Documentation

Linglib.Studies.Cysouw2009

Paradigmatic Structure of Person Marking #

[Cys09] [Gre63]

Formalizes the typological framework from:

Cysouw, M. (2009). The Paradigmatic Structure of Person Marking. Oxford Studies in Typology and Linguistic Theory. Oxford University Press.

Core Ideas #

Person marking is analyzed not via traditional "person × number" grids but via participant groups: sets of speech act participants that are marked by a single morpheme. "Plural" is reanalyzed as qualitative group composition (who is included?) rather than quantitative number (how many?).

The 8-cell paradigmatic scheme (Fig 10.1) comprises:

A paradigmatic structure assigns each category to a morpheme class: categories sharing a class are homophonous (marked by the same form).

Key Results Formalized #

A paradigmatic structure assigns each of the 8 person categories to a morpheme class. Categories assigned the same natural number are realized by the same morpheme (homophonous).

This is the central representational device: all of Cysouw's typological classifications are computable from this function.

  • name : String

    Language or paradigm name

  • isoCode : String

    ISO 639-3 code (if applicable)

  • morphClass : Person.Category

    Maps each person category to a morpheme class index. Same index = same morpheme (homophony).

  • isInflectional : Bool

    Whether this is an inflectional (true) or independent (false) paradigm

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    Two categories are homophonous in a paradigm iff they share morphClass.

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      Number of distinct morphemes in the paradigm.

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        The 5 singular homophony types ([Cys09], §2.1–2.5).

        Classifies how the three singular categories (1, 2, 3) pattern with respect to homophony within a paradigm.

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            Compute the singular homophony type from a paradigmatic structure.

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              The 5 common types of marking for 'we' ([Cys09], Table 3.2/10.3).

              Classifies how the three first-person-complex categories (1+2, 1+2+3, 1+3) pattern in the paradigm relative to singular 1.

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                  Compute the first person complex type from a paradigmatic structure.

                  Follows the decision tree in Figure 3.10:

                  1. Any specialized 'we'? (No → Pb)
                  2. Inclusive distinguished from exclusive? (No → Pa unified-we)
                  3. Exclusive specialized (≠ 1sg)? (No → Pc only-inclusive)
                  4. Inclusive split (min ≠ aug)? (No → Pd, Yes → Pe)
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                    Whether a paradigm has horizontal homophony (singular = non-singular).

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                      Whether a paradigm has vertical homophony (between non-singular categories, excluding the first person complex internal structure).

                      Cysouw §10.1.6: "the various kinds of homophony between the categories of the first person complex are not included under this heading." So we only check mergers between the first person complex and {2+3, 3+3}, or between 2+3 and 3+3.

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                        Explicitness level of a paradigm.

                        Measures how many person oppositions are grammaticalized in the paradigm. Higher = more explicit (more distinct morphemes).

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                            Compute the explicitness level of a paradigmatic structure.

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                              Horizontal Homophony Hierarchy.

                              If horizontal homophony occurs, it follows the person hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3: first attested in 3rd person, then 2nd, then 1st (exclusive).

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                                  Addressee Inclusion Implication I: Exclusive → Inclusive. If there is a specialized exclusive morpheme, there is also a specialized inclusive morpheme.

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                                    Split Inclusive Implication: Split inclusive → Exclusive. If the inclusive is split into minimal and augmented, then the exclusive is specialized.

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                                      Homophony Implication: Singular homophony → inflectional paradigm.

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                                        Latin (Sa, Pd): all singular distinct, inclusive/exclusive. 1sg -ō, 2sg -s, 3sg -t, 1+2/1+2+3 -mus, 1+3 -mus, 2+3 -tis, 3+3 -nt Note: Latin has no incl/excl distinction, unified 'we' = 1pl -mus.

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                                          English verbal inflection (Sb, Pb): 2=3 homophony in present tense, no specialized 'we' (English has -s for 3sg, zero elsewhere → 1=2 in terms of overt marking, but the paradigm structure is actually Sb-type when we consider the pronoun paradigm: I/you/he-she-it). Actually in the verbal inflection: walk/walk/walks → 1=2 vs 3 = Sd type. For the independent pronouns: I ≠ you ≠ he/she → Sa, unified-we.

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                                            English verbal inflection (Sd type): walk/walk/walks → 1=2 vs 3.

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                                              Dutch verbal inflection (Sb type): loop/loopt/loopt → 1 vs 2=3. No incl/excl distinction, unified plural -en.

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                                                Spanish verbal inflection (Sc type): hablo/hablas/habla → 1=3 homophony in subjunctive (hable/hables/hable). Indicative present = Sa. Using the subjunctive as the classic Sc example.

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                                                  French verbal inflection (Se type): parle/parles/parle → 1=2=3 (phonologically identical in spoken French for -er verbs).

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                                                    Mandara (Chadic): independent pronouns with inclusive/exclusive (Pd). yá/ká/á (1/2/3), má (1+2/1+2+3), ŋá (1+3), kwá (2+3), tá (3+3).

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                                                      Ilocano: minimal/augmented system (Pe). co (1sg), ta (1+2 minimal), tayo (1+2+3 augmented), mi (1+3 exclusive), mo (2sg), yo (2+3), na (3sg), da (3+3).

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                                                        Maká (Mataco-Guaicuruan, Paraguay): only-inclusive (Pc). hoy- (1sg/1+3), xi(t)- (1+2/1+2+3), other forms for 2, 3, 2+3, 3+3.

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                                                          Mura Pirahã: no-we (Pb). Only 3 singular pronouns, no group marking.

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                                                            Toda (Dravidian): Tupí-Guaraní-type with 3=3+3 horizontal homophony.

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                                                              Czech independent pronouns: Sa (all singular distinct), unified-we (Pa).

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                                                                Finnish verbal inflection (Sa type): puhun/puhut/puhuu — all singular distinct (suffixes: -n, -t, -V). No inclusive/exclusive distinction, unified 'we' (Pa): puhumme (-mme). Person marking is inflectional. Singular person distinction confirmed by the negative auxiliary paradigm from Finnish.Negation: en/et/ei are all distinct.

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                                                                  All language data.

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                                                                    Singular homophony type verification #

                                                                    First person complex type verification #

                                                                    Five singular types are exhaustive over our data #

                                                                    All five first-person complex types are attested #

                                                                    Addressee Inclusion Implication holds for all paradigms: exclusive specialized → inclusive specialized. (Cysouw 3.23)

                                                                    Split Inclusive Implication holds for all paradigms: min.incl ≠ aug.incl → exclusive specialized. (Cysouw 3.24)

                                                                    Homophony Implication holds for all paradigms: singular homophony → inflectional paradigm. (Cysouw 10.4)

                                                                    theorem Cysouw2009.independent_no_singular_homophony :
                                                                    ((List.filter (fun (x : ParadigmaticStructure) => x.isInflectional == false) allParadigms).all fun (x : ParadigmaticStructure) => x.hasSingularHomophony == false) = true

                                                                    Independent pronouns → no singular homophony (contrapositive of 10.4).

                                                                    Ilocano (Pe/minimal-augmented) is the most explicit.

                                                                    Mandara (Pd/inclusive-exclusive) is one step below.

                                                                    English pronouns (Pa/unified-we) are at unified-we level.

                                                                    French inflection (Se/singular homophony) is least explicit.

                                                                    The Explicitness Hierarchy is respected in our data: more explicit paradigms distinguish more categories.

                                                                    Toda has horizontal homophony (3sg = 3+3).

                                                                    English pronouns have horizontal homophony (you.sg = you.pl).

                                                                    Latin has no horizontal homophony.

                                                                    The First Person Hierarchy: no-we < unified-we < only-inclusive < inclusive/exclusive < minimal/augmented

                                                                    Verified: the hierarchy corresponds to increasing number of forms for 'we'. We count the distinct morpheme classes among {1+2, 1+2+3, 1+3}.

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                                                                      The First Person Hierarchy is respected: Pb (no-we) < Pa (unified) < Pd (incl/excl) < Pe (min/aug) measured by number of specialized 'we' forms.

                                                                      Bridge 3: English Fragment Pronouns ↔ Paradigmatic Structure #

                                                                      Connect the English pronouns fragment (Fragments/English/Pronouns.lean) to Cysouw's classification. English independent pronouns are Sa (all singular distinct) with unified-we (Pa).

                                                                      English pronoun paradigmatic structure is Sa (all distinct in singular).

                                                                      English pronoun paradigmatic structure is Pa (unified 'we').

                                                                      English has horizontal homophony: you.sg = you.pl (2 = 2+3). This is visible in the Fragment: English.Pronouns.you and you_pl share the same surface form "you".

                                                                      Bridge 4: Czech Fragment ↔ Paradigmatic Structure #

                                                                      Czech pronouns (já/ty/on/my/vy/oni) are Sa with unified-we.

                                                                      Bridge 5: Morphological status ↔ Explicitness #

                                                                      [Cys09] shows that inflectional paradigms correlate with lower explicitness. Our data confirms: all inflectional paradigms have explicitness ≤ unified-we (i.e., singular or vertical homophony, or unified-we).

                                                                      Inflectional paradigms in our data are all at or below unified-we on the Explicitness Hierarchy.

                                                                      Independent pronoun paradigms show greater explicitness: none have singular homophony.

                                                                      Number.Stage (Cysouw Fig 10.8) lives in Features/Number/Basic.lean — promoted to substrate because both [Cys09] and [Cor00] consume it.

                                                                      Classify a paradigm's number stage by checking singular/group opposition.

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                                                                        Person differentiation stages ([Cys09], Fig 10.9).

                                                                        Measures how finely person is distinguished in non-singular categories.

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                                                                            Classify a paradigm's person differentiation stage, per the Fig 10.9 tree as instantiated by Fig 10.7's columns: the only-inclusive and inclusive/exclusive types both sit at P3 (an inclusive–exclusive opposition is present either way); paradigms with an undifferentiated first person complex (no-we, unified-we) are P2 when the non-first non-singulars are differentiated and P1 under vertical homophony (P0 when the singulars are undifferentiated too). (Corrected against the source: a previous revision placed unified-we at P1 and only-inclusive at P2, one stage below Fig 10.7's columns.)

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                                                                              English pronouns are unified-we with differentiated you/they: column P2 of Fig 10.7.

                                                                              Pirahã is no-we with non-singular reference via the (distinct) singular forms: P2, with Fig 10.7's no-we column.

                                                                              Position in Cysouw's cognitive map (Fig 10.6), combining the number-of-forms-for-'we' with the paradigm type.

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                                                                                    Compute the full cognitive map position of a paradigm.

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                                                                                      theorem Cysouw2009.finnish_singular_distinct_from_fragment :
                                                                                      have sg := List.map (fun (x : Finnish.Negation.NegForm) => x.form) (List.filter (fun (x : Finnish.Negation.NegForm) => x.number == "sg") Finnish.Negation.negParadigm); sg.eraseDups.length = 3

                                                                                      Finnish singular person distinction confirmed by the Fragment's negative auxiliary paradigm: the three singular forms (en/et/ei) are all distinct.

                                                                                      The Category × Number junction (ch. 6: cardinality as restriction) #

                                                                                      Ch. 6 redefines pronominal number: the eight referential categories are unmarked for number — a group is defined by the KIND of its participants, not their quantity (Figs 6.1–6.2) — so a group's number coordinate in the canonical inventory is Number.general. Number marking proper is restriction of group reference: restricted 1+3 is the traditional dual, and restricted 1+2+3 is the traditional "trial" = McKay's unit augmented (§6.2 with its footnote on the etic/emic split; our Number.unitAugmented). Higher restricted numbers grammaticalize from numerals and become paucals (§6.4: true trials are extremely rare, true quadrals unattested — Sursurunga's "quadral" is a greater paucal, our Number.greaterPaucal, following Corbett).

                                                                                      So Cysouw himself rejects factoring the categories through person × number — the junction below is our representational bridge between the two canonical inventories, not his analysis. It works because the inventories carry his distinctions natively: the group/ restricted contrast is general vs the restricted values, and the one genuinely ambiguous cell — 1+2, referentially identical to its own restriction (Fig 6.3), aligned three ways by attested paradigms (Figs 6.4–6.5: with the duals, Maori (6.1); with the inclusive group, Umpila (6.2); with the singulars as emically MINIMAL, Fig 6.5) — gets McKay's emic coordinate (firstInclusive, minimal), the analysis our API already assigns Tagalog kata.

                                                                                      The compatible pairs: the image of the eight categories in Person × Number.

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                                                                                        The junction: the coordinates are injective — the eight referential categories embed into Person × Number, so the two canonical inventories compose without loss.

                                                                                        The person coordinate is the established person projection.

                                                                                        Exactly the group categories are number-unmarked (general): ch. 6's claim that groups are defined by kind, not quantity, holds of the coordinates by construction — except at the inclusive cells, where the 1+2 vs 1+2+3 contrast is itself quantificational (minimal vs augmented), which is why 1+2 is the ambiguous category.