Syntax and phonology of Motu (Papua) : a transformational approach

Abstract

This study aims to extend our knowledge of the Motu language of Papua by giving an account of aspects of the language that have so far been neglected, viz., syntax and phonology. Within the field of syntax, attention is focussed on three important ways of forming complex sentences - relativization, complementation, and coordination. The theoretical framework for the study as a whole is that of transformational grammar. The syntax follows broadly the 'abstract syntax' version of transformational grammar as developed by G. Lakeoff and J. R. Ross in particular, while The Sound Pattern of English by Chomsky and Halle has been the main guide in the construction of the phonology.