title: A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu)

authors: Barbour, Julie Renee

subjects: endangered languages

abstract: A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu) is a synchronic account of the endangered Neverver language spoken by the Mindu and Sakhan peoples.  The description is one outcome of a larger project to document the Neverver language, and it is based on a large and varied corpus of communicative events collected from Neverver speakers residing in the villages of Limap and Lingarakh.  The description includes an account of the phonological system of the language, where complex segments with prenasalisation, including bilabial and alveolar trills, contrast with plain segments.  Heterogeneous and geminate sequences of consonants are permitted in the language, provided syllable onsets and codes are simple.  Epenthesis can be employed to ensure that the maximal CVC syllable template is adhered to.  The nominal system displays classes of common, personal, and local nouns, along with independent pronouns, and a set of pronominal-nouns.  Possessive constructions suggest an earlier system based on the semantic notion of alienability; today constructions are formed by a combination of semantic and phonological properties.  The nominal modifying particle is employed in one type of possessive construction, as well as in relative clauses with definite heads.  Verbs are either inherently transitive or intransitive; valency increase is achieved with suffixation, while valency decrease can be achieved with reduplication.  Reduplication is common in the corpus and typically serves as a marker of low transitivity.  In keeping with the basic constraint on syllable structure, the reduplicative prefix has a CV(C) template.  In terms of verbal morphology, Neverver is a mood-prominent language, with all verbal predicates being marked for either realis or irrealis mood.  Further tense/aspect distinctions can be indicated with optional verbal morphology.   The basic word order of verbal predicates is SVO, and the language is both head-initial and head-marking.  A number of complex constructions have been identified in the language.  Complex nuclei, including incorporated objects and nuclear serial verb constructions, contrast structurally with core serial verb constructions.  Concordant mood marking characterises core serial constructions, while sentential complements display varying patterns of mood dependency.  Adverbial subordination and subordinating tail-head linkage contrast with coordinate structures, including syndetic coordination and juxtaposition.  A variety of inter-propositional semantic relations are expressed through these complex structures.

text: A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu) A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu) is a synchronic account of the endangered Neverver language spoken by the Mindu and Sakhan peoples.  The description is one outcome of a larger project to document the Neverver language, and it is based on a large and varied corpus of communicative events collected from Neverver speakers residing in the villages of Limap and Lingarakh.  The description includes an account of the phonological system of the language, where complex segments with prenasalisation, including bilabial and alveolar trills, contrast with plain segments.  Heterogeneous and geminate sequences of consonants are permitted in the language, provided syllable onsets and codes are simple.  Epenthesis can be employed to ensure that the maximal CVC syllable template is adhered to.  The nominal system displays classes of common, personal, and local nouns, along with independent pronouns, and a set of pronominal-nouns.  Possessive constructions suggest an earlier system based on the semantic notion of alienability; today constructions are formed by a combination of semantic and phonological properties.  The nominal modifying particle is employed in one type of possessive construction, as well as in relative clauses with definite heads.  Verbs are either inherently transitive or intransitive; valency increase is achieved with suffixation, while valency decrease can be achieved with reduplication.  Reduplication is common in the corpus and typically serves as a marker of low transitivity.  In keeping with the basic constraint on syllable structure, the reduplicative prefix has a CV(C) template.  In terms of verbal morphology, Neverver is a mood-prominent language, with all verbal predicates being marked for either realis or irrealis mood.  Further tense/aspect distinctions can be indicated with optional verbal morphology.   The basic word order of verbal predicates is SVO, and the language is both head-initial and head-marking.  A number of complex constructions have been identified in the language.  Complex nuclei, including incorporated objects and nuclear serial verb constructions, contrast structurally with core serial verb constructions.  Concordant mood marking characterises core serial constructions, while sentential complements display varying patterns of mood dependency.  Adverbial subordination and subordinating tail-head linkage contrast with coordinate structures, including syndetic coordination and juxtaposition.  A variety of inter-propositional semantic relations are expressed through these complex structures.

year: 2009

title: Thiourea monoanion and dianion complexes of rhodium(III) and ruthenium(II)

authors: Henderson, William

subjects: Crystal structures

abstract: The versatility of deprotonated thioureas as ligands is shown by the synthesis and characterisation of a range of rhodium(III) complexes of substituted thioureas, with support from a ruthenium(II) analogue in one case. Reaction of the complexes [LMCl(μ-Cl)]2 [M=Rh, L=η5-C5Me5 (Cp*); M=Ru, L=η6-p-cymene] with Na[MeNHC(S)NCN] and excess trimethylamine base gives the dinuclear complexes [LM{SC(=NCN)NMe}]2 containing chelate-bridging thiourea dianion ligands. The Ru complex was characterised by an X-ray diffraction study. The mononuclear complexes [Cp*Rh{SC(=NCN)NMe}(PPh3)] and [Cp*Rh{SC(=NPh)NPh}(PPh3)], containing chelating thiourea dianion ligands, were prepared by analogous reactions in the presence of triphenylphosphine. Reaction of [Cp*Rh{SC(=NCN)NMe}(PPh3)] with HCl, or [Cp*RhCl(μ-Cl)]2 with 2 equiv. of PPh3 and Na[MeNHC(S)NCN] (with no added base) gave the complex [Cp*RhCl{SC(=NCN)NHMe}(PPh3)], containing a (monodentate) S-bonded thiourea monoanion ligand, which was characterised by an X-ray diffraction study. The AsPh3 and SbPh3 analogues of this complex were also prepared and characterised. Reaction of [Cp*RhCl(μ-Cl)]2 with 2 equiv. of PPh3 or SbPh3 and PhNHC(S)NHPh or various trisubstituted thioureas PhNHC(S)NR1R2, triethylamine and NaBPh4 gave a range of cationic complexes [Cp*Rh{SC(=NR1R2)NPh}(EPh3)]+ (E=P, Sb), as their tetraphenylborate salts, in which the thiourea is bonded as a monoanion through the S and the NPh group. The corresponding reaction utilising 1,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)hexane (dpph) gave the dinuclear complex [Cp*Rh{SC(=N(CH2CH2)2O)NPh}]2(μ-η2-dpph) (BPh4)2.

text: Thiourea monoanion and dianion complexes of rhodium(III) and ruthenium(II) The versatility of deprotonated thioureas as ligands is shown by the synthesis and characterisation of a range of rhodium(III) complexes of substituted thioureas, with support from a ruthenium(II) analogue in one case. Reaction of the complexes [LMCl(μ-Cl)]2 [M=Rh, L=η5-C5Me5 (Cp*); M=Ru, L=η6-p-cymene] with Na[MeNHC(S)NCN] and excess trimethylamine base gives the dinuclear complexes [LM{SC(=NCN)NMe}]2 containing chelate-bridging thiourea dianion ligands. The Ru complex was characterised by an X-ray diffraction study. The mononuclear complexes [Cp*Rh{SC(=NCN)NMe}(PPh3)] and [Cp*Rh{SC(=NPh)NPh}(PPh3)], containing chelating thiourea dianion ligands, were prepared by analogous reactions in the presence of triphenylphosphine. Reaction of [Cp*Rh{SC(=NCN)NMe}(PPh3)] with HCl, or [Cp*RhCl(μ-Cl)]2 with 2 equiv. of PPh3 and Na[MeNHC(S)NCN] (with no added base) gave the complex [Cp*RhCl{SC(=NCN)NHMe}(PPh3)], containing a (monodentate) S-bonded thiourea monoanion ligand, which was characterised by an X-ray diffraction study. The AsPh3 and SbPh3 analogues of this complex were also prepared and characterised. Reaction of [Cp*RhCl(μ-Cl)]2 with 2 equiv. of PPh3 or SbPh3 and PhNHC(S)NHPh or various trisubstituted thioureas PhNHC(S)NR1R2, triethylamine and NaBPh4 gave a range of cationic complexes [Cp*Rh{SC(=NR1R2)NPh}(EPh3)]+ (E=P, Sb), as their tetraphenylborate salts, in which the thiourea is bonded as a monoanion through the S and the NPh group. The corresponding reaction utilising 1,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)hexane (dpph) gave the dinuclear complex [Cp*Rh{SC(=N(CH2CH2)2O)NPh}]2(μ-η2-dpph) (BPh4)2.

year: 2002-10-01

title: Analysis of errors in the writing of first year university students of Māori

authors: Earnshaw, Lorene

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: This paper presents a survey of the range of grammatical and lexical errors made in written Māori by University students taking an introductory course in Māori language. We begin by introducing, and discussing the motivation for, an error classification system which accommodates different classes of error. We then provide an analysis of errors in three different types of student writing: homework assignments, impromptu tests and examination transcripts. We conclude with some remarks about the patterns of error which we found.

text: Analysis of errors in the writing of first year university students of Māori This paper presents a survey of the range of grammatical and lexical errors made in written Māori by University students taking an introductory course in Māori language. We begin by introducing, and discussing the motivation for, an error classification system which accommodates different classes of error. We then provide an analysis of errors in three different types of student writing: homework assignments, impromptu tests and examination transcripts. We conclude with some remarks about the patterns of error which we found.

year: 2004-09