Argument Dependencies in Tukang Besi

Abstract

This paper uses standard syntactic scoping properties (as found with lambda calculus and predicate logic) to account for linking dependencies in Tukang Besi, an Austronesian language of Indonesia. Basic argument dependencies are established with a combination of verbal agreement, case marking and constituent order. If taken alone, no one of these is sufficient to determine the grammatical relations in the clause. Rather these different factors operate in combination to yield unambiguous clauses. What is shown is that scope taking options determine which combinations are possible and which are impossible.