A fieldwork-based approach to Blanga (Blablanga), an Austronesian language of the Solomon Islands, with reference to predicate-argument relations
This thesis explores the structure of Blanga (iso 639-3 code blp), a previously undescribed and undocumented Austronesian language of the Solomon Islands. It opens with a sociolinguistic and ethnographic introduction to the language, their speakers and the linguistic ecology of the region, followed by a presentation of the main phonological features and an analysis of some major phonological processes, including strategies for hiatus avoidance, which constitute the base of several surface phenomena, and stress assignment, the theoretical importance of which is also revealed by surface processes. A detailed description of major morphological and morphosyntactic aspects is then made available, which continues with a discussion of Aktionsart, types of predicates and their subcategorisation frames, in an attempt to define thematic roles and identify macroroles, according to the RRG principles of lexical decomposition. Sentence-level coordination and subordination are subsequently looked at. The final chapters focus on the relations established between a predicate and its (direct) arguments and their implications for the general theory. Blanga does not use formal means of encoding semantic roles but the speakers
Voica, Radu
A fieldwork-based approach to Blanga (Blablanga), an Austronesian language of the Solomon Islands, with reference to predicate-argument relations. This thesis explores the structure of Blanga (iso 639-3 code blp), a previously undescribed and undocumented Austronesian language of the Solomon Islands. It opens with a sociolinguistic and ethnographic introduction to the language, their speakers and the linguistic ecology of the region, followed by a presentation of the main phonological features and an analysis of some major phonological processes, including strategies for hiatus avoidance, which constitute the base of several surface phenomena, and stress assignment, the theoretical importance of which is also revealed by surface processes. A detailed description of major morphological and morphosyntactic aspects is then made available, which continues with a discussion of Aktionsart, types of predicates and their subcategorisation frames, in an attempt to define thematic roles and identify macroroles, according to the RRG principles of lexical decomposition. Sentence-level coordination and subordination are subsequently looked at. The final chapters focus on the relations established between a predicate and its (direct) arguments and their implications for the general theory. Blanga does not use formal means of encoding semantic roles but the speakers
fieldwork based language islands reference predicate_argument relation explores structure iso code previously undescribed undocumented language islands open sociolinguistic ethnographic introduction language speaker_linguistic ecology region follow presentation main phonological_feature analysis major phonological_process include strategy hiatus avoidance constitute base several surface phenomenon stress_assignment theoretical importance also_reveal surface process detail_description major morphological morphosyntactic aspect make_available continue discussion type predicate frame attempt_define thematic_role identify accord principle lexical decomposition sentence_level coordination subordination subsequently look final focus relation establish predicate direct argument implication general_theory use formal mean encode semantic_role speaker