Work

Beyond “to be”: multiple copula verbs in Munya

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper examines copulas in Munya, a Qiangic language within the Tibeto-Burman family, focusing on how they express identity, existence, location, and possession. While Munya uses a distinct copula for identity, it employs eight polysemous copulas for the other three senses. The selection of these copulas is determined by the properties of what this paper terms the “copula-determining referent”, which can be the copula subject or copula complement. The study further investigates dialectal variations in copula inventory and meaning, and proposes that possessive constructions in Munya evolved from existential ones through a process of transitivization.

Source: Folia Linguistica

DOI: 10.1515/flin-2024-0032

Author: Junwei Bai

Institutions: Beijing Normal University, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,712

Funder: China Postdoctoral Science Foundation