Marshallese Reference Grammar / Byron W. Bender, Alfred Capelle, Louise Pagotto; Robert A. Blust.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bender, Byron W., Author.

Capelle, Alfred, Author.

Pagotto, Louise, Author.

Contributor:

Blust, R. A., Editor.

Series:

PALI language texts. Micronesia.

PALI Language Texts—Micronesia

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Marshallese language--Grammar.

Marshallese language.

Marshallese language--Textbooks for foreign speakers--English.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (362 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press, [2016]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This reference grammar covers the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the language of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It is the result of a long and sustained effort, inexorably entwined with that of the Marshallese-English Dictionary, published in 1976. Following a general introduction that situates the islands and their people in the cultural and historical context of Micronesia, chapters examine the sound system of Marshallese and survey the more important characteristics of the two major parts of speech, nouns and verbs; a section on the nine major verb classes is included. Special attention is given to a complex set of directional adverbs used in predicates of all sorts and from which back-and-forth verbs are formed. The final chapter analyzes Marshallese sentences, focusing on the sentences themselves and on considerations that apply at the sentence level. The identification of five case relations and of verbs that are impersonal provides explanations for seeming problems of grammatical agreement.The grammar avoids technical terminology, especially in the early chapters, and is aimed at educated laypersons—teachers and college students—who either speak the language or are motivated to learn it. It is rich with examples for each topic, including words exemplifying the contrasts in the sound system and sentences that highlight special points and intricacies in constructions such as cleft sentences and the phenomenon known as switch reference.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

1. Introduction

2. The Sound System of Marshallese

3. Marshallese Words and Their Forms

4. Nouns and Their Modifiers

5. Verbs and Their Modifiers

6. Marshallese Sentences

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jun 2020)

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-8248-5996-0

0-8248-5994-4

OCLC:

953970400