Complex predicates in Wambaya: detaching predicate composition from syntactic structure

Abstract

In this chapter I compare and contrast two complex predicate constructions in Wambaya, a moribund non-configurational, non-Pama-Nyungan language of north-central Australia. The first of these – the associated motion construction – is the Wambaya reflex of the original proto-Mirndi verbcoverb construction, still present in Jaminjung (Schultze-Berndt 2000). In modern-day Wambaya this presents as a series of portmanteau directional + tense/aspect/mood suffixes on the second position auxiliary, in conjunction with a lexical main verb, as in (1): It is noteworthy that in this respect Wambaya differs from related languages, such as Jaminjung (Schultze-Berndt 2000), which only show a two-way contra..