Sreekar Raghotham and Prof. Troy Messick recently presented their work(s) at (f)ASAL-13 (University of Michigan, March 31st – April 2nd).
Sreekar Raghotham and Troy Messick (joint work) : Pseudo-ABA in Dravidian and Containment Hypothesis.
Abstract: We present novel evidence from Telugu and Malayalam dialects that so-called pseudo-ABA patterns in the pronominal paradigm of these dialects is not the result of feature containment. This suggests that some *ABA patterns can be explained without reference to structural
containment.
Sreekar Raghotham : Reflexives and Anticausatives.
Abstract: A wide variety of genetically and areally unrelated languages make use of the same element to mark reflexive and anticausative verbs (Haspelmath 1993). Adducing evidence from Telugu (Dravidian), I argue that this multifunctionality is a case of syncretism and not underlying unity. I also show that marked anticausatives in the language carry a ‘no agent’ presupposition, adding to the typology of such marking.