The Arapaho Language
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
Published: August 30, 2008
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 544
ISBN-13: 9780870819018
Subjects: Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies; Linguistics; Native American Languages; Social Science; Ethnic Issues; Sociology
Description: "The Arapaho Language is the definitive reference grammar of an endangered Algonquian language. Arapaho differs strikingly from other Algonquian languages, making it particularly relevant to the study of historical linguistics and the evolution of grammar. Andrew Cowell and Alonzo Moss Sr. document Arapaho's interesting features, including a pitch-based accent system with no exact Algonquian parallels, radical innovations in the verb system, and complex contrasts between affirmative and non-affirmative statements." "Cowell and Moss detail strategies used by speakers of this highly polysynthetic language to form complex words and illustrate how word formation interacts with information structure. They discuss word order and discourse-level features, treat the special features of formal discourse style and traditional narratives, and list gender-specific particles, which are widely used in conversation. Appendices include full sets of inflections for a variety of verbs."--book jacket.