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The root nominal stage: a case study of early Nungon verbs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2019

Hannah S. SARVASY Open the ORCID record for Hannah S. SARVASY [Opens in a new window]
Hannah S. SARVASY*
Affiliation:
MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University, and ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. E-mail: h.sarvasy@westernsydney.edu.au
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Abstract

The ‘root infinitive’ phenomenon in child speech is known from major languages such as Dutch. In this case study, a child acquiring the Papuan language Nungon in a remote village setting in Papua New Guinea uses two different non-finite verb forms as predicates of main clauses (‘root’ contexts) between ages 2;3 and 3;3. The first root non-finite form is an apparent innovation of the child, unacceptable in adult-to-adult speech, which must be learned from a special auxiliary construction in child-directed speech. The second root non-finite form functions like attested adult main clause use of the same form. During the study period, the first root non-finite form increases sharply to function as a default verb form, then decreases to nil by 3;2. The second increases gradually to near-adult levels. Both forms are non-finite and have similar proportions in the input. Thus, factors other than finiteness and frequency must explain their distributions.

Keywords

Nungonroot infinitivesacquisitionnominalizationsroot nominalverbsPapuan
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 46 , Issue 6 , November 2019 , pp. 1073 - 1101
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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