František Kratochvíl (May 2007)
A Grammar of Abui: A Papuan Language of Alor
| Name |
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František Kratochvíl |
| Title |
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A Grammar of Abui: A Papuan Language of Alor
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| Date |
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30 May 2007, 15.15 hrs. |
| Promotor |
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Prof. Dr M.P.G.M. Mous |
| Co-promotors |
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Dr. M.A.F. Klamer and Dr. G.P. Reesink |
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This work contains the first comprehensive description of Abui, a language of Trans New Guinea family spoken approximately by 16,000 speakers in the central part of the Alor Island in Eastern Indonesia. The description focuses on the northern dialect of Abui as spoken in the village Takalelang.
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This study is based on primary data collected by the author on Alor. Alor Island is the western-most area where Papuan languages are spoken. It is surrounded by Austronesian languages.
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Abui presents a number of typologically interesting features such as semantic alignment. Abui is characteristic by extensive use of generic verbs. Generic verbs appear as parts of complex verbs or in serial verb constructions. Abui syntax is characterized by a rigid word order. The grammar covers phonology, morphology and basic syntax. The appendix contains several Abui texts and wordlists.
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The book has not been written against a particular theoretical background, but is of interest to scholars of both Papuan and Austronesian languages, and linguistic typology.
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Last Modified: 11-07-2008