Configurationality in the Languages of New Guinea

Abstract

This article argues that phrase structure configurations play a more significant role in the organization of the syntax of many Papuan languages than has hitherto been acknowledged. Much of what has been described in the literature as '(free) variation' in the order of constituents (& treated in the same spirit of the analysis of free nominals versus bound pronominals by Jelinek & Demers 1994) can in fact be ascribed to a well-defined set of phrase structure rules that are sensitive to pragmatic as well as syntactic information, such as is well-attested in other languages (see, for instance, Aissen 1992, Kiss 1994). Evidence, from clauses with inherently pragmatically marked nominals & adjunct nominal constructions, is presented to support the phrase-structural analysis. Adopting this analytical tool in turn leads to a structurally-based, rather than functionally-based, account of the switch-reference system in many languages, & insights into the behaviour of NV complex predicates.