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Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 36:4 (2019) ► pp.545–582

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The role of negation in the grammaticalization of ability verbs

The case of Iquito

 | University of Chicago
 | Grinnell College
Published online: 18 December 2019
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.00016.wil
Abstract
This paper investigates the role of negation in grammaticalization in Iquito, an endangered Zaparoan language of the Peruvian Amazon. Iquito has a verb, pajɨɨni, which has undergone two paths of grammaticalization only in negated clauses. First, pajɨɨni has grammaticalized from “learn” to “be able to.” Subsequently, it is undergoing grammaticalization from an ability verb to a future auxiliary. Given that ability verbs are an uncommon source for future auxiliaries (Bybee, Joan, Revere Perkins & William Pagliuca. 1994. The evolution of grammar: Tense, aspect, and modality in the languages of the world. University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), this study provides a detailed case study of this rare path. Our analysis of Iquito demonstrates that grammaticalization paths are not limited to affirmative contexts and may behave differently depending on the polarity of the utterance.
Résumé
Cet article explore le rôle de la négation dans la grammaticalisation en Iquito, une langue Zaparoane de l’Amazonie péruvienne. L’Iquito a un verbe, pajɨɨni, qui a subi deux voies de grammaticalisation dans le cas de propositions négatives uniquement. D’abord, pajɨɨni s’est grammaticalisé en passant du sens d’apprendre à celui d’étre capable. Par la suite, il évolue dun verbe modal exprimant la capacité à un auxiliaire exprimant le futur. Etant donné que les auxiliaires exprimant le futur proviennent rarement de verbes modaux exprimant la capacité (Bybee, Joan, Revere Perkins & William Pagliuca. 1994. The evolution of grammar: Tense, aspect, and modality in the languages of the world. University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), cette analyse vise à décrire de façon détaillée ce changement peu commun. Notre analyse de l’Iquito démontre que la grammaticalisation ne se limite pas aux contextes affirmatifs et peut se comporter différemment selon la polarité de l’énoncé.
Zusammenfassung
Dieser Artikel untersucht die Rolle der Negation in der Grammatikalisierung des Iquito, einer gefährdeten Zaparoa-Sprache im peruanischen Amazonasgebiet. Das Verb pajɨɨni im Iquito hat nur in negierten Sätzen zwei verschiedene Grammatikalisierungspfade durchlaufen. Zunächst wurde es von „lernen“ zu „können“ grammatikalisiert. Anschließend durchläuft es die Grammatikalisierung von einem Modalverb zu einem futurbildenden Hilfsverb. Da zum Ausdruck einer Fähigkeit gebrauchte Modalverben selten eine Quelle von futurbildenden Hilfsverben sind (Bybee, Joan, Revere Perkins & William Pagliuca. 1994. The evolution of grammar: Tense, aspect, and modality in the languages of the world. University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), ist dies eine Fallstudie dieses seltenen Grammatikalisierungspfades. Unsere Analyse des Iquito veranschaulicht, dass Grammatikalisierungspfade nicht nur auf affirmative Kontexte beschränkt sind und sich abhängig von der Polarität der jeweiligen Aussage unterschiedlich entfalten können.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background on Iquito
    • 2.1Data and methodology
    • 2.2Typological profile
  • 3.Description of ability verbs pariini and pajɨɨni
    • 3.1Semantics
    • 3.2Frequency
    • 3.3Distribution with respect to tense and aspect marking
    • 3.4Comparative data
  • 4.Grammaticalization from learn to ability
  • 5.Grammaticalization from ability to future auxiliary
    • 5.1Ability to root possibility
    • 5.2Root possibility to future auxiliary
    • 5.3Future auxiliary pajɨɨni as a compensatory strategy
  • 6.Weak obligation
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations in glosses
  • References
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