Demonstrative prepositions in Lamaholot

Abstract

<p>This paper presents a description and analysis of demonstratives in the Lewotobi dialect of<br> Lamaholot. There are two major findings in this paper. First, demonstratives in Lamaholot<br> have basic, nominalized, and adverbial forms. These three forms have different functions in<br> different syntactic environments: locative adverbial, prepositional, prenominal, verbal,<br> referential, noun-modifying, and manner adverbial. Second and more importantly,<br> demonstratives in this language can serve as prepositions. In this function, they can be used<br> to mark NPs as adjuncts and add deictic spatial meanings to them. This use of<br> demonstratives is rarely found in other languages and is an important characteristic of this<br> Austronesian language of eastern Indonesia.</p