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Article published In: Areal Effects on Argument-Coding Patterns
Edited by Daria Alfimova, Kirill Kozhanov and Sergey Say
[Studies in Language 49:4] 2025
► pp. 778–822

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Postnominal flagging and OV in Sinitic

Areal and typological perspectives

ORCiD logo with link | University of Potsdam
Published online: 30 September 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.23055.hol
Abstract
Sinitic languages are known for their SVO order and mostly isolating morphology. This study addresses eleven languages of four different areas in Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Qinghai/Gansu provinces in China that possess SOV order and developed a postnominal flagging system. This study presents a synchronic description as well as a diachronic analysis of the flagging systems in these languages, focusing on typological properties (ergative or secundative alignment) and the role of language contact. The existence of four separate areas with limited mutual contact allows a contrastive approach and inferences on the role of different contact languages (Tibetic, Mongolic, Tujia) or different types of language contact (borrowing of flags, shared grammaticalization). The study argues against OV order and postnominal flagging as defining features of the “Amdo Sprachbund”, showing that these are universally present in all four areas and are better understood as the result of contact between two Eurasian macro areas.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Flagging: Methodological and theoretical issues
  • 3.Postnominal flagging in Sinitic OV languages
    • 3.1Qinghai/Gansu
      • 3.1.1Dative/accusative
      • 3.1.2Comitative/instrumental
    • 3.2Sichuan
    • 3.3Yunnan
      • 3.3.1Shangri-la Chinese
      • 3.3.2Southern Bai
      • 3.3.3Hunan
  • 4.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
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