ARRERNTE (MPARNTWE)
SUMMARY
In switch-reference (SR) constructions in Mparntwe Arrernte, if two subjects are in a part-whole relation, same-subject (SS) marking is obligatory and different-subject (DS) marking is ungrammatical. This means that Mparntwe Arrernte treats subjects in a part-whole relation the same way as coreferential subjects. This does not extend to subjects in other types of possessive relations, e.g. kinship or inalienable relations. The possessed subject need not be overtly coded for possession to license SS-marking, even though possessive phrases outside of the context of SR do require overt coding of possession.
LANGUAGE PROFILE
EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF PIPS
- There are several ways of expressive internal possession: there is a distinct set of possessive pronouns in Arrernte that contrast with other case marked pronouns. Nominal possessors are marked with adnominal case markers. Kin terms have a special series of possessive suffixes, and are thus inherently internal.
- Case indicating the grammatical function on an NP occurs at the right edge of the NP, and thus follows any subconstituent, including a possessor, internal to the noun phrase. While many possessive phrases are nominative (and thus have no case marking) when a noun phrase is non-nominative, phrasal case-marking follows the possessor.
KEY SOURCES
Wilkins, David. 1988. Switch-Reference in Mparntwe Arrernte (Aranda), in Peter Austin (ed.), Complex sentence constructions in Australian languages, 141-176. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
