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This paper discusses the linguistic expression of similarity, aka 'similative' in Zaar, a Chadic language spoken south of Bauchi State, in Northern Nigeria. As the Zaar similative is related to other functional structures, both morphologically (e.g. equative, simulative), or cognitively (e.g. comparison of superiority, aka 'comparative'), these will also be included in the discussion. After a presentation of Zaar and its typological characteristics, stressing the fact that the predicative words expressing the standard of comparison in Zaar are essentially verbs, not adjectives (Section 2), the paper does a quick morpho-syntactic survey of the general cognitive operation of comparison (Section 3), showing how the equative, similative and simulative structures are based on the preposition ɗan, 'like' whereas the comparative structure centers on the verb mop, 'surpass'. Section 4 studies the comparative, while Section 5 focuses on the preposition ɗan and its morpho-syntactic status in relation with the equative and the similative structures. Section 6 shows how the morphemes ɗan, 'like', the quotative tu, and the particle ku combine to form the simulative marker ɗan (ku)tu. Finally, Section 7 summarises the contribution of Zaar to the study of comparison and similarity.

http://www.nytud.hu/imm16/abs-vol-full-v1.pdf; International audience; The paper deals with the syntactic functions and morphosyntactic features of polyfunctional (PF) pronominal markers in South-Western Mande (SWM) languages. The standard set of their functions includes indexing of the DO, of a sole argument of a qualitative verb, of a possessor in the situation of inalienable possession and of the IO on a postposition. In the paper, the problems associated with their polyfunctionality are discussed and the peculiarities of their morphosyntactic behavior in different SWM languages are presented.

International audience

This paper examins the polyfunctionality, semantic values, contextual uses and grammaticalization path of the Maltese nominal quantifier xi.

En aquest article analitzem les funcions, les convergències i les divergències del connector italià allora i del francès alors a partir de dos textos italians (Novellino, en italià antic, i Paso Doble, en italià actual) i les corresponents traduccions franceses. Aquest marcador del discurs s’utilitza de manera diferent en les dues llengües com l’anàlisi contrastiva permet posar de manifest quantificant explícitament el grau de correspondència, omissions i traduccions no literals. Més encara, aquest treball confirma l’existència de funcions que poden ser identificades com a més centrals o més perifèriques dins d’una certa configuració i també manifesta l’existència de preferències interlingüístiques en un grup de formes més o menys ric per a expressar una funció particular. La polifuncionalitat i la dependència contextual que caracteritza els marcadors del discurs en general expliquen les diferències de traducció i, per tant, motiven els diferents matisos de significat que diferencien allora (tant respecte a l’italià antic com a l’actual) del marcador francès alors., The functions, convergences, and divergences of Italian allora and French alors are analyzed in two Italian texts (the Novellino, in Old Italian, and Paso Doble, in Modern Italian) and their French translations. The discourse marker is used differently in the two languages, and the contrastive analysis allows us to better assess those differences, by explicitly quantifying the degree of correspondence, omissions, and non-literal translations. Furthermore, our work confirms the existence of functions which may be identified as more central or more peripheral within a certain configuration, and emphasizes the existence of cross-language preferences for a more/less rich set of forms for expressing a particular function. The polyfunctionality and context-boundness which characterize discourse markers in general are held responsible for differences in translation, thus motivating the several shades of meaning which distinguish Italian allora (with regard both to Old and Modern Italian) from French alors.

Languages frequently display subordinate clauses introduced with a morpheme similar in form with an adposition (preposition or postposition). The goal of this paper is to give a typological overview of those cases of syncretism adposition/subordinator, on the basis of the formal characteristics of the “subordinate clause”. Those types form a continuum between on one hand cases of a polyfunctional morpheme (functioning as adposition and subordinator) where the subordinate clauses presents the typical characteristics of a clause, and on the other hand cases where only the function of adposition can be analysed, when the “clause” is made comparable to a nominal phrase, through nominalization for instance., Il est fréquent dans les langues du monde que des propositions subordonnées soient introduites par un morphème de forme similaire à une adposition (préposition ou postposition). L'objectif de cet article est de présenter une typologie de ces cas de syncrétismes adposition/subordonnant, en fonction des caractéristiques formelles de la « proposition subordonnée». Ces types forment un continuum entre d'une part des cas de polyfonctionnalité adposition/subordonnant lorsque la subordonnée possède des caractéristiques typiques d'une proposition, et d'autre part des cas analysables avec une fonction unique d'adposition lorsque la « proposition » est rendue équivalente à un groupe nominal, par le biais de la nominalisation par exemple.

International audience; Languages frequently display subordinate clauses introduced with a morpheme similar in form with an adposition (preposition or postposition). The goal of this paper is to give a typological overview of those cases of syncretism adposition/subordinator, on the basis of the formal characteristics of the “subordinate clause”. Those types form a continuum between on one hand cases of a polyfunctional morpheme (functioning as adposition and subordinator) where the subordinate clauses presents the typical characteristics of a clause, and on the other hand cases where only the function of adposition can be analysed, when the “clause” is made comparable to a nominal phrase, through nominalization for instance.; Il est fréquent dans les langues du monde que des propositions subordonnées soient introduites par un morphème de forme similaire à une adposition (préposition ou postposition). L'objectif de cet article est de présenter une typologie de ces cas de syncrétismes adposition/subordonnant, en fonction des caractéristiques formelles de la « proposition subordonnée». Ces types forment un continuum entre d'une part des cas de polyfonctionnalité adposition/subordonnant lorsque la subordonnée possède des caractéristiques typiques d'une proposition, et d'autre part des cas analysables avec une fonction unique d'adposition lorsque la « proposition » est rendue équivalente à un groupe nominal, par le biais de la nominalisation par exemple.

International audience; Languages frequently display subordinate clauses introduced with a morpheme similar in form with an adposition (preposition or postposition). The goal of this paper is to give a typological overview of those cases of syncretism adposition/subordinator, on the basis of the formal characteristics of the “subordinate clause”. Those types form a continuum between on one hand cases of a polyfunctional morpheme (functioning as adposition and subordinator) where the subordinate clauses presents the typical characteristics of a clause, and on the other hand cases where only the function of adposition can be analysed, when the “clause” is made comparable to a nominal phrase, through nominalization for instance.; Il est fréquent dans les langues du monde que des propositions subordonnées soient introduites par un morphème de forme similaire à une adposition (préposition ou postposition). L'objectif de cet article est de présenter une typologie de ces cas de syncrétismes adposition/subordonnant, en fonction des caractéristiques formelles de la « proposition subordonnée». Ces types forment un continuum entre d'une part des cas de polyfonctionnalité adposition/subordonnant lorsque la subordonnée possède des caractéristiques typiques d'une proposition, et d'autre part des cas analysables avec une fonction unique d'adposition lorsque la « proposition » est rendue équivalente à un groupe nominal, par le biais de la nominalisation par exemple.

International audience; This article analyses the functions and meanings of the reflexes of the Proto-Oceanic (POc) prefix *paRi- in New Caledonian languages and, based on comparisons with other Austronesian languages, seeks to account for their broad polyfunctionality and polysemy in New Caledonia. POc *paRi- originates from Proto-Austronesian and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paR-, as evidenced by their reflexes in various Formosan and Malayo-Polynesian languages. In Formosan languages, these prefixes are reciprocal markers and their combination with root reduplication marks plurality of reciprocal participants. In Malayo-Polynesian languages, the prefixes have a greater variety of functions and meanings: they are basically intransitive actor focus morphemes which also express middle voice and reciprocity, as well as plural relationship, intensive, and frequentative meanings (in this latter case, they may combine with reduplicated roots). In Oceanic languages, the reflexes of POc *paRi- express symmetrical, plural relationship, and lower transitivity. POc *paRi- could also combine with two suffixes (POc * i, * aki) or with reduplication to express some other meanings (intensive, iterative, distributive, dispersive), as attested in various Oceanic languages. Thus, originally reciprocal prefixes in Formosan languages evolved into more polysemous morphemes in Malayo-Polynesian languages and developped in more or less conservative or innovative ways in Oceanic languages. In the northern New Caledonian languages, the decay of some of their combined suffixes and of reduplication probably triggered the conflation of these various functions and meanings onto the preserved and productive prefixes.