Doctoral Dissertation Research: Structure of the Tanacross (Athabaskan) Verb

摘要：Mithun，HoltonU.Cal.圣巴巴拉OPP-9907059本论文项目将为Tancross动词的结构准备一份语法描述。Tancross是一种独特的阿萨巴斯卡语，由阿拉斯加东部Tancross村及其周边地区的大约30名中年或老年居民使用，几乎没有人进行过研究。本论文将对阿萨巴斯卡的语言进行全面的描述，并对共时和历时的阿萨巴斯卡语言学提供理论见解。在阿萨巴斯卡语言中，Tancross是一种特别有趣的语言，因为它演变了一种独特的复合声调系统，反映了动词后缀的历史损失。据报道，只有另外两种阿拉斯加阿萨巴斯加语(汉语和上塔纳语)有这样的系统，而且都没有详细描述。除了Koyukon和Ahtna语言外，很少有人致力于描述阿拉斯加阿萨巴斯加语的语法结构。因此，本文有助于加深对阿萨巴斯卡动词法的理解。将涵盖的主题包括动词结构、前缀模板、动词词干变化和动词主题类别。由此产生的文件将使阿萨巴斯卡主义者和普通语言学社区以及Tancross社区内部为振兴语言所做的持续努力都受益。

AbstractMithun, HoltonU.Cal. Santa BarbaraOPP-9907059This dissertation project will prepare a grammatical description of the structure of the Tanacross verb. Tanacross, a distinctive Athabaskan language spoken by roughly 30 middle-aged or older residents of Tanacross village and its environs in eastern Alaska, has received little study. The dissertation will provide both a thorough description of the language and theoretical insights into synchronic and diachronic Athabaskan linguistics. Among the Athabaskan languages, Tanacross is of particular interest due to the evolution of a unique system of compound tones, reflecting the historical loss of verb suffixes. Only two other Alaska Athabaskan languages (Han and Upper Tanana) have been reported to have such a system, and none has been described in detail. With the exception of the Koyukon and Ahtna languages, very little work has been devoted to the description of grammatical structure in Alaska Athabaskan languages. This dissertation thus contributes to the further understanding of Athabaskan verbal morphology. Topics to be covered include verb structure, prefix template, verb stem variation, and verb theme categories. The resulting documentation will benefit both the Athabaskanist and general linguistics community as well as the continued efforts toward language revitalization within the Tanacross community itself.