卑南語格位形式融合

Case Syncretism in Puyuma

「形式融合」(syncretism) 的現象可分別從歷時與共時的角度來探討。從歷時的角度而言，「形式融合」指的是於先前區分的兩個形式合併為一的過程。從共時的角度而言，「形式融合」指的是有作區分的語言單位卻以同一形式來表達。在此篇文章，我們探討卑南語三個方言中各種不同模式之格位形式融合。在南王卑南語，屬格跟斜格有形式融合的現象，而在其他方言，此區分被部分保留。跨方言的比較，除了能讓我們從歷時與共時的角度來探討「形式融合」，亦能幫助我們構擬古卑南語的格位系統。此篇文章顯示，語音較為存古的方言並不一定在構詞句法的表現上也較為存古；南王卑南語是語音較為存古的方言，但在構詞句法上卻較為創新。另外，藉由跨方言的比較，我們可以觀察歷時的演變如何產生，以及在構詞上因「形式融合」現象所造成的模糊，可如何經由其他構詞句法的方法得到彌補。

The notion of syncretism may be viewed diachronically or synchronically. Diachronically it refers to a merger that occurred as a process leading to the neutralization of a formerly overt distinction. Synchronically, it refers to formally identical expressions that are kept morphosyntactically distinct elsewhere in the system (Baerman et al. 2005). In this paper, various patterns of case syncretism in different Puyuma varieties are observed. In Nanwang Puyuma, genitive and oblique are syncretic, while in other dialectal varieties the distinction is partially preserved. In comparing the case paradigms, we come to observe and investigate the notion of syncretism synchronically and diachronically. The comparison made among different dialectal varieties also enables us to reconstruct the case paradigm of Proto-Puyuma. The result of the reconstruction provides evidence which shows that phonological conservation does not necessarily entail morphosyntactic conservation: Nanwang Puyuma is phonologically more conservative but is morphosyntactically more innovative. Second, by virtue of the comparison among the Puyuma dialectal varieties, we can detect how the diachronic changes may be invoked and infer how syncretism in morphology can be compensated via other morphosyntactic means.