Robinson Laura C. Dupaningan Agta: Grammar, Vocabulary and Texts

Publisher: UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I
Publication date: 2008
Number of pages: 378Dupaningan Agta is an Austronesian language of the Philippine subgroup which is spoken in northeastern Luzon, Philippines by approximately 1,400 semi-nomadic huntergatherers belonging to the Negrito ethnic minority. The language is endangered, as it is beginning to lose child speakers. This dissertation introduces the language situation and discusses phonology (synchronic and historical) and morphosyntax (word order, word classes, the verb complex, aspect, case marking, nominalization, question formation, relative clauses and other essential aspects of Dupaningan grammar). Dupaningan Agta has a relatively simple phonological system, with fifteen consonants and five vowels. Of note, *a has been fronted to /i/ or /e/ after the voiced stops /b d g/. Morphosyntactically, the language has a typical Philippine-type symmetrical voice or focus system. The voice system of Dupaningan Agta is explored, with special reference to an interesting
double-object construction with two syntactic subjects. Finally, this dissertation includes a substantial vocabulary and selection of texts.