Nominalization, relativization, and attribution in Lotha, Angami, and Burmese

Abstract

Lotha Naga, Angami Naga, and Burmese are Tibeto-Burman languages spoken in a region which includes Burma (Burmese) and the northeast Indian state of Nagaland (Lotha and Angami). In these languages, as In Tibeto-Burman more generally, grammatical subordination typically involves nominalization. In this paper. we will be concerned with three types of nominalized structures: i) Relative clauses (e.g. The boy who is eating bananas..); ii) Attributive adjectives (The fat boy...); iii) Sentential complements (...likes to eat bananas/eating bananas).