All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures

In this typological study, we identify 31 languages that have reduplication with a changed vowel, as in English tick-tock, referred to as ablaut reduplication. Cross-linguistically, this type of reduplication typically manifests as total reduplication with a changed vowel whose quality may or may no...

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Main Authors: Wivell Grace, Miatto Veronica, Karakaş Ayla, Kostyszyn Kalina, Repetti Lori
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2024-10-01
Series:Linguistic Typology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/lingty-2023-0018
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author Wivell Grace
Miatto Veronica
Karakaş Ayla
Kostyszyn Kalina
Repetti Lori
author_facet Wivell Grace
Miatto Veronica
Karakaş Ayla
Kostyszyn Kalina
Repetti Lori
author_sort Wivell Grace
collection DOAJ
description In this typological study, we identify 31 languages that have reduplication with a changed vowel, as in English tick-tock, referred to as ablaut reduplication. Cross-linguistically, this type of reduplication typically manifests as total reduplication with a changed vowel whose quality may or may not be fixed, and when it is not fixed the vowel differs maximally from the corresponding vowel in the base. The order of the copy relative to the base can be fixed or variable, and when it is variable the order enforces a language-specific vowel contour across the two components, such as a low vowel in the first constituent and a high vowel in the second, regardless of which constituent is the base. Furthermore, all cases of ablaut have strikingly similar semantics (playfulness, onomatopoeia, movement, etc.). We review previous treatments of the topic and outline the necessary components of a unified analysis that accommodates the typological patterns.
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series Linguistic Typology
spelling doaj-art-2640b51c0c614a18a8a905e7d451cf0f2025-08-20T03:17:55ZengDe GruyterLinguistic Typology1430-05321613-415X2024-10-0128350553610.1515/lingty-2023-0018All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structuresWivell Grace0Miatto Veronica1Karakaş Ayla2Kostyszyn Kalina3Repetti Lori4Department of Linguistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USADepartment of Linguistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USADepartment of Linguistics, 5755Yale University, New Haven, NY, USADepartment of Linguistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USADepartment of Linguistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USAIn this typological study, we identify 31 languages that have reduplication with a changed vowel, as in English tick-tock, referred to as ablaut reduplication. Cross-linguistically, this type of reduplication typically manifests as total reduplication with a changed vowel whose quality may or may not be fixed, and when it is not fixed the vowel differs maximally from the corresponding vowel in the base. The order of the copy relative to the base can be fixed or variable, and when it is variable the order enforces a language-specific vowel contour across the two components, such as a low vowel in the first constituent and a high vowel in the second, regardless of which constituent is the base. Furthermore, all cases of ablaut have strikingly similar semantics (playfulness, onomatopoeia, movement, etc.). We review previous treatments of the topic and outline the necessary components of a unified analysis that accommodates the typological patterns.https://doi.org/10.1515/lingty-2023-0018ablautreduplicationfixed segmentism
spellingShingle Wivell Grace
Miatto Veronica
Karakaş Ayla
Kostyszyn Kalina
Repetti Lori
All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures
Linguistic Typology
ablaut
reduplication
fixed segmentism
title All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures
title_full All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures
title_fullStr All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures
title_full_unstemmed All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures
title_short All about ablaut: a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures
title_sort all about ablaut a typology of ablaut reduplicative structures
topic ablaut
reduplication
fixed segmentism
url https://doi.org/10.1515/lingty-2023-0018
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