Several languages in the world alternate between marked and unmarked objects with respect to different properties of the noun, including animacy and specificity. This phenomenon is called...Show moreSeveral languages in the world alternate between marked and unmarked objects with respect to different properties of the noun, including animacy and specificity. This phenomenon is called differential object marking. In this thesis, I describe the differential object marking system of Cha’palaa, a Barbacoan language spoken in Ecuador, and compare this with the differential object marking systems of the related Barbacoan languages. It can be concluded that in three of the four languages, including Cha’palaa, differential object marking is only governed by specificity. In one language, namely Awa Pit, differential object marking is governed by both animacy and specificity.Show less
As humans, we spend most of our time by standing, sitting or lying. These verbs that are used to refer to states of being in a position are used more extensively than one would expect at first...Show moreAs humans, we spend most of our time by standing, sitting or lying. These verbs that are used to refer to states of being in a position are used more extensively than one would expect at first sight. In different languages, these posture verbs can be used in a grammaticalized way. This is the case with Tsafiki and Cha'palaa, two languages spoken in the northwest of South America. In these two languages, the verb 'sit' (in Tsafiki) and 'lie' (in Cha'palaa) are grammaticalized into continuative markers. These are the main instances of grammaticalized posture verbs in these languages, besides other minor examples.Show less
