSN 1981-8122.

This work examines the various types of relative clauses that have been described for languages of the Cariban family. The most important type is based on nominalized verb forms; in many languages, this is the only available mechanism. Examples from several languages are presented and discussed. In some languages, there are finite relative clauses, marked by relativizing particles; examples of several subcases are described and discussed. It is concluded that the former type is older, since it is more homogeneous in the family. This type is characterized by the apposition of the nominalized verb forms to the nouns that they modify. Apposition is a more general phenomenon, of which there are many examples involving other non-verbal nominalized forms, and even monomorphemic nouns. In addition, since there is no word class ('adjectives') specialized in modifying nouns, it is suggested that there is no grammatical modification: everything happens by means of the apposition of nouns (or noun phrases), iconically understood as coreferent.

Keywords : Indigenous languages; Descriptive linguistics; Syntax; Modification.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )