Article published in:
Argument Realisation in Complex Predicates and Complex Events: Verb-verb constructions at the syntax-semantic interface
Edited by Brian Nolan and Elke Diedrichsen
[Studies in Language Companion Series 180] 2017
► pp. 305–346

Multi-verb constructions in Cheyenne

| Departamento de Filología Inglesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
As multi-verb constructions are commonly believed to be a widespread feature of Native American languages, the aim of this paper is to offer an in-depth study of this particular phenomenon in Cheyenne (Plains Algonquian: USA) in accordance with the framework provided by Aikhenvald and Dixon (2006) and Aikhenvald and Muysken (2011), since their works cover the major parameters required for a cross-linguistic analysis of the different types of multi-verb constructions. This paper will show that, as Cheyenne does not allow for converbs that are generally considered to be examples of biclausal constructions, complex predicates should be interpreted as part of a monoclausal construction. Additionally, verb compounding is mainly asymmetrical in composition, since there are restrictions as to which verbs are included in every construction type. Indeed, the aim here is to provide a detailed description of verb combinations in Cheyenne while paying attention to their syntactic and semantic properties, thus allowing us both to observe their similarities and differences and analyse their place within the typology of multi-verb constructions.
Keywords: Cheyenne, multi-verb constructions, primary verb construction, secondary verb construction, compound verb construction, monoclausality, wordhood, composition, argument structure
Published online: 26 January 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.180.11est
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