Rose Underhill will be giving a LOC colloquium on April 5th 3:30-5pm, 2024 at WEST MALL SWING SPACE (SWNG) 222.
Title: To be a group or not to be a group: number in Ktunaxa
Abstract: Across languages, there is a frequently observed but not well understood pattern in number-marking: languages with general number may have ‘plural’ forms which are restricted to sentient (human-like) individuals, and which have a meaning related to grouphood. Ktunaxa, a language isolate of the Columbia River Basin (BC, MT, ID), is one such language. Expressions in the language are never obligatorily marked for number, and so can refer to one or more than one individual. At the same time, it has morphemes described as plural markers which are restricted to sentient individuals, and which have a group-like meaning. I show that the unique structure of Ktunaxa helps to explain this pattern: that the language is oriented toward an ungrouped/grouped contrast rather than a singular/plural contrast, and that the semantic structure of grouphood gives a possible explanation for the sentience restriction on number-marking—both in Ktunaxa, and perhaps cross-linguistically.