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Nat Lang Semantics (2017) 36:1–52
DOI 10.1007/s11050-016-9128-1
Past interpretation and graded tense in Medumba
Anne Mucha1,2
Published online: 15 October 2016
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016
Abstract This paper provides a formal semantic analysis of past interpretation in
Medumba (Grassfields Bantu), a graded tense language. Based on original fieldwork,
the study explores the empirical behavior and meaning contribution of graded past
morphemes in Medumba and relates these to the account of the phenomenon pro-
posed in Cable (Nat Lang Semant 21:219–276, 2013)forG˜ık˜uy˜u. Investigation reveals
that the behavior of Medumba gradedness markers differs from that of their G˜ık ˜uy ˜u
counterparts in meaningful ways and, more broadly, discourages an analysis as presup-
positional eventuality or reference time modifiers. Instead, the Medumba markers are
most appropriately analyzed as quantificational tenses. It also turns out that Medumba,
though belonging to the typological class of graded tense languages, shows intrigu-
ing similarities to genuinely tenseless languages in allowing for temporally unmarked
sentences and exploiting aspectual and pragmatic cues for reference time resolution.
The more general cross-linguistic implication of the study is that the set of languages
often subsumed under the label “graded tense” does not in fact form a natural class
and that more case-by-case research is needed to refine this category.
Keywords Graded tense ·Past interpretation ·Grassfields Bantu
BAnne Mucha
mucha@ids-mannheim.de
1Department Linguistik, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam,
Germany
2Present Address: Institut für Deutsche Sprache (IDS), Augustaanlage 32,
68165 Mannheim, Germany
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