Coverbs and Complex Predicates in Wagiman

by Stephen Wilson

Book Overview

Wagiman is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by about ten people in the top end of the Northern Territory. It possesses an unusual open class of words which Wilson calls 'coverbs'. Coverbs are responsible for conveying a wide range of mostly verbal and adjectival meanings. They are most frequently paired with an inflecting verb from a closed class to form a complex predicate: the coverb and inflecting verb jointly determine the verbal semantics...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575861720
• ISBN13: 9781575861722
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Center for the Study of Language and Informat
• Length: 190 Pages