Like other languages of the Western Sichuan linguistic area, the Yonghe variety of Qiang has robust grammatical systems for spatial concepts. Within the noun phrase, there are specialized locative casemarkers for different degrees of distance of the object being located. There is also a set of locational nouns, which are structured based on an intrinsic frame of reference, at least for some speakers. In the verb phrase, there is a system of five existential verbs, four of which have locational semantics; choice of existential depends on containment and attachment, then secondarily on the animacy of the referent being located. There is also a set of eight directional prefixes. These have different discourse frequencies, reflecting different levels of prefix-verb collocation. In addition, the prefixes primarily occur in perfective clauses and imperatives; however, they are optional when an adverbial phrase is also used. Thus, the system approximates derivation rather than inflection. These patterns of distribution, together with comparative data from other Western Sichuan languages, suggest a grammaticalization pathway from directional prefix to perfective to imperative.

This thesis is a description of suprasegmental phenomena in Yonghe Qiang, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Western Sichuan, China. The analysis, based on original data from fieldwork, presents Yonghe as having an obligatory word-level accent overlaying a privative /L/ vs. Ø tonal contrast. The thesis includes a discussion of issues of tone and prominence in the typology of suprasegmental phonology. The analysis includes an overview of Yonghe segmental phonology, a phonetic and phonological account of both tone and accent on monosyllabic and disyllabic nouns, as well as tone and accent sandhi phenomena. The discussion of the Yonghe data broadens typological knowledge of possible tonal systems and contributes to wider discussions regarding the validity of the phonological category of ‘accent’ (van der Hulst 2011, Hyman 2006, inter alia). The facts of the Yonghe tone system demonstrate the necessity of both tone and accent as units of analysis and the importance of recognizing language-specific phonological categories in phonological typology. The Yonghe system also suggests a need to reconsider and refine classifications of languages as having either ‘Register-tone systems’ or ‘Contour-tone systems’ (Pike 1948).

This dissertation presents the verbal morphology of the Yonghe variety of Qiang through the lens of Radical Construction Grammar. Yonghe Qiang is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken primarily in Yonghe Township, Mao County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China. Chapter 1 (Context) provides background information on the Qiang language as well as the people who speak it. It discusses the place of Yonghe within the Qiang language-complex and gives comparative and philological evidence for the uniqueness of Yonghe compared to other varieties. It introduces and motivates the choice of Radical Construction Grammar as the framework for this dissertation. The conventions and empirical materials used throughout this work are also presented. Chapter 2 (Segmental Phonology) presents the segmental phonology of the language, including the consonants and vowels. Empirical measurements such as waveforms and spectrograms are given for each relevant segment. Attention is given to the phonology of borrowings from Mandarin Chinese. Syllable structure is also discussed, along with utterance final phenomena such as glottalization. Chapter 3 (Suprasegmental Phonology) presents the tonal melodies in lexical Nouns and Verbs in the language. The typological profile of tone in the language is given consideration. The ways in which tonal Chinese loans are incorporated are treated in depth. The interaction between tone type and syllable length is explored through quantitative methodologies. Chapter 4 (The Verb-Complex) introduces the verbal template, including the prefixal and suffixal slots. Yonghe constructions are sorted into four categories based on distributional analysis: Verbs, Nouns, Ideophones, and Interjections. Verbs are sub-classified into Active, Stative, and Existential based on their distributional and semantic properties. The chapter discusses the subtypes with respect to tone classes and reduplicative patterns. Noun-Verb compounds and their resulting tonal patterns are analyzed. A small class of bipartite verbs are introduced. The ways in which Chinese loanwords are incorporated into the Verb-Complex is discussed. Chapter 5 (Prefixes) covers the orientational, aspectual, and modal prefixes. Of particular interest are the set of eight orientational prefixes, which have complex semantics ranging from literal direction marking to aspectual and modal meanings. The prefixes are discussed with reference to their phonological alternations which include tonal alternations and vowel harmony. The use of Chinese loans with Qiang prefixes is also discussed. Chapter 6 (Suffixes) presents the numerous suffixal forms. The nominalizing suffixes, which have broad use and are a core feature of the morpho-syntax, are presented with some discussion as to their possible etymologies. Two Associated Motion suffixes are discussed in the context of their interaction with orientational prefixes. Two valency increasing suffixes, the applicative, and the causative are analyzed. Lastly, discussion of the person marking suffixes is framed within the wider debate as to the antiquity of the paradigm and also within the broader system of epistemic marking suffixes. Chapter 7 (Summary) examines the advantages and disadvantages of a Radical Construction Grammar approach to describing the language. The dissertation is then concluded with a discussion of future directions for the study of Yonghe Qiang verbal morphology.