On the grammaticalization of the utterance verb koSa’ in Saisiyat

• Main Authors: 'amoy a 'oebay tawtawazay, 趙宇函
• Other Authors: Mei-Li Yeh
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/11469208153742905049

碩士 === 國立新竹教育大學 === 臺灣語言與語文教育研究所 === 101 === Cross-linguistically, the verbs of saying are usually multifunctional (Heine & Kuteva 2007). Specifically, they can serve as a complementizer, a filler, a discourse marker and so on. Previous studies (Hopper & Traugott 2003 among many others) have shown that the mutifunctionality results from grammaticalization. The utterance verb koSa’ in Saisiyat carries multiple grammatical functions as well; therefore the purpose of this thesis is to investigate the multiple functions of the verb koSa’ from the perspective of grammaticalization. In addition to the root form koSa’, two other inflected forms, komoSa’ (Agent Focus) and koSa’en (Patient Focus), are frequently found in the utterance. The three forms in question though carry similar meaning, i.e. ‘say’ display divergences in their focus and therefore are found to display minor differences in their paths of grammaticalization. Extending from utterance domain to cognitive domain via metaphoric extension, komoSa’ conveys the meaning thinking in addition to saying; besides, it functions as the complementizer of the clausal complements of the verbs of utterance, cognition and perception and can serve as a filler. The root form koSa’, which also belongs to the set of Agent Fcous form appear in imperative and negative constructions, patterns with komoSa’ with regard to grammatical function and grammaticalization process. Fucntioning as a verb, koSa’en differs from the mentioned above two in that it takes an additional argument, the Addressee, and usually convey the meaning ‘tell X to do something’ or ‘call X as Y’. What is more, it can function as an evidential marker and a filler; the latter is similar to whatchamacallit in English. We propose that the differences concerning grammatical function and grammaticalization processes among the three verb forms are due to their emphases on different aspects.