LINGUIST List 23.1444: Diss: Lang Documentation/Semantics/Typology: Hoffmann: 'Descriptions of Motion and Travel in Jaminjung and Kriol'

LINGUIST List 23.1444

Wed Mar 21 2012

Diss: Lang Documentation/Semantics/Typology: Hoffmann: 'Descriptions of Motion and Travel in Jaminjung and Kriol'

Editor for this issue: Xiyan Wang <xiyanlinguistlist.org>

Date: 02-Mar-2012
From: Dorothea Hoffmann <hoffmann.dorotheagmail.com>
Subject: Descriptions of Motion and Travel in Jaminjung and Kriol
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Institution: University of Manchester Program: Department of German Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2011

Author: Dorothea Hoffmann

Dissertation Title: Descriptions of Motion and Travel in Jaminjung and Kriol

Linguistic Field(s): Language Documentation Semantics Typology
Subject Language(s): Djamindjung (djd) Kriol (rop)
Dissertation Director:
Andrew Koontz-Garboden Eva Schultze-Berndt
Dissertation Abstract:

The thesis provides an in-depth analysis of motion event descriptions ofJaminjung, a highly endangered non Pama-Nyungan language and Kriol, anEnglish-lexified Creole, spoken in different varieties across northernAustralia. While the languages are typologically very different, occupancyof the same linguistic and cultural area provides an intriguing opportunityto investigate the effects of culture and language contact on conceptualcomponents and distribution patterns in discourse. The investigation alsoapplies and tests a number of existing frameworks and typologies regardingthe linguistic encoding of motion and space in general.

Concerning the encoding of motion event descriptions in Jaminjung andKriol, it becomes clear that, the languages follow systematic semanticpatterns for optional case-marking of ground-encodings. Particularlynoteworthy in an investigation into the motion verb phrase is a study ofasymmetrical serial verb constructions in Kriol.

Additionally, an investigation into Frames of Reference (FoR), using anumber of typological frameworks shows that contextual restrictions for theuse of Jaminjung's absolute terms can be accounted for by a restriction onegocentric anchoring and 'Orientation' settings only. Furthermore, absoluteFoR is realized differently in Roper and Westside Kriol respectively,suggesting an ongoing influence of the traditional languages spoken by therespective communities rather than the lexifier English. Jaminjung andKriol, additionally, prefer the use of absolute over relative FoR.

Following this, the influence of lexicalization patterns on thedistribution of path and manner encodings in discourse using a dataset ofmotion event encodings is analyzed. Jaminjung might best be described asfollowing an equipollently-framed pattern and Kriol is satellite-framed.While the two languages behave very differently with regards to frequencypatterns of ground- and other path-encodings, they show remarkablesimilarities in distributing path and manner over larger chunks ofdiscourse. These findings suggest that cultural influences may sometimesoverride structural typological constraints.

Finally, motion event encodings in specific types of discourse areinvestigated. In route descriptions, speakers show a clear preference fordynamic over static modes of presentation. Furthermore, the concept of'motion' is abstracted and employed as a kind of structuring device innarratives. It is shown that speakers of both languages use the notion of'journey' to bridge episodes sometimes even overriding a temporal in favorof a spatial order of events.

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