The semantics of "inalienable possession" in Koromu (PNG)

Abstract

This chapter examines the semantics of "inalienable possession" constructions in Koromu, a Madang language of Papua New Guinea. Person and number suffixes or enclitics mark head nouns in possessive nominal constructions and indicate the person and number of the "possessor". Inanimate, animate and partially animate nominal constructions describe relationships between two inanimates, two animates, or an animate and an inanimate referent, respectively. The key relationship between the two entities varies across these subtypes but rather than "possession" in the sense of ownership, it commonly involves the concept 'part of'; for example, in 'parts of things', 'parts of the same thing' and things which are 'like a part of something'. The natural semantic metalanguage is used to explicate the meaning of these constructions.