From verb to noun and back again: Non-referential uses of nominalizations in Aguaruna (Chicham)

Abstract

Abstract The paper describes the reanalysis of deverbal nominalizations as verbal forms, allowing them to function as predicates of finite and dependent clauses. The paper questions how the reanalyzed forms mark verbal grammatical categories, and data is presented to show that verbal morphology may be marked on a copula, or in some cases directly marked on the nominalization, clearly showing that reanalysis has taken place. The paper also questions what happens to nominal morphology associated with a reanalyzed nominalization, and shows that this too can be reanalyzed and become functionally part of the verbal switch-reference system.