The Oxford Handbook of Polysynthesis (Oxford Handbooks)

This handbook offers an extensive crosslinguistic and cross-theoretical survey of polysynthetic languages, in which single multi-morpheme verb forms can express what would be whole sentences in English. These languages and the problems they raise for linguistic analyses have long featured prominently in language descriptions, and yet the essence of polysynthesis remains under discussion, right down to whether it delineates a distinct, coherent type, rather than an assortment of frequently co-occurring traits. Chapters in the first part of the handbook relate polysynthesis to other issues central to linguistics, such as complexity, the definition of the word, the nature of the lexicon, idiomaticity, and to typological features such as argument structure and head marking. Part two contains areal studies of those geographical regions of the world where polysynthesis is particularly common, such as the Arctic and Sub-Arctic and northern Australia. The third part examines diachronic topics such as language contact and language obsolence, while part four looks at acquisition issues in different polysynthetic languages. Finally, part five contains detailed grammatical descriptions of over twenty languages which have been characterized as polysynthetic, with special attention given to the presence or absence of potentially criterial features. Cover The Oxford Handbook of Polysynthesis Copyright Contents About the Contributors 1. Introduction Part I The Nature of Polysynthesis 2. Polysynthesis and complexity 3. Argument marking in the polysynthetic verb and its implications 4. Polysynthesis and head marking 5. Sub-​types of polysynthesis 6. The subjectivity of the notion of polysynthesis 7. What are the limits of polysynthesis? 8. The lexicon in polysynthetic languages 9. The ‘word’ in polysynthetic languages: phonological and syntactic challenges 10. The anthropological setting of polysynthesis 11. Phraseology and polysynthesis Part II Areal Perspectives 12. Polysynthesis in the Arctic/​Sub-​Arctic 13. Polysynthesis in North America 14. The Northern Hokan area 15. Polysynthetic structures of Lowland Amazonia 16. Polysynthesis in Northern Australia 17. Polysynthesis in New Guinea Part III The Diachronic Perspective 18. Patterns of innovation and retention in templatic polysynthesis 19. Is polysynthesis a valid theoretical notion?: The diachrony of complex verbs in Ute 20. Polysynthesis and language contact 21. Language obsolescence in polysynthetic languages Part IV Acquisition 22. Polysynthesis in the acquisition of Inuit languages 23. The acquisition of Murrinhpatha (Northern Australia) 24. The Acquisition of Polysynthetic Verb Forms in Chintang Part V Grammatical Sketches 25. Western Apache, a southern Athabaskan language 26. Central Alaskan Yupik (Eskimo-​Aleut): A sketch of morphologically orthodox polysynthesis 27. Innu (Algonquian) 28. Caddo 29. Polysynthesis in Nuuchahnulth, a Wakashan language 30. The polysynthetic nature of Salish 31. Nawatl (Uto-​Aztecan) 32. Purepecha, a polysynthetic but predominantly dependent-​marking language 33. Mapudungun 34. Tariana, an Arawak language from north-​west Amazonia 35. Polysynthesis in Lakondê, a northern Nambikwaran language of Brazil 36. Polysynthesis in Dalabon 37. The languages of the Daly River region (Northern Australia) 38. The polysynthetic profile of Yimas, a language of New Guinea 39. Koryak 40. Nivkh 41. Polysynthesis in Ainu 42. Polysynthesis in Ket 43. Polysynthesis in Sora (Munda) with special reference to noun incorporation 44. Adyghe (Northwest Caucasian) References Index This Handbook Offers An Extensive Crosslinguistic And Cross-theoretical Survey Of Polysynthetic Languages, In Which Single Multi-morpheme Verb Forms Can Express What Would Be Whole Sentences In English. These Languages And The Problems They Raise For Linguistic Analyses Have Long Featured Prominently In Language Descriptions, And Yet The Essence Of Polysynthesis Remains Under Discussion, Right Down To Whether It Delineates A Distinct, Coherent Type, Rather Than An Assortment Of Frequently Co-occurring Traits. 00chapters In The First Part Of The Handbook Relate Polysynthesis To Other Issues Central To Linguistics, Such As Complexity, The Definition Of The Word, The Nature Of The Lexicon, Idiomaticity, And To Typological Features Such As Argument Structure And Head Marking. Part Two Contains Areal Studies Of Those Geographical Regions Of The World Where Polysynthesis Is Particularly Common, Such As The Arctic And Sub-arctic And Northern Australia. Edited By Michael Fortescue, Marianne Mithun And Nicholas Evans. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 971-1033) And Index.