Nominalization in Biate
Abstract
The paper looks into the derivation of nominals in Biate at the word and sentence levels. The derivational process at the word level is productive compared to the nominalized clauses in the language.
Nominalization process is a key phenomenon in Kuki-Chin syntax. Most of the Kuki-Chin languages spoken in Assam, India, seem to follow the similar pattern of nominalization. Languages like Hrangkhol, Khelma, Hmar and others mainly has open syllabic structure like –pa, -na, -tu etc as a nominalizer to derive nominals both at the word and clausal level. Biate, has three morphological nominalizers: -tu, -na, -a and a zero morpheme which derives nominals at the word level. At the clausal level, the nominalizer –a and the zero morphemes is used.
Kuki-Chin languages like Hrangkhol and Khelma use gender markers –pa (masculine) and –nu (famine) to derive nominal at word level. However, the use of gender marker is not seen in case of Biate. Normally, distal and proximal demonstratives also play an important role in the nominalization processes in Kuki-Chin languages. Βiate does have this feature. The relative clause markers in the Tibeto Burman languages behave as the nominalizer, Biate has a null relativizer.
Nominalization process in Βiate differ from Khelma, Hrangkhol, Hmar and others. This paper will provide a detailed account of the nominalization process in Biate.