Jul 2026· Journal of South Asian languages and linguistics· Vol 13, pp. 177 - 218· 0 citations· 29 references
Abstract
Abstract Colloquial Sinhala is unusual among Indo-Aryan languages in having an evidential system. By means of the hearsay particle lu, the system opposes reportative to evidentially unmarked utterances. Drawing on attested utterances from corpora and grammaticality/acceptability judgments, we describe the distribution of this particle with particular reference to its overlap with the most commonly occurring complementizer, kiyǝlaa. We show that the characteristics of the Sinhala evidential system generally conform to cross-linguistic trends, but the particle has a relatively wide distribution syntactically. From a discourse perspective, it acts as both a reportative and a quotative marker, marks both direct and indirect speech, and performs specific functions such as marking adages and indicating mention use. Unsurprisingly, it carries distinct semantic-pragmatic overtones of dubiousness, which affect clause interpretation. We set forth this basic description as a foundation for future detailed description and analysis of this evidential particle.
This study adopts a contrastive linguistic approach to examine the predicate functions in English and Central Kurdish (Sorani), focusing on their syntactic, morphological, and semantic characteristics. While both languages belong to the Indo-European family, they diverge significantly in structure: English follows a ri...
Ahmad A. Ibrahim, Ibrahim M. Karimi· Koya University Journal of H...· 0 citations
This paper examines a little-known composite second-person plural pronoun that has received no systematic
attention in the historical-linguistic literature to date:
among(st)-you
. Drawing on a broad range of textual
sources, we first map the geographical distribution of this pronoun across the anglophone world...
Bart Jacobs, S. Goyette, Mikael Parkvall· English World-Wide. A Journa...· 0 citations
With empirical research on Standard Scottish English showing a bias towards phonology, the aim of the current
study is to contribute to the morpho-syntactic documentation of this variety. Relying on Standard Southern British English for
comparison, we concentrate on four eWAVE features on which the varieties have...
Ole Schützler, Lukas Sönning, Fabian Vetter et al.· English World-Wide. A Journa...· 0 citations
This study rigorously examines the significance of personal deictics in Arabic from an integrated semantic–pragmatic perspective, using Ziyārat Wārith as an analytical case study. It proceeds from the central hypothesis that personal deictics—particularly pronouns and vocative forms—extend far beyond a merely neutral r...
Nada Sami Naser· Natural Resources for Human...· 0 citations
The Japanese adverb chotto is commonly introduced as a scalar expression meaning ‘a little’, ‘slightly’, or ‘for a short while’. In actual use, however, it also performs a range of pragmatic functions. Speakers may use it to attract attention, maintain a conversational turn, reduce the directness of a request, signal h...
N. Anh, N. Anh· INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOC...· 0 citations
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