ABSTRACT

Expressive Morphology in the Languages of South Asia explores the intricacies of the grammars of several of the languages of the South Asian subcontinent. Specifically, the contributors to this volume examine grammatical resources for shaping elaborative, rhyming, and alliterative expressions, conveying the emotions, states, conditions and perceptions of speakers. These forms, often referred to expressives, remain relatively undocumented, until now.

It is clear from the evidence on contextualized language use that the grammatically artistic usage of these forms enriches and enlivens both every day and ritualized genres of discourse. The contributors to this volume provide grammatical and sociolinguistic documentation through a typological introduction to the diversity of expressive forms in the languages of South Asia.

This book is suitable for students and researchers in South Asian Languages, and language families of the following; Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic.

chapter 1|10 pages

Introduction

part I|21 pages

South Asia in comparative perspective

part II|99 pages

Expressives in the Indo-Aryan sphere

chapter 3|23 pages

Expressives in Hindi

chapter 4|74 pages

Nepali expressive morphology

part III|31 pages

Expressives in the Dravidian family

chapter 6|14 pages

Expressive morphology

A study of iraṭṭaikkiḷavi in Tamil

part IV|48 pages

Expressive morphology in Tibeto-Burman

chapter 7|20 pages

Reduplication in Lamkang

Form, function, feeling

chapter 8|26 pages

The functional value of formal exuberance

Isomorphism and expressive intensification in Adi and Milang

part V|18 pages

The Tai presence in South Asia

chapter 9|16 pages

A study of the poetics of Tai Ahom

part VI|68 pages

The Munda world