Comparative Grammaticalization in Enlhet-Enenlhet

Across the Enlhet-Enenlhet family, there is a recurring process whereby Imperfective and Perfective verb forms undergo grammaticalization, losing aspects of their morpho-semantic productivity and getting recruited for a range of different functions, including as various kinds of negators, markers of semantic roles and inter-clausal relations, and adverbs. Although the broad strokes of this process are visible in all Enlhet-Enenlhet languages, which form has grammaticalized with a particular function differs across the family. Using data primarily from Sanapaná, Enxet Sur, Enlhet Norte, and Enenlhet, this comparative study describes this phenomenon across the family, including what morphosyntactic features distinguish productive uses of these forms from grammaticalized ones. We also compare these grammaticalization trajectories to other cases in the literature to identify several previously unattested grammaticalization pathways. Finally, we explore factors that might have contributed to the Perfective/Imperfective grammaticalizing with a particular function, including morpho-semantics, cross-linguistic tendencies, and language contact.