Finiteness in Yukuna

This paper introduces a method for describing finiteness designed for field linguists, using data from Yukuna (ISO 693-3:ycn, Glottocode: yucu1253), as outlined in Lemus Serrano's work (2020). The method involves establishing language-specific verbal and nominal prototypes, outlining the typical internal and external features of declarative verbal main clauses and Noun Phrases respectively, and using these feature grids to determine the degree to which individual constructions match or deviate from the prototypes. This methodology was applied to a sample of problematic dependent verb constructions, most of which display synchronically ambiguous nominalizing morphology. Through this systematic approach, the methodology provides a comprehensive overview of finiteness in Yukuna, enabling the ranking of constructions based on their systematically quantified degrees of nominality and verbality. This approach facilitates the identification of trends and constraints in the interaction between verbal and nominal features within clauses and languages, and allows for the testing of cross-linguistic typological hypotheses.