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Article published In: Concentric
Vol. 48:1 (2022) ► pp.70–113

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The syntax of nominal modification and complex noun phrases in Siwkolan Amis

 | National Taitung University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

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Published online: 2 May 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/consl.21014.jhe
Abstract
This work investigates the syntax of nominal modification involving the linker a in Siwkolan Amis, one of the dialects of Amis, an Austronesian language spoken in Taiwan. Based on the two observed types of NP-ellipsis patterns and the formal licensing condition, I argue that Amis displays two types of modification. Modifiers in direct modification are functional heads projecting extended functional projections of NP, whereas those in indirect modification are modifier phrases base-generated at [Spec, ModP]. This distinction adds weight to . 2003. Clausal modifiers in Amis. Concentric: Studies in English Literature and Linguistics 29.2:59–81.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar view that relative clauses and description-denoting modifiers marked by -ay are clausal modifiers that have a full-fledged CP structure from a cartographic perspective. Furthermore, I argue that a projects the Modifier Phrase (ModP) and is a modificatory clitic endowed with a [+mod] feature that attaches to a head element moving from a lower head position to form a morphological word. Very much in line with Philip, Joy Naomi. 2012. Subordinating and Coordinating Linkers. Doctoral dissertation, University College London, London., the proposed analysis suggests that a is endowed with an interpretative profile in marking a modification relation between an extended functional projection (a modifier phrase) and a dependent word (a modified noun) in the nominal domain. Issues involved in dealing with the structure of Amis complex noun phrases are discussed.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The empirical base
  • 3.Previous analyses
  • 4.Proposed analysis: Two types of modification
    • 4.1a as a modificatory clitic
    • 4.2The structure of modification in Amis noun phrases
    • 4.3Implications for the grammaticalization of a
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • List of abbreviations
  • References
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Jheng, Wei-Cherng Sam
2023. A restructuring analysis of the non‑inferential evidential verb han in Siwkolan Amis. Concentric. Studies in Linguistics 49:2 ► pp. 175 ff. DOI logo
Jheng, Wei-Cherng Sam
2025. On the syntax of restrictive relative clauses in Siwkolan Amis. Concentric. Studies in Linguistics 51:1 ► pp. 70 ff. DOI logo

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