Research on EVIDENTIALITY IN Burushaski Language Elena Bashir University of Chicago

EVIDENTIALITY IN SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES 
 by Elena Bashir
 University of Chicago Proceedings of the LFG06 Conference, Workshop on South Asian Languages
Konstanz University @tMiriam Butt and Tracy Holloway King (Editors)
2006   CSLI Publications

Abstract. The paper explored the encoding of the semantics of evidentiality and indirectivity in some South Asian languages including burushaski. According to analysis of Elana evidentiality is related to the complex of overlapping categories involving
 (i) the source of information about an event or state and
(ii) its acquisition by an observer/speaker. In some languages several of these notions are morphologically encoded; in others the categories are relatively "covert" and the expression of evidentiality is distributed (Aikhenvald's "scattered") throughout the grammar.
The paper summarizes previously published data on inferential systems in Tajik Persian, Kalasha, Khowar, and Nepali, and presents new data on several other languages that have morphologically encoded inferentiality--Yasin Burushaski, three Nuristani languages, and Wakhi. Additionally, other inferentialitymarking strategies are discussed for a cluster of languages including Torwali, Pashto, Shina, and Kohistani, for Hindi and Urdu, and for a cluster of South Indian languages. Evidentiality is known to be highly susceptible to language contact effects Aikhenvald (2003:21-2) and Johanson (2000:81-2). The investigations reported in this paper confirm that evidentiality marking patterns fall into recognizable arealunits and sub-units in South Asia as well. Evidentiality-encoding strategies are seen to group areally with clearly identifiable northern and southern clusters and a mixed area.

Hunza Burushaski

In Hunza Burushaski, evidential meanings do not seem to be indicated morphologically. Several evidential senses

are indicated by (i) a post-verbal mirative particle qheér (34-b), or (in conjunction with the perfect), for inference

from observation (35-b), and (ii) a form seib<an 'they say' for indirect information from speech-act sources (34-c) or

traditional knowledge.

(34-a) guté h< salRim-e y-du-e dRulai

this house Salim-OBL his-father-ERG is.building

'Salim's father is building this house (first-hand knowledge).'

(34-b) guté h< salRim-e y-du-e dRulai qheér

this house Salim-OBL his-father-ERG is.building qheér

'Salim's father is building this house (speaker just came to know about it, mirative).'

(34-c) guté h< salRim-e y-du-e dRulai seib<an

this house Salim-OBL his-father-ERG is.building they.say

'(They say that) Salim's father is building this house.' (hearsay)

(35-a) khuulto giRlt-ulo buT-an tiS gutsh<rimi

today Gilgit-in great-indef wind blow(PST)-3s.y-class

'There was a storm (here) in Gilgit today.' (direct observation) (G.M. Baig, Gilgit)

(35-b) khuulto giRlt-ulo buT-an tiS gutsharil< qheér

today Gilgit-in great-indef wind blow(PERF).3s.y-class qheér

'There was a storm in Gilgit today.' (e.g. concluded after seeing broken branches)

Elena Bashir is a linguist (PhD, Linguistics, University of Michigan) with a dissertation Topics in Kalasha syntax: An areal and typological perspective. Her research is based on field work on the languages of Pakistan, particularly the northern and western regions of the country. Here at the University of Chicago, she teaches first and second year Urdu, and occasionally other courses on various languages of Pakistan. Her most recent major publication is a volume co-edited with Hans Henrich Hock, The languages and linguistics of South Asia: A comprehensive guide. 2016. De Gruyter Mouton (The World of Linguistics, Volume 7)

For complete research paper and other research papers published about any language of Gilgit Baltistan contact with us via our Facebook page Hunza Review

Share on Google Plus

About The Liberal Blogger

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.