Clause Combining in Western Tamang (As spoken in Nuwakot)

Abstract

This study presents a linguistic analysis of the clause combining in Western Tamang, a major dialect of Tamang, within the framework of the functional-typological grammar developed mainly by T.Givón (2001) and complemented by other functional linguists. The main goal of the study is to analyze the forms and functions of clause combining in Western Tamang. This study, based on primary data, is organized into six chapters. Chapter 1 introduces Western Tamang. It also presents statement of the problems, objectives of the study, review of literature, research methodology, significance of the study, limitations of the study and organization of the study. Chapter 2 deals with the theoretical framework employed in the study. In chapter 3, we discuss simple clauses in Western Tamang. Similarly, chapter 4 looks at different types of subordinate clauses in the dialect. In chapter 5, we examine coordinate clauses in Western Tamang. Chapter 6 summarizes the major findings and presents a conclusion of the study. Western Tamang, a vigorous dialect, exhibits both non-verbal and verbal predicate simple clauses in terms of their internal structure. There are three types of simple clauses with non-verbal predicates, viz., adjectival predicate, nominal predicate and locative predicate. They all make use of copular verbs in the clauses. In this dialect, there are four types of verbal predicate clauses, viz., intransitive clauses, simple transitive clauses, intransitive clauses with indirect object and transitive clauses with indirect objects. In terms of speech act distinction, Western Tamang exhibits four types of simple clauses, viz., declarative, interrogative, imperative and optative clauses/sentences in terms of speech act distinctions in syntax. This dialect exhibits five types of subordinate clauses, viz., serial verb constructions, complement clauses, adverbial clauses, relative clauses and converbal clauses. In subordination, Western Tamang uses non-finite form of the verb as a major strategy for clause combining. It does not have a prototypical type of serial verb constructions as found in the isolating languages. In Western Tamang, complement clauses, which function either subject or direct object of the main clause, are non-finite. There are seven types of adverbial clauses in terms of the functions or senses of their subordinators, viz., time, location, manner, purpose, reason, concession and condition. Except time and manner, other adverbial clauses use inflectional morphology as the major strategy for clause combining. In Western Tamang, there are two types of relative clauses: [+finite] or [-finite]. The [-finite] relative clause (i.e., Externally headed relative clauses) uses non-finite verb suffixed by nominalizer -ba. The [+finite] relative clauses are relative-correlative clauses with a finite verb. This type of relative clause makes use of interrogative pronouns as relativizers. There are two types of converbal clauses, viz., sequential and simultaneous. The verb of the sequential converbal clause is suffixed by -dzim whereas simultaneous converb is formed by the reduplication of the verb root. There are four types of coordinating constructions, viz., conjunction, adversative conjunction, disjunction and exclusion. In coordination, except for conjunction and adversative conjunction, Western Tamang uses coordinators borrowed from Nepali. It uses simple juxtaposition, an asyndetic coordination for conjunction. To sum up, Western Tamang, a head final and SOV word order dialect, employs different morphosyntactic strategies for clause combining.