Basic Sentence Structures in Ainu

Authors

• Tomomi Satō Hokkaido University

Abstract

Theoretical research on Ainu sentence structure has not progressed much. The present paper shows that the basic structure of Ainu sentences is determined primarily by verbal valency and five structures based on typological properties of head-marking languages: 1) personal affix, 2) personal affix plus noun phrases that are cross-referenced with them, 3) nominal prefixes or noun incorporation, 4) noun phrases that are not cross referenced with the personal affixes but whose existence is guaranteed by verbal valency, and 5) pseudoincorporation. This paper also points out that such an explanation has the advantage of simplifying the description of Ainu sentences, since it recognizes, for example, noun incorporation as a means of producing sentences from the start, making it unnecessary to assume a transformational operation that moves a noun into a verb.