Entrenchment of Light Warlpiri morphology

Abstract

The early years of a recently emerged language are observed in the emergence of Light Warlpiri (O’Shannessy, 2005, 2012, 2013), which systematically combines elements of Warlpiri (Ngumpin-Yapa) and varieties of English and Kriol (an English-lexified creole). Light Warlpiri combines nominal mor- phology from Warlpiri with verbal structure mostly from varieties of English and/or Kriol, but with some innovations (O’Shannessy, 2013). Light Warlpiri speakers also speak Warlpiri, allowing a longitudinal study of the children’s production of both languages, and documentation of the path of development of Light Warlpiri. Using a quantitative analysis, this chapter traces the production of ergative and dative morphology in children’s contemporary Warlpiri and Light Warlpiri in one community over a five year period, andfinds that trends observed earlier (O’Shannessy, to appear) have become entrenched. First, the occurrence of ergative marking has increased in Light Warlpiri, across all age groups, such that it now parallels that in contemporary Warlpiri. But in Light Warlpiri there has been allomorphic reduction, making the Light Warlpiri forms clearly different from Warlpiri, and removing the Warlpiri conditioning factors of word length and vowel harmony. Second, dative case allomorphy patterns somewhat like the ergative in that Light Warlpiri allomorphy is reduced while contemporary Warlpiri allomorphy is not. Increased use of ergative marking in Light Warlpiri has made the languages more similar in this area, yet in terms of surface forms the two languages show increasing difference.