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Article published In: Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area
Vol. 48:2 (2025) ► pp.250–267

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Clausal complementation in Mising

ORCiD logo with link | Tezpur University
Published online: 13 October 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ltba.24009.saw
Abstract
This paper investigates clausal complementation in Mising, an Eastern Tani (TB) language spoken in Assam, India. It examines finite and non-finite complement clauses, analyzing their grammatical structures and underlying conceptualizations. Mising employs at least four complementizers (one finite, three non-finite), while some complement clauses appear without overt complementizers. Each of these constructions exhibits distinct semantic properties.
While primarily descriptive in nature, this study incorporates insights from Cognitive Linguistics. Our analysis suggests that finite complementation aligns with an objective perspective, where the speaker views the complement event as external and distinct. Conversely, non-finite complementation aligns with a subjective perspective, reflecting a closer involvement of the speaker in the complement event. These two perspectives are associated with different conceptual viewing arrangements.
The data for this paper comes from the Pagro dialect of Mising, primarily spoken in the Jonai sub-division of Assam’s Dhemaji district.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Review of literature
  • 3.Finite complementation in Mising
    • 3.1Finite quotative complementation with ɜmna
    • 3.2Finite complementation in rapid informal speech in Mising
    • 3.3Wh- and whether complementation in Mising
  • 4.Non-finite complementation in Mising
    • 4.1Types of non-finite complement clauses in Mising
      • 4.1.1Non-finite complementation in Mising with -nam
        • 4.1.1.1ɜmnam
        • 4.1.1.2lu-nam
        • 4.1.1.3Complement clauses with –nam, ɜm-nam, and lu-nam as relative clauses
        • 4.1.1.4Indic-like relative-correlative structure
      • 4.1.2Non-finite Complementation in Mising with -la
      • 4.1.3Non-finite complementation in Mising with -mɨlo
      • 4.1.4Non-finite Complementation in rapid informal speech in Mising
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • References
References (27)
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