Paradigm shift: a theoretical and descriptive study of Mudburra-Kriol contact

Research output: ThesisNon-UWA Thesis

Abstract

The structural effects of language contact are not random. Rather, contact-induced grammatical changes—just like grammatical systems generally—are largely systematic. This thesis explores the profound structural changes that Mudburra (Ngumpin, Pama-Nyungan) has undergone within just a few decades under intense and increasing pressure from north Australian Kriol and English.

This study is based on extensive fieldwork. It is partly descriptive, but also partly explanatory, as it situates every observed change within larger typological and historical patterns in order to understand contact-induced grammatical change as it is shaped by language structure and by language evolution more broadly. In every instance, this study finds that the changes observed in modern Mudburra speech have analogues both in other language-contact settings and in situations of (ostensibly) monolingual language change. This supports, therefore, the idea that contact- and non-contact-induced change proceed along largely similar pathways despite the divergent sociolinguistic settings in which they occur.

This study focuses on changes observed within three grammatical subsystems: verbs, bound pronouns, and core argument structure. Chapter 3 details the five verb types currently used in the Mudburra community (whether in Mudburra- or Kriol-framed utterances), observing both overt lexical mixing and covert structural change. It finds, firstly, that Mudburra community members outside the oldest and most traditional group now overwhelmingly prefer Kriol verb lexemes and verbal grammar in their everyday speech. Additionally, it finds that, where younger speakers do use Mudburra verbal grammar, it displays systematic and predictable changes, including grammaticalisation of frequent lexical morphemes (§3.3.3, §3.3.5) and regularisation of less-common paradigms (§3.3.3).

Chapter 4 examines changes to Mudburra bound pronoun use. It identifies seven types of paradigmatic change in the Mudburra data (§4.4.3.2) and relates these to changes seen in other Australian pronoun systems, as well as to changes observed in, and predictions made by, large typological studies of pronominal paradigm shift. As with the findings on verbs, the changes observed in Mudburra are largely consistent with those found in other Australian languages—and moreover, often precisely in line with predictions from the theoretically-oriented literature. Again, then, structural change is seen to follow predictable trajectories regardless of whether its apparent motivation is internal or external.

Finally, Chapter 5 explores core argument marking. It finds that, while traditional Mudburra is an ergative language with pragmatically-determined word order, modern Mudburra speakers have borrowed both an alignment pattern (accusative) and a means of marking it (grammatical word order) from Kriol (§5.4). Similar alterations have likewise been found in other Australian situations of change, attrition, and shift—though again, they are not limited to these areal or sociolinguistic contexts, as they have also been observed around the world in situations not typically described in any of these terms (§5.2). The centrality of core argument marking to a language’s grammar means that changes within it—such as those seen in modern Mudburra—represent a profound linguistic restructure. Even such extensive changes again prove, however, to be systematic: modern Mudburra core argument marking has merely shifted to take on characteristics of another common argument-marking system (i.e., that of Kriol, which is not itself typologically unusual).

In sum, the key finding of this thesis is thus: language change follows patterns that are ordered and, in a broad sense, often predictable. This holds whether the change is due to attrition, contact among balanced bilinguals, or diachronic developments in the absence of intense contact. While structural reorganisation can vary in type or extent, it is nevertheless systematic. Furthermore, it often follows well-worn pathways—even in speech communities undergoing profound and rapid language shift. And finally, whatever its context, language change consistently stands as testament to speakers’ creativity: consciously or unconsciously, speakers continually innovate and modify their grammatical systems and lexical inventories to capitalise on the patterns they know best while also projecting the identities they value most.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor of Philosophy
Awarding Institution
  • University of Queensland
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Meakins, Felicity, Supervisor, External person
  • Pensalfini, Rob, Supervisor, External person
Award date4 Oct 2024
DOIs
Publication statusUnpublished - 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Paradigm shift: a theoretical and descriptive study of Mudburra-Kriol contact'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this