414 pp. January 1998
ISBN 978-0-8248-1743-5P
Out of Print
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Keywords: |
linguistics
language
Southeast Asia
Asia
textbook |
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Eastern Kayah Li: Grammar, Texts, Glossary
by David Solnit
"This grammar presents one of the first modern descriptions of a language of this group and the first of this particular language. That fact alone makes this an important publication, especially since it is a well-written and carefully researched book, based on extensive fieldwork.... The analysis of the verb complex in particular is very detailed and insightful, but other areas of the language are not neglected" --Language"Solnit's book ... contains insightful, clear, and detailed analysis of Kayah Li phonology, morphology, and sentential syntax, while remaining free of the contentious jargon and formal apparatus of much current linguistic theory. It also provides an extremely cogent analysis of the place of Kayah Li in the Karen branch of the Tibeto-Burman family." --Crossroads
Eastern Kayah Li presents the first full-length study of a Karen dialect not heretofore described in linguistic literature. While the Karen languages have received some scholarly attention, much remains unknown about them. Dr. Solnit's study throws needed light on an area too little studied until now. Kayah Li has perhaps 100,000 speakers, all in Burma except for some 1,500 in the Mae Hong Son province of Thailand. The variety of Eastern Kayah described here is spoken in villages Iying both south and north of Mae Hong Son town in northwestem Thailand. Linguists interested in Southeast Asian languages will find the book of considerable interest. The texts will be of interest to linguists studying spoken texts and oral literature. The glossary wil1 be of value to professionals and visitors who come in contact with Kayah Li speakers.
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