Morphology Proto-Tibeto-Burman language

1 morphology

1.1 syllable structure
1.2 verbs

1.2.1 verbal agreement


1.3 prefixes
1.4 circumfixes
1.5 suffixes

morphology
syllable structure

according james matisoff, proto-tibeto-burman syllables typically consist of following structure (matisoff 2003:11-13).

(p2) — (p1) — ci — (g) — v(:) — cf — (s)

p1: first prefix - optional
p2: second prefix - optional
ci: initial consonant
g: glide - optional
v: vowel (optionally lengthened)
cf: final consonant
s: suffix - optional

the following types of changes in syllable structure have been attested in tibeto-burman languages (matisoff 2003:155). (note: sesquisyllable word coined james matisoff meaning one-and-a-half syllables. )

disyllable

disyllable => sesquisyllable
disyllable => complex monosyllable
disyllable => simple monosyllable


sesquisyllable

sesquisyllable => disyllable
sesquisyllable => complex monosyllable
sesquisyllable => simple monosyllable


complex monosyllable

complex monosyllable => sesquisyllable
complex monosyllable => simple monosyllable


simple monosyllable

simple monosyllable => disyllable

below sources of syllable changes (i.e., reversal of list above).

disyllable

from sesquisyllable
from simple monosyllable


sesquisyllable

from disyllable
from complex monosyllable


complex monosyllable

from disyllable
from sesquisyllable


simple monosyllable

from disyllable
from sesquisyllable
from complex monosyllable



verbs

verbal agreement

according many authors such james bauman, george van driem , scott delancey, system of verbal agreement should reconstructed proto-tibeto-burman. verbal agreement has disappeared in chinese, tibetan, lolo-burmese , other branches, preserved in kiranti languages in particular. topic of scholarly debate, however, , existence of ptb verbal agreement system disputed such authors randy lapolla.

prefixes

matisoff postulates following derivational prefixes.

*s- — prefix used directive, causative, or intensive. appears in words animals , body parts.
*ʔa- / *(ʔ)ə / *ʔə̃ / *ʔaŋ / *ʔak — glottal prefix used kinship functions , third person possessive.
*m- — before verb roots, prefix signifies inner-directed states or actions, such stativity, intrasitivity, durativity, , reflexivity. before noun roots, used third person possessive prefix.
*r- — before verbs, prefix used directive. used before wide variety of semantically unrelated noun roots.
*b- — prefix used before transitive verbs, , marks past (with suffix *-s, creating *b- -s circumfix) , future (with null suffix).
*g- — velar prefix has third person pronominal function before noun roots. used before wide variety of semantically unrelated noun roots. before verb roots, used present , future tenses. in proto-lolo–burmese, unvoiced velar prefix *k- used commonly used before animal names.

other constructed prefixes include *l- , *d-.

circumfixes

circumfixes have been reconstructed proto-tibeto-burman.

in written tibetan, s- -n , s- -d collective circumfixes used in kinship terms (matisoff 2003:453).

suffixes

according matisoff 3 proto-tibeto-burman dental suffixes, *-n, *-t, , *-s, highly widespread, semantics difficult reconstruct (matisoff 2003:439). suffixes *-s, *-h, , *-ʔ developed tones in many tibeto-burman languages, , highly tonogenetically potent (matisoff 2003:474).

*-n – suffix has variety of functions, including nominalizing, transitivizing, , collectivizing (or pluralizing). nominalizing function attested in lepcha -m or -n , in written tibetan -n. transitivizing form rare, , has been attested in kanauri. finally, collectivizing/pluralizing function found not in many modern-day tibeto-burman languages, in old chinese well.
*-t – suffix used nominalizer. occurs in jingpho -t , written tibetan -d. other functions include verbalizing noun roots , making intransitive or stative verbs transitive or causative ones (matisoff 2003:457). in other cases, *-t appears have no obvious function. *-t suffix occurs in old chinese, semantic function unclear.
*-s – not distinguishable *-t, proto-suffix preserved in written tibetan, west himalayish languages, chepang, kukish languages (as -ʔ) , qiangic languages. can serve nominalizer (qiang , tibetan), locative, subordinator (kukish languages), stative, inner-directed, or middle meaning (himalayish languages such kanauri), , causative (kiranti , kukish languages).
*-k – velar suffix occurs in kukish languages , in old chinese. semantic function still unknown. however, pulleyblank assigns distributive sense *-k suffix, in relation pronominal forms (lapolla 2003:26).
*ʔay – proto-morpheme means go , , can attached various roots palatal suffix signify motion away deictic center. syllabic proto-morpheme has been grammaticalized , reduced palatal offglides in modern-day tibeto-burman languages.
*ya / *za / *tsa / *dza – meaning child or little 1 , proto-morpheme appears in tibeto-burman languages palatal suffix (-j), , has been reconstructed in several ways. purpose diminutive. matisoff (2003) notes high front vowels tend used diminutive functions.
*-way / *-ray – proto-copula can appear palatal suffix (-j) , occurs in roots carrying abstract grammatical meanings, such articles, pronouns, , deictics (matisoff 2003:487).




^ lapolla, randy j. (1992). on dating , nature of verb agreement in tibeto-burman (pdf). bulletin of school of oriental , african studies. 55 (2): 298–315. jstor 619625.