Feature GB306: Is there a phonologically independent non-bipartite reciprocal pronoun?

Patrons: Jakob Lesage

Description ⇫

Summary

Reciprocal markers indicate that an action or feeling is mutual across two or more parties (e.g. they love each other; they beat each other). This feature targets phonologically independent reciprocal markers that do not consist of two quantifiers. Such markers may be described as pronouns, particles or auxiliaries. They may be composite, as long as they do not consist of two quantifiers. A reciprocal marker may indicate both reflexive and reciprocal functions. It needs to be productive, not limited to a small set of verbs that are probably lexicalized.

Procedure

  1. Code 1 if there is at least one phonologically independent reciprocal marker in the language that is not synchronically recognizable as composed of two quantifiers.
  2. Code 0 if there are no phonologically independent (non-bipartite) reciprocal markers in the language.
  3. Code 0 if a grammar discusses reciprocal markers, reflexive markers, or bound reciprocal markers, but does not mention or contain an example of a reciprocal marker that does not consist of two quantifiers. Write ‘not mentioned’ as a comment.
  4. Code 0 if reciprocal markers are not mentioned in an otherwise comprehensive grammar of the language.
  5. Code ? if you do not have enough information to know whether a reciprocal marker can be analyzed as consisting of two quantifiers or not.

Examples

Kosraean (ISO 639-3: kos, Glottolog: kosr1238)

Kosraean features a complex reciprocal marker, sie sin sie, literally translatable as ‘one of one’ (Lee 1975: 107). As such, it qualifies as a bipartite reciprocal marker and does not trigger a 1 for this feature. It is coded 0.

a. Eltahl   luhngse    sie    sin   sie.
they     like       one    of    one
‘They like each other.’ (Lee 1975: 107)

b. Kuht    etuh    sie     sin    sie.
we      know    one     of     one
‘We know each other.’ (Lee 1975: 107)

Western Farsi (ISO 639-3: pes, Glottolog: west2369)

Western Farsi features both a bipartite reciprocal marker, ye ... digar (or yak ... digar) and a non-bipartite one, ham, which also means ‘same’ in other parts of the grammar (Windfuhr & Perry 2009: 437). The latter triggers a 1 for this feature.

a. yek-i     pas     az    digar-i
one-INDF  after   from  other-INDF
‘one after another’ (Windfuhr & Perry 2009: 437)

b. az       ham         jodā      šod-and|
from     each.other  separated become.PST-3PL
‘They parted.’, lit. 'They became separate from each other.' (Windfuhr & Perry 2009: 437)

Bargam (ISO 639-3: mlp, Glottolog: barg1252)

Bargam has an independent non-bipartite marker, an, that fulfills both reciprocal and reflexive functions (Hepner 2006: 100). It is coded 1 for this feature.

a. on    in     an          tu-bulon       yaʔ-ay
women they   each.other  PFV-speak.to   PST.IPFV-N1
‘The women were speaking to each other.’ (Hepner 2006: 100)

b. I    kab        an          huser-01-uʔ      ha(ʔ)-01-w.
we   this-DAT   each.other  divide-JUSS-1PL  QUOT-PST-1PL
‘Let’s divide up (ourselves) here.’ (Hepner 2006: 100)

Further reading

Evans, Nicholas. 2008. Reciprocal constructions: Towards a structural typology. In Ekkehard König & Volker Gast (eds), Reciprocals and reflexives: Theoretical and typological explorations, 33–104. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Geniušienė, Emma S. 1987. The typology of reflexives. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

König, Ekkehard & Volker Gast. 2008. Reciprocity and reflexivity: Description, typology, and theory. In Ekkehard König & Volker Gast (eds), Reciprocals and reflexives: Theoretical and typological explorations, 1–31. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Nedjalkov, Vladimir P. 2007. Overview of the research: Definitions of terms, framework, and related issues. In Vladimir P. Nedjalkov (ed.), Reciprocal constructions, 3–114. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Nedjalkov, Vladimir P. (ed.) 2007. Reciprocal constructions.Amsterdam: John Benjamins. (This five-volume collection includes chapters on 39 genealogically and areally diverse languages.)

References

Hepner, Mark. 2006. Bargam grammar sketch. Papua New Guinea: The Summer Institute of Linguistics. (Manuscript.)

Lee, Kee-Dong. 1975. Kusaiean reference grammar. (Pali Language Texts Micronesia.) Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

Windfuhr, Gernot & John R. Perry. 2009. Persian and Tajik. In Gernot Windfuhr (ed.), The Iranian languages, 416–544. London: Routledge.


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0 absent 1170
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Values ⇫

Name Glottocode Family Macroarea Contributor Value Source Comment