From Proximate/Obviative to Number Marking: Reanalysis of Hierarchical Indexation in Rgyalrong Languages

This paper documents the inverse marking system in Brag-bar dialect of Situ Rgyalrong, a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in south-west China. It describes a case of reanalysis of proximate/obviative marking in the nonlocal domain as number marking, and uses this development as a model to account for person indexation pattern found in Kiranti languages, another subgroup of the Sino-Tibetan family which has never been in contact with Rgyalrong languages.

摘要:

嘉绒语分布在中国西南，属于汉藏语系藏缅语族。本文主要讨论四土 嘉戎语白湾话的反向标示系统。在白湾话反向系统中，外部互动领域 的近指/远指标示被重新分析为数的表示。本文将白湾话反向系统的这 一演化作为原型来解释汉藏语系藏缅语族中的基兰提语支中的人称标 示范式。