Toba Batak <i>manang</i>

Abstract This paper offers a description of the multifunctional morpheme manang in Toba Batak (Austronesian; Sumatra) — as the disjunctor, the interrogative complementizer, and a particle forming wh -based polarity items — contextualized within the broader semantic and typological literatures on such meaning expressions. I also observe a puzzle regarding its form: the form manang diverges substantially from its functional equivalent, barang , as described in H. N. Van der Tuuk’s pioneering grammar of Toba Batak ( Van der Tuuk 1864–1867 ). I argue that consideration of this historical change supports the analysis of these various uses of manang as a case of functional polysemy, reflecting a common conceptual core.