The Tigak language of New Ireland
Date
1974
Authors
Beaumont, Clive H
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Abstract
Tigak is an Austronesian language spoken in the north-east of
Papua New Guinea. This tagmemic description of Tigak illustrates
the general grammatical and phonological nature of the language .
Chapter 1 indicates the location and linguistic classification
of Tigak and refers to the small amount of descriptive work on
the language . The theoretical position underlying the description and minor modifications which are made are then set out .
Chapter 2 out line s the phonology of the language . There are
12 consonant phonemes and 5 vowel phonemes . Syllables may
have complex vowel nuclei , but consonant clusters occur only
across syllable boundaries. Words may end with open or closed
syllables .
The syntax of Tigak sentences is discussed in Chapter 3.
This is the first of four chapters which deal with the grammar .
At clause level ( Chapter 4 ) , four types of clause base are
described. These represent the structure common to all the
seven clause types . Five of the clause types have subordinating
conjunctions which precede the clause base. The other two types ,
Independent and Relative Clauses , are similar to each other in
structure , but differ in function and distribution . Relative
Clauses are not able for the lack of any relative pronoun or
marker.
Phrase level is considered in Chapter 5. Noun Phrases have
a complex system of articles and quantifiers . Three types of
Verb Phrases are set up , but as these have many features in
common they are discussed together. The main complication is
the variety of particles which may precede the verb . Subject pronouns occur obligatorily in the verb phrase , even when there
is a noun as subject . Object suffixes are affixed to the verb or , if the verb is qualified, to the adverb .
In Chapter 6 (word level ) four types of noun are distinguished
according to the us e of articles and possessive suffixes .
Pronouns provide the most interest at this level . Singular ,
dual , trial and plural are distinguished in all case functions .
Similarities in form between the various types of pronouns and
pronominal suffixes are established .
Chapter 7 indicates the dialects of Tigak and some of the
features which distinguish them .
A Tigak text is given in Appendix 1 with interlinear and free
translations and a brief commentary which indicates the sentence
structure . The history of Tigak phonemes is outlined with
reference to Proto-Oceanic ( and Proto-Austronesian ) reconstructions in Appendix 2. Appendix 3 contains a Tigak-English wordlist of 500 words including those used in the examples in the
thesis. This is followed by an English-Tigak index . There is
a brief grammar index in Appendix 4.
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