The way to go. On the Distribution of Path in Motion Descriptions in Jaminjung and Kriol

THE WAY TO GO. ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF PATH IN MOTION DESCRIPTIONS IN JAMINJUNG AND KRIOLDOROTHEA HOFFMANNThe University of Manchester This paper deals with the distribution of path in motion events in two Australian languages, namely Jaminjung, a highly endangered Non-Pama-Nyungan Language and Kriol, an English-lexified Creole both spoken in the Victoria River area in the Northern Territory.The concept of path is obligatory in any motion description (Slobin, 1996). However, languages differ regarding the degree of detailed path description in discourse (Ibarretxe-Antunano, 2009). This paper aims to present a thorough analysis of the path element in the two above mentioned languages by firstly looking at the verb-phrase itself and the number of accompanying grounds as in example (1). 1) buru -biya yirr- angga kul -bina janggagureturn =NOW 1PL.EXCL- go.PRS school -ALL up‘let's go back, up to the school!’(ES08_A13_01tt.045)Secondly, complex phrases are taken into account. Such constructions as (2) are extremely rare in Jaminjung and a trajectory is never included in a single verb phrase in discourse, however possible if prompted. These restrictions, can also be accounted for by Bohnemeyer et al.’s (2007) approach of a typology of motion event segmentation which classifies languages according to their ability to include source and/or goal and/or trajectory into a single motion event clause. 2) -ngunyi=biyang bunburr bu-rrara-m there-ABL-NOW take.off.multiply 3PL-come-PRSlanginy yina-ngunyi ngiya-bina=biyangwood DIST-ABL here-ALL-NOW‘from there they come out, from these trees to here’(ES97_A03_01_102/103)Finally, motion event granularity looking across clauses identifies the frequency of path complements mentioned in discourse independent of the availability of complex clauses. This paper aims to further investigate the distribution of path in Jaminjung using a number of Frog Story narrations (Mayer, 1969) as well as natural narratives by different speakers. Additionally, Kriol equivalents will be analysed and comparisons between the two languages drawn. REFERENCESBohnemeyer, Juergen, Enfield, Nicholas J., Essegbey, James, Ibarretxe-Antunano, Iraide, Kita, Sotaro, Luepke, Friederike, and Ameka, Felix Kofi. 2007. Principles of Event Segmentation in Language: The case of Motion Events. Language 83:495-532.Ibarretxe-Antunano, Iraide. 2009. Path Salience in Motion Events. In Crosslinguistic Approaches to the Psychology of Language: Research in the Tradition of Dan Isaac Slobin eds. Elena Lieven et al., 403-414. New York: Psychology Press.Mayer, Mercer. 1969. Frog, Where are You? New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.Slobin, Dan I. 1996. Two ways to travel: Verbs of motion in English and Spanish. . In Grammatical Constructions. Their Form and Meaning eds. M Shibatani and S.A. Thompson, 195-219 Oxford: Clarendon Press.