Cross-Linguistic Comparisons of Noun Phrase Constructions in Khasi Varieties

Abstract

This research paper presents a detailed analysis of the noun phrases (NP) in War-Khasi and War-Jaiñtia, two varieties of the Khasi language spoken in north-eastern India. The study investigates the syntactic and morphological features of NPs, with a particular emphasis on the distinctions between pre-modifiers and post- modifiers. By comparing and contrasting the NPs of War-Khasi and War-Jaiñtia, the paper highlights the unique attributes and functions of these constructions in each variety. The research also explores the various constructions of NPs in both varieties and evaluates their syntactic and semantic roles. The findings demonstrate that while both varieties share similar NP constructions, there are notable differences in the functions and attributes of NPs in each variety. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the different functions of NPs and their lexical elements, including the head noun and all of its accompanying modifiers. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of the syntax and morphology of noun phrases in Khasi and provides insights into the unique linguistic features of these two varieties. The findings have important implications for cross-linguistic comparisons of NP constructions and for further research in the field of linguistics of the Khasi varieties.