This paper examines the meaning and functions of the directional suffixes (adverbial expressions of direction) in Kusaiean and Ponapean. It is shown that the directional suffixes have two semantic features of direction and terminus. Depending on the different contexts in which they are used, sometimes only one semantic feature is employed and…

Two linguistic propositions provide the subject matter for this discussion. The first is that all nouns can serve as locatives. This is exemplified in the locative structure of Chinese nouns, mostly with the overt markers of locative suffixes, just as English nouns are used as such in the form of prepositional phrases, or as Japanese nouns are…

Some of the problems inherent in a word-based hypothesis asserting that the word/stem is taken as the minimal sign not only for syntax but also for morphology are examined in an analysis of a polysynthetic language, Koyukon, an Athabaskan language of Alaska. Data from the Central dialect is considered in the analysis. A brief sketch of the verbal…