Abstract

In Trumai, three constructions can possibly be used as a reply to a where question: (i) a construction with a positional verb, such as ‘sit’, ‘lie’, ‘stand’; (ii) a copular construction; (iii) a zero-copula construction. In the current study, I analyze the relationship among them, trying to determine what the Basic Locative Construction (BLC) of Trumai is. The main hypotheses are: (i) the zero-copula construction is just a subtype of the copular one; (ii) the system of Trumai is moving from one type of BLC (copular) to another type (positional verb), but the move is not completed yet, and this would be the reason why both constructions can function as replies to where questions. I analyze the relationship between these constructions and how they code spatial information. Another relevant issue explored in this article is the class of positional verbs that occur in the locative constructions. I describe the formal characteristics and semantics of such verbs, exploring the role that these verbs can have in classifying types of Figures.