Topics in the Grammar of Gyegu Tibetan

Abstract

This dissertation describes the variety of Tibetan spoken in and around Yushu City in Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the area where Gyegu Tibetan is spoken, previous research on closely related varieties, and the language's classification and vitality. Chapter 2 describes the language's phonology, including its large phoneme inventory and four-way laryngeal contrast between voiced, tense, breathy, and aspirated obstruents. Chapter 3 presents lexical and phrasal categories and details the morphological, syntactic, and semantic behavior of each category. Finally, Chapter 4 focuses on clausal morphosyntax, describing a wide variety of syntactic phenomena, including Gyegu Tibetan's system of evidentiality and egophoricity. Together, these chapters offer a detailed account of the language, serving as a foundation for further research on variation within the Tibetic language family and its notable phonological and syntactic features.