Dissertation
A Web of Relations: A grammar of rGyalrong Jiăomùzú (Kyom-kyo) dialects
This dissertation is a comprehensive description of the Jiăomùzú dialects. These dialects belong to the Tibetan-Birmese language of the rGyalrong spoken in the province Sìchuā, China.
- Author
- Mariëlle Prins
- Date
- 29 November 2011
- Links
- Full text in Leiden University Repository
Until the foundation of the People’s Republic of Chine, the rGyalrong used to live in eighteen more or less autonomous principalities. Since then the rGyalrong are part of Tibet. It is unknown how many speakers there are of the rGyalrong dialects. The Jiăomùzú area is situated in the mountains. Most people are farmers that cultivate barley.
The grammar contains chapters on phonology, morphology, lexicology, verbs and word order. Some interesting characteristics of the dialects are for example the directionality markers, which are based on the topography of the Jiăomùzú area. Time is split in past and present. There is a perspective and a non-perspective aspect in past situations and a non-perspective aspect for present situations. And a special marker indicates the perspective of the speaker.
The grammar concludes with three texts with glosses and a translation.