[[alternative]]Indefinite Wh-Construals in Formosan Languages--A Comparative Study of Kavalan, Tsou, and Seediq

[[abstract]]The task undertaken in this paper is to study indefinite ??/-construals in Kavalan, Tsou, and Seediq. We made some preliminary observations concerning the related phenomena, and sketched a typological study of the three Formosan languages with respect to their distinctive syntactic behavior. We also propose to consider the "mixed typology" problem from the point of view of language acquisition. It is claimed that a language type is not a primitive category, but should be treated as a bunch of distinctive features. Based on this more flexible methodology, we are allowed to address the more fundamental issue concerning two conflicting notions: that is, linguistic diversity and linguistic universality. Key Words: Austronesian linguistics, Formosan syntax, linguistic typology, indefinite w/2-construals, grammatical theory[[fileno]]JA01_1997_p38