Contents

Acknowledgments

List of Tables

List of Maps and Figures

Conventions

Abbreviations

1 Setting

1.1 Linguistic Profile of Nungon

1.2 Linguistic Kin: Finisterre-Huon Papuan Languages

1.3 External Linguistic Influences on Nungon

1.4 Uruwa Geography

1.5 Nungon Dialects

1.6 History

1.7 Village Life in 2011–2013

1.8 Special Types of Language

1.9 Nonverbal Communication

2 Phonology

2.1 Consonants

2.2 Vowels

2.3 Non-Phonemic Sounds, and Nungon Descriptions of Them

2.4 Phonotactics

2.5 Phonetics and Phonology of Other Nungon Dialects

2.6 Stress in Non-Verbs

2.7 Stress in Verbs

2.8 Phonological Processes

2.9 Intonation

2.10 Intra-Dialect Phonological Variation

2.11 Inter-Generational Phonological Variation

3 Word Classes

3.1 Nouns

3.2 Adjectives

3.3 Verbs

3.4 Adverbs

3.5 Closed Classes

4 Nominal Morphology and Noun Phrase Structure

4.1 Nominal Morphology

4.2 Deverbal Nominalization

4.3 Noun Phrase Structure I: Minimal NPs, and Nouns Modifying Nouns

4.4 Noun Phrase Structure II: Adjectives Modify ing Nouns

4.5 Noun Phrase Structure III: Complex NPs

4.6 Noun Phrase Structure IV: Negation with Noun Phrases

5 Final Verbs

5.1 Morpho-Phonological Verb Classes

5.2 Transitivity-Related Verb Classes

5.3 Verbs with Obligatory Object Prefixes

5.4 Tense Inflections

5.5 Mood and Reality Status Inflections

6 Non-Final Verbs

6.1 Non-Final Verb Forms

6.2 Functional Distinction between Dependent and Medial Verbs

6.3 Switch-Reference

6.4 Non-Canonical Uses of Dependent and Medial Verbs

6.5 Aspect Marking

6.6 Aspect Marking on Non-Final Verbs and Deverbal Nominalizations

6.7 Other Ways of Indicating Aspect

6.8 Causative Constructions

7 Pronouns and Demonstratives

7.1 Pronouns

7.2 Demonstratives

8 Grammatical Relation-Marking Postpositions

8.1 Overview of Postposition Distribution

8.2 Focus Postposition =ho

8.3 Benefactive Postposition =ha

8.4 Genitive Postposition =hon

8.5 Locative Postposition =dek

8.6 Locative Suffix -(i)n

8.7 Restrictive and Durative Postposition =gon

8.8 Comitative Postposition/Suffix =rot/-ot

9 Possession

9.1 Genitive Constructions with =hon

9.2 Possession with Pertensive Markers

9.3 Summary of Possession with the Genitive, Pertensive Markers, and Free Pronouns

9.4 Predicative Possession

9.5 Kinship and Possession

10 Clause Types

10.1 Verbless Clauses

10.2 Constituent Order in Verbal Clauses

10.3 Introduction to Grammatical Mood in Nungon

10.4 Imperatives and Commands

10.5 Questions

11 Complex Predicates

11.1 Light Verb Constructions

11.2 Tight Multi-Verb Constructions

12 Clause Combining

12.1 Final Clause Coordination

12.2 Relative Constructions in Nungon

12.3 Complementation Strategies

12.4 Subordinate Final Clauses

12.5 Relativizer/Specifier =ma

12.6 Speech Reports

13 Discourse

13.1 Clause-Level Morphology

13.2 Information Structure

13.3 Afterthoughts: Information Appended to Final Clauses

13.4 Discourse Structure

13.5 Pragmatics of Communication

Appendix: Nungon Texts

Dialogue I: Advice for a Son Leaving for Boarding School

Dialogue II: Confrontation with a Surly Teenager

Narrative I: The Old Kâte Language School at Boksawin

Narrative II: Recollection of Becoming Temporarily Insane

References

Author Index

Languages Index

Subject Index