Stability and change in alignment systems : a study of agreement patterns in Arawakan languages

In English This essay investigates change and stability in the alignment system and its expression in morphology in Arawakan languages. The verbal alignment system and the agreement-pattern of 32 Arawakan languages were compared to each other and maps showing the geographical distribution as well as the distribution in genealogical subgroups were generated. Moreover, the nominal alignment system and case-marking which occurs in two of the investigated languages were studied as well as the correlation of alignment systems, agreement-patterns and word order. It was focused on changing patterns and in the cases where no language-internal explanation of a change could be found, the languages were compared to non-related contact-languages.

It was found that the alignment system is quite stable whereas the changes that had happened were very varied. There were found changes due to internal factors and such caused by contact-languages. While internal changes affected the morphology before changing the alignment system, contact-induced changes could affect either the alignment system, or the morphology or both of them.