The book explores Adjunct Control in Assamese, an Indo-Aryan language spoken in North India by about 15 million people. The author works within the Minimalist Program of syntactic theory. Adjunct Control is a relation of co-referentiality between two subjects, one in the matrix clause and one in the adjunct clause of the same structure. The relevant adjuncts in Assamese are non-finite clauses commonly known as Conjunctive Participle (CNP) clauses. Four types of Adjunct Control are examined: (i) Forward Control, in which only the matrix subject is pronounced; (ii) Backward Control, in which only the subordinate subject is pronounced; (iii) Copy Control, in which both subjects are pronounced; and (iv) Expletive Control, in which case the two control elements are expletives. While Forward Control is a cross-linguistically common control pattern, Assamese also allows the other three less common structures. The author analyzes Adjunct Control as movement and provides a detailed account of the conditions that drive and constrain each of the four types of control. The theoretical implications are highlighted. The book is unique both empirically and theoretically. It is the first monograph which deals with Assamese generative syntax. It is also the first book to explore control structures in a single understudied language in such detail. In addition to Assamese, the book provides data from Telugu, Bengali, Konkani, Marathi, Tamil, and Hindi.

This book analyses data from a variety of sources, including soap operas, movies, plays, talk shows and other audiovisual material, to examine attitude datives in Levantine Arabic. It looks at four types of interpersonal pragmatic marker: topic/affectee-oriented, speaker-oriented, hearer-oriented and subject-oriented to explore the meaning contribution of attitude datives as they are used in particular interactions. It examines the contextual factors that inform and are informed by their use and deepens our understanding of the interaction between social dimensions and pragmatic markers.

Examines the social functions of attitude dative pronouns in four Arabic dialects Analysing data from a variety of sources, including soap operas, movies, plays, talk shows and other audiovisual material, this book examines attitude datives - pragmatic markers that deal with interpersonal attitudes and relations - in Levantine Arabic. It examines four types of attitude dative in context to deepen our understanding of the interaction between social dimensions and pragmatic markers. Using data from Syrian, Lebanese, Jordanian and Palestinian dialects it provides a valuable non-European perspective on language use.Documents the phenomenon of attitude datives in four Levantine Arabic dialectsUtilises data from a variety of sources including soap operas, movies, plays, talk showsExamines four types of attitude datives: topic/affectee-oriented, speaker-oriented, hearer-oriented, and subject-orientedAnalyses the evaluative and relational functions of attitude datives as interpersonal pragmatic markers in their social contexts