SOAS Research Online

Abstract

In this thesis I have attempted to present a grammatical analysis of the finite verbal phrase in literary Panjabi with the material divided into four chapters. After the acknowledgements and contents the introductory chapter provides background information about the Panjabi language, Perso-Arabic, and Gurumukhi scripts, the system of transliteration, including historical outline of Panjabi language and literature and the previous work done in the field of grammar. The terms lexeme, suffix lexeme, and finite and non-finite(verbal phrase and verbal forms) are defined on the basis of the formal and functional approach adopted in this study. The second chapter deals the verbal phrase in its relations with such larger units as sentence and clause. The clause categories represented in the verbal phrase are here discussed in detial with special attention to non-honorific and honorific clauses. The chapter is concluded with an exhaustive list of types of clause structure involving the verbal phrase. The morphology of the verbal forms of the finite verbal phrase is discussed in the third chapter. It includes the classification of verbal forms into non-finite and finite, and of verbs into vowel-root and consonant-root verbs. Non-causative and causative, one-word and two-word, double verb and conjunct verb are defined. Verbal forms that inflect for the same categories, i.e number, gender, and person are grouped together; and the morphology of these five groups is described. Finally the morphology of the verb complement HO and the auxiliary verb HEE is also given. The internal structure of the finite verbal phrase and its component categories, active and passive, and affirmative and negative, are discussed in the fourth chapter. The thesis concludes with a bibliography.