Person Marking in Stau

Abstract

This paper offers an overview of the verb system and person marking in a hitherto poorly described Sino-Tibetan language. We posit the existence of six verb classes based upon alternations of the final stem vowel, both for transitive and intransitive verbs. Person marking is described in comparison with that of closely related Rgyalrongic languages and is found to be of interest for the reconstruction of the protosystem. The data analysed show that Stau is also interesting from a typological point of view as it illustrates a hitherto undescribed subtype of hierarchical agreement.

Verbal Triplication Morphology in Stau (Mazi Dialect)

“…(Table ), pointed out by Jacques et al. (: 92) as being historically and typologically remarkable. The causative prefix s/z– also undergoes reduplication.…”

“…Jacques et al. (: 86; Forthcoming: 4) propose a number of vowel fusion processes for the Khang gsar dialect of Stau, which can also account for the vowel alternations that can be observed in Mazi, as seen in Table .…”

“…Great strides have been taken recently by Sun & Tian (), Jacques et al. (: forthcoming), and Vanderveen (). This paper is indebted greatly to insights from Jacques et al.…”

“…This paper is indebted greatly to insights from Jacques et al. (; forthcoming), and Vanderveen (), yet relies on the author's own data and analysis.…”

Verbal Valency and Japhug / Tibetan Language Contact

“…Most other Rgyalrongic languages apart from Japhug, including Situ, Zbu, Tshobdun and Khroskyabs (Sun, 1998 andLai, 2013), have borrowed either the kə or the ɣə allomorph of the Amdo Ergative/Genitive marker. Only Stau has an Ergative marker -w unrelated to the ergative of Tibetic languages (Jacques, 2014)…”