A complex system of complex predicates: tense, taxis, aspect and mood in Basse Mandinka from a grammaticalisation and cognitive perspective

Date
2016-03
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present work analyses the Basse Mandinka tense-taxis-aspect-mood verbal system within the framework of cognitive and grammaticalisation linguistics and from the perspective of complexity theory. The author builds his study by pursuing the following more specific – gradually more macroscopic and systematic – objectives: (a) a description of the entire semantic potential of all the Basse Mandinka verbal grams; (b) a representation of the synchronic inventories of senses of each Basse Mandinka verbal construction as a coherent phenomenon, i.e. as a kinetic qualitative map ordered by means of grammaticalisation templates or paths; (c) an introduction of the information concerning the prototypicality of the map and the development of a bi-dimensional representation of the meaning as a wave; (d) a construction of streams that contain gram-waves organised along similar evolutionary templates; and (e) a modelling of the entire Basse Mandinka verbal organisation into a system of currents. This system – visualised as an ocean – is demonstrated to have characteristics typical to complex bodies: it is open, situated, fuzzy, full of unstable individuals, highly cardinal, uncontrollable, dynamic, metastable, past dependant, nonlinear, sensitive to initial conditions, deterministically chaotic in some regions, non-additive, non-resultant, but containing emergent properties, structurally intricate, self-organising and characterised by top-down causation and bottom-up causation. Additionally, as far as its methodological properties are concerned, the representation is incomplete, provisional and pluralistic in agreement with models of real-world complexity.
AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Hierdie werk ontleed die Basse Mandinka verbale stelsel binne die raamwerk van kognitiewe en grammatikaliseringlinguistiek en vanuit die perspektief van kompleksiteitsteorie. Die skrywer bou sy studie deur die volgende meer spesifieke – geleidelik meer makroskopiese en sistematiese doelwitte na te streef: (a) 'n beskrywing van die volkome semantiese potensiaal van al die Basse Mandinka verbale gramme; (b) 'n voorstelling van die sinkroniese inventaris van sintuie van elke Basse Mandinka verbale konstruksie as 'n samehangende verskynsel, naamlik as 'n kinetiese kwalitatiewe kaart wat volgens grammatikaliseringpatrone of paaie gerangskik is; (c) 'n bekendstelling van die inligting oor die prototipikaliteit van die kaart en die ontwikkeling van 'n tweedimensionele voorstelling van die betekenis as 'n golf; (d) 'n konstruksie van strome wat gramme-golwe bevat wat volgens soortgelyke evolusionêre template gerangskik is; en (e) 'n modellering van die hele Basse Mandinka verbale organisasie in 'n stelsel van strome. Daar word aangetoon dat hierdie stelsel, wat as ’n oseaan voorgestel word, eienskappe het wat tipiese van komplekse liggame is: dit oop is, geplaas, fuzzy, gevul met onstabiele individue, hoogs kardinaal, onbeheerbaar, dinamies, metastabiel, verby afhanklikheid, nie-lineêr, sensitief vir die aanvanklike voorwaardes, deterministies, chaoties in sommige streke, nie-toevoegend, nie-resulterend, maar met ontluikende eienskappe, struktureel ingewikkeld, self-organiserend en wat gekenmerk word deur van-bo-na-onder kousaliteit en van-onder-na-bo kousaliteit. Daarbenewens, wat sy metodologiese eienskappe betref, is die voorstelling onvolledig, voorlopig en pluralisties in ooreenstemming met modelle van die kompleksiteit van die reële wêreld.
Description
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2016.
Keywords
Mandinka language -- Grammar, Grammar, Comparative and general -- Grammaticalization, Grammar, Comparative and general -- Verbals, Complexity (Linguistics), Verbal grams
Citation