LINGUIST List 22.3277
Wed Aug 17 2011
Diss: Anthropological Linguistics: Coler: 'A Grammatical ...'
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1. Matt Coler ,
A Grammatical Description of Muylaq' Aymara
Message 1: A Grammatical Description of Muylaq' Aymara
Date: 04-Aug-2011
From: Matt Coler <matt.colergmail.com>
Subject: A Grammatical Description of Muylaq' Aymara
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Institution: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Program: Faculty of Letters Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2010
Author: Matt Coler
Dissertation Title: A Grammatical Description of Muylaq' Aymara
Dissertation URL: http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/1871/16370/2/abstract_english.pdf
Linguistic Field(s): Anthropological Linguistics Language Documentation Morphology Typology
Language Family(ies): Aymaran
Dissertation Director(s): Willem Adelaar Leo Wetzels Frans Hinskens
Dissertation Abstract:
Although Aymara is widely spoken by over a million people, linguistic descriptions rely on data generally gathered in population centers in La Paz, Bolivia and Puno, Peru. Accordingly, little is known about the extent of linguistic diversity existent in more isolated areas. In not taking into account the true variety of linguistic diversity, research into Aymara risks overlooking aspects of the language which may enlighten researchers with information attesting to evidence of contact, isolation, and language change which, when taken as a whole, forms part of the fabric of Andean history.
This work offers a comprehensive organization of linguistic data from a heretofore undocumented variety of this language, Muylaq' Aymara, demonstrating that the amount of variation within this language runs deeper than previously believed. This Aymara variant is spoken in the village of Muylaque, located on the Peruvian altiplano in the district of San Cristobal de Calacoa in Mariscal Nieto province, Moquegua. The decreasing number of speakers not only of this singular variant, but of the similar ones spoken in the nearby villages, gives the work a degree of urgency. The abrupt end to the ideal conditions which preserved the language hastens its demise.
Over a period of three years, data was gathered in the field with a Zoom H2 digital recorder. The method for accumulating the speech varied, but overall focused on recording narratives, myths, and legends. This was performed so as to maximize high-quality, natural data from the oldest speakers in the community. Recorded material was transcribed, glossed, and translated in a laborious process carried out jointly with the speakers themselves whenever possible to ensure the greatest accuracy possible. Once divided into interlinear glosses, the data was categorized by morpheme type and structure and then stored in a cross-referenced searchable database. Upon reaching an appropriate size, the linguistic data was then organized into the present description.
Although the overwhelming majority of the linguistic data was recorded in situ, extended periods of these recordings were unsuitable for phonetic analysis owing to the high level of background and ambient noise. In May 2010, the chief linguistic consultant was flown up from Peru to France where, together with a team of experts, recordings were made to document a variety of phonetic and phonological observations.
This description is divided into four chapters: (1) Introduction; (2) Phonology; (3) Morphology; (4) Syntax. The third chapter, Morphology, is subdivided into Nominal Morphology, Verbal Morphology, Transpositional Morphology, Independent Suffixes, and Sentence Suffixes. There are also appendices which give interlinear glosses for several narratives. The research suggests that Aymara should be seen as a group of varieties and dialects.
In providing this grammatical description it is hoped that a greater understanding of the Aymara varieties will shed light on the structure of this complex language and Aymara as a whole.
Page Updated: 17-Aug-2011
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