Ownership, part–whole, and other possessive–associative relations in Nêlêmwa (New Caledonia)
Year: 2012
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Possessive constructions in Nêlêmwa are a system of Noun-Noun modification which is not restricted to the expression of ownership, but also include kinship, body-parts, part-whole relations, attributes, as well as non-core meanings such as properties, time relations, and various associative relations. Direct and indirect possessive constructions are constrained by noun classes, with little overlap, they express inherent vs. contingent-transient relations. A smaller noun class requires possessive/relational classifiers. The greatest morphological complexity occurs with part-whole or other relational types, these involve construct/ pertensive morphemes marked by suffixes or by nasalisation of the final vowel of the modified noun, the trace of a former genitive Proto-Oceanic *NV linker or construct suffix *‑N, still attested as -n in other Kanak languages.
Source: Oxford University Press eBooks
Author: Isabelle Bril
Institution: Langues et Civilisations à Tradition Orale
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2505344853