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Toba Batak manang: Notes on its uses and form.

  • Published In: Studies in Language, 2025, v. 49, n. 2. P. 478 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Erlewine, Michael Yoshitaka 3 of 3

Abstract

This paper offers a description of the multifunctional morpheme manang in Toba Batak (Austronesian; Sumatra) — as the disjunctor, the interrogative complementizer, and a particle forming wh-based polarity items — contextualized within the broader semantic and typological literatures on such meaning expressions. I also observe a puzzle regarding its form: the form manang diverges substantially from its functional equivalent, barang, as described in H. N. Van der Tuuk's pioneering grammar of Toba Batak (Van der Tuuk 1864–1867). I argue that consideration of this historical change supports the analysis of these various uses of manang as a case of functional polysemy, reflecting a common conceptual core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Studies in Language. 2025/04, Vol. 49, Issue 2, p478
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Communication and Mass Media
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0378-4177
  • DOI:10.1075/sl.24067.erl
  • Accession Number:186246886
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