The loss of Jê nominal verbs in Panará

Abstract

In Jê languages, verbs appear in a non-finite form that fulfills a double function: licensing marked TAME semantics in main clauses, and licensing embedded clauses. However, the Panará language lost its non-finite verbal form. This paper examines Panará verbs from both a synchronic and diachronic angle, and in a broader comparative approach with regards to the morphosyntactic behaviour of verbs in the other Jê languages. The main claim is that the non-finite forms prevalent in the Jê family underwent a reanalysis in Panará, resulting in fully finite clauses in all environments.