Complex Predicates in Niuean

Oceanic languages are well known to exhibit serial verb or complex predicate constructions, but there has been no discussion of such predicates in Niuean, a Polynesian language of the Tongic subgroup. This paper identifies and describes the various types of nuclear complex predicates found in Niuean, including those with auxiliary verbs and directional elements, as well as those formed by juxtapositional compounding. This last group consists, as in Samoan, of subtypes including argument incorporation, co-ordination, resultatives, depictives, modificational constructions and possessive constructions. We also identify a set of three light verbs in Niuean. Many examples are non-compositional in meaning, suggesting a high degree of lexicalization