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A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613819508883456 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Msaka, Peter Kondwani |
| author2 | Oosthuizen, Johan |
| author_browse | Msaka, Peter Kondwani Oosthuizen, Johan |
| author_facet | Oosthuizen, Johan Msaka, Peter Kondwani |
| author_sort | Msaka, Peter Kondwani |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96996 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:12.448Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96996 A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa Msaka, Peter Kondwani Oosthuizen, Johan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. Chichewa language -- Reflexivity Chichewa language -- Syntax UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study deals with the phenomenon of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa, a language belonging to the Bantu family. Obligatory reflexivity occurs in constructions where a pronominal element – e.g. the reflexive marker (RFM) -dzi- in the verbal complex in Chichewa – is referentially dependent on some other expression in the sentence, its antecedent. Constructions of this type have not received systematic attention in the literature on Chichewa syntax, except in the works of Mchombo (1993, 2004, 2007). The first objective of the study is to fill this empirical gap by providing a detailed description of the different types of construction in which obligatory reflexivity is found in Chichewa. The second objective is to provide an analysis of the relevant facts within the broad framework of Minimalist Syntax (e.g. Chomsky 1995, 2000; Hornstein, Nunes & Grohmann 2005; Radford 2009). More specifically, the study seeks to determine whether the recent minimalist approach to the analysis of obligatory reflexive constructions put forward by Oosthuizen (2013), the so-called Nominal Shell Analysis (NSA), provides an adequate framework for analysing reflexive constructions in Chichewa. The analysis that is set out in this study focuses on three types of reflexive construction, namely verbal object reflexives, infinitival verbal reflexives, and infinitival nominal reflexives. It is argued that an analysis that incorporates the core hypotheses and devices of the NSA can provide a proper description and explanation of the facts of obligatory reflexivity as reflected in these three types of construction. In particular, it is claimed that such an analysis can account for the establishment of a coreferential relationship between the RFM -dzi- and an antecedent, without requiring any special devices or devices that are incompatible with the basic assumptions of the minimalist approach to linguistic inquiry. In brief, according to the analysis, the RFM -dzi- and its antecedent are initially merged into a light noun phrase, nP, with the RFM representing the functional n-head of this phrase. In this configuration, the coreferential relationship between the antecedent and -dzi- is established when the antecedent provides the RFM with φ-values (i.e. values for the grammatical features person, number and noun class). In the course of the discussion, several proposals are also put forward in connection with other, related aspects of Chichewa syntax, including the agreement relationship between the subject/object and their respective markers in the verbal complex. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie handel oor die verskynsel van verpligte refleksiwiteit in Chichewa, ’n lid van die Bantoe-taalfamilie. Verpligte refleksiwiteit kom voor in konstruksies waar ’n pronominale element – bv. die refleksiefmerker (RFM) -dzi- in die verbale kompleks in Chichewa – referensieel afhanklik is van ’n ander uitdrukking in die sin, die antesedent. Konstruksies van hierdie tipe het nog nie sistematies aandag gekry in die literatuur oor Chichewa sintaksis nie, behalwe in die werke van Mchombo (1993, 2004, 2007). Die eerste hoofoogmerk van die studie is om hierdie empiriese gaping te vul deur ’n gedetailleerde beskrywing te gee van die verskillende tipes konstruksie waarin verpligte refleksiwiteit in Chichewa aangetref word. Die tweede hoofoogmerk is om ’n analise te gee van die tersaaklike feite binne die breë raamwerk van Minimalistiese Sintaksis (bv. Chomsky 1995, 2000; Hornstein, Nunes & Grohmann 2005; Radford 2009). In meer spesifieke terme word daar nagegaan of die minimalistiese benadering tot die analise van verpligte refleksiwiteit wat onlangs voorgestel is deur Oosthuizen (2013), die sogenaamde Nominale Skulp-analise (NSA), ’n toereikende raamwerk bied vir die analise van refleksiefkonstruksies in Chichewa. Die analise wat uiteengesit word in hierdie studie fokus op drie tipes refleksiefkonstruksie, naamlik verbale objek-refleksiewe, infinitiewe verbale refleksiewe, en infinitiewe nominale refleksiewe. Daar word geargumenteer dat ’n analise wat gebruik maak van die kernhipoteses en meganismes van die NSA ’n behoorlike beskrywing en verklaring kan bied van die feite van verpligte refleksiwiteit soos dit voorkom in hierdie drie tipes konstruksie. In besonder kan so ’n analise ’n beskrywing en verklaring gee van die manier waarop ’n koreferensiële verhouding tussen die RFM -dzi- en ’n antesedent bewerkstellig word, sonder die nodigheid van spesiale nuwe meganismes of meganismes wat onversoenbaar is met die basiese aannames van die minimalistiese benadering tot taalondersoek. Die analise hou kortliks in dat die RFM -dzi- en sy antesedent aanvanklik saamgevoeg word in ’n ligte naamwoordfrase, nP, met die RFM wat optree as die funksionele n-hoof van hierdie frase. In dié konfigurasie word die koreferensiële verhouding tussen die antesedent en -dzi- bewerkstellig wanneer die antesedent die RFM van φ-waardes voorsien (d.i. waardes vir die grammatikale kenmerke persoon, getal en naamwoordklas). In die loop van die bespreking word daar ook verskeie voorstelle gemaak oor ander, verwante aspekte van Chichewa sintaksis, onder meer oor die kongruensie-verhouding tussen die subjek/objek en hulle onderskeie merkers in die verbale kompleks. Masters 2015-05-20T09:28:59Z 2015-05-20T09:28:59Z 2015-04 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96996 en_ZA Stellenbosch University vi, 104 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Chichewa language -- Reflexivity Chichewa language -- Syntax UCTD Msaka, Peter Kondwani A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa |
| title | A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa |
| title_full | A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa |
| title_fullStr | A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa |
| title_full_unstemmed | A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa |
| title_short | A minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in Chichewa |
| title_sort | minimalist analysis of obligatory reflexivity in chichewa |
| topic | Chichewa language -- Reflexivity Chichewa language -- Syntax UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96996 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT msakapeterkondwani aminimalistanalysisofobligatoryreflexivityinchichewa AT msakapeterkondwani minimalistanalysisofobligatoryreflexivityinchichewa |