Lauren Schneider – PhD Proposal Defence

LING community members – including family and friends of the candidate – are welcome to attend this defence. Videoconference connection information will be provided only to those who RSVP to the event by (1 week prior to the defence date). If you wish to attend this defence, RSVP via (websurvey link) no later than (date 1 week prior to the defence).

“Auxiliary verbs vs. serial verbs: making sense of complex VPs in Hul'q'umi'num' Salish”

Abstract: 

Serial verb constructions (SVCs) are common in Salish languages but little research has been published on them. The aim of this project is to introduce SVCs in Hul’q’umi’num’, the Island dialect of Halkomelem. This is accomplished first, by using background literature on SVC typology and second, by looking at the features of Hul’q’umi’num’ SVCs in text corpus and elicited data. The label ‘SVC’ has been used rather broadly in the literature; here we will look only at monoclausal constructions consisting of multiple independent verbs with no linking element between them. SVCs must be differentiated from other types of multi-verb constructions, such as auxiliary constructions, and coordinated and subordinated clauses. Hul’q’umi’num’ makes extensive use of clitics; these can serve as a test for monoclausality and are also important for describing the TAM and modal structure of the verb phrase. This proposal will focus on the motion verbs and auxiliaries which often occur in SVCs in the text corpus.

Members of Examining Committee:

Supervisor: Dr. Donna Gerdts
Committee: Dr. Nancy Hedberg
Proposal Defence Chair: Dr. Suzanne Hilgendorf