No abstract

This paper presents the results of an areal study of the elements known as (sentence-)final particles (FPs) in the languages of Asia. FPs constitute a crucial part of many languages of the region and are reported in language-particular descriptions under various labels. However, they have not been the subject of large-scale areal studies. In this paper, I discuss the morphosyntactic and functional properties typically exhibited by the FPs of Asian languages and the parameters of their variation. On the basis of a sample of 53 languages and 6 sample functional types of FPs, I explore the areal distribution of FPs of the Asian type. I demonstrate that different FP-isoglosses exhibit different geographical coverage, but the overlap of some of them allows us to speak of a structural phenomenon highly typical of a macroarea which includes East, Southeast, and Northeast Asia.

In this paper, I propose to take a fresh look at the elements traditionally termed “particles” in descriptions of Lithuanian. I establish criteria that would allow one to come up with a meaningful classification of such elements, and argue for the descriptive language particular category of “sentence particles”. I then turn to the syntax and functions of juk and gi, two prominent elements of this category. In order to understand their functions better, I invoke cross-linguistic comparison. I demonstrate that the ideas expressed in the literature on the German particles doch and ja can also be applied to Lithuanian. All four particles exhibit a common meaning component, which I describe as framing the proposition as uncontroversial, but also significant differences. Finally, I provide a brief overview of similar categories in some neighboring and genealogically related languages, and introduce the general methodological and areal-typological dimension of the phenomenon.