A grammar of space in Kwak´wala

Abstract

This dissertation documents and analyzes the rich linguistic resources available in the grammar of K^wak´ ^wala (Wakashan, iso kwk) grammar for describing location, motion and direction. The research contributes to current theories of polysynthetic morphological complexity with insight from a language with an especially complex approach to spatial relations, while illuminating the role of language in forming cultural knowledge about the physical environment.