Introduction

Complex predicates, also called verbal compounds, constitute the commonest means of verbal expression in Worora. By text count such predicates are far more frequent than simplex verbal expressions. Complex predicates make use of a large and open word class that occurs in few other grammatical contexts: this is the lexical category that I will refer to as preverbal infinitives or preverbs. Worrorra preverbs are semantically verbal, while possessing syntactic properties of both nouns and adverbs. Complex predication, and the lexical category of preverbs it hosts, together constitute one of the defining features of Worrorra in typological terms, and is a characteristic areal feature of north-western Australia generally (see eg McGregor 2002, Amberber, Baker & Harvey (eds) 2010).

Complex predicates in Worrorra are typically composed of a preverb followed by an inflecting verb, here termed a verb classifier for reasons that will become apparent. Predicates of this type are not uncommon in Australia, where they have traditionally been referred to as compound verbs or verbplus-auxiliary sequences (eg Capell 1976:615 ff). Other terminologies include ‘root,’ ‘verb,’ ‘prefix,’ ‘infinitive,’ ‘particle,’ ‘uninflecting verb’ and ‘transparent event’ for initial elements, and ‘thematizing suffix,’ ‘root,’ ‘auxiliary,’ ‘classifier,’ ‘classifier complex,’ ‘light verb’ and ‘inflecting verb’ for final elements (Dixon 1980:426, Nash 1982, Silverstein 1986, McGregor 1990, 2002 and references therein, and Amberber, Baker & Harvey (eds) 2010).