Contents

1 Introduction
2 An
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5

Overview of Okuna
The language and its speakers . . . . .
Phonology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Word classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Morphology and inflectional categories
Constituent order and clause structure

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3 Phonology
3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2 Phoneme inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2.1 Consonants . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.2.2 Vowels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.3 Syllable structure and phonotactics . . . .
3.4 Stress assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3.5 Common phonological processes . . . . . .
3.5.1 Consonant cluster simplification .
3.5.2 Place and continuancy assimilation
3.5.3 Vowel hiatus resolution . . . . . .

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14
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19
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20

4 Case and Argument Structure

4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.2 Noun case morphology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.3 The core cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.3.1 Nominative and ergative case . . . . . . . .
4.3.2 Dative case and the delimiter role . . . . .
4.4 Verb classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.4.1 Class I verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.4.2 Class II verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.4.3 Class III verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.5 The oblique cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.5.1 Locative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.5.2 Allative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.5.3 Ablative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.5.4 Instrumental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.6 The unmarked form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.6.1 Unmarked nouns within the noun phrase .
4.6.2 Unmarked noun phrases as non-arguments .
4.6.3 Pseudo-incorporated arguments . . . . . . .

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22
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31
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36
42
49
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57
61
61
62
64

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CONTENTS
4.6.4
4.6.5
4.6.6

Other unmarked noun phrases with Class III verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Unmarked noun phrases with Class I verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fixed expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 Pronouns
5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2 The personal pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3 Full pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3.1 Case marking on full pronouns . . . . .
5.3.2 Demonstrative constructions and spatial
5.3.3 Realis versus irrealis dative . . . . . . .
5.4 Clitic pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.1 Clitic clusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4.2 Clitic versus non-clitic pronouns . . . .
5.5 Omission of pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.6 Universal quantifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 The
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6

6.7

6.8

6.9

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72

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75
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76
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78
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83
86
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92
95
97

Noun Phrase
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Expressing number features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Expressing definiteness and specificity . . . . . . . . .
Compounding and modification . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Relational nouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Possessive constructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.6.1 Case marking the possessor . . . . . . . . . . .
6.6.2 Expressing possession . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Correlatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.7.1 Indefinite/interrogative correlatives . . . . . . .
6.7.2 Demonstrative correlatives . . . . . . . . . . .
6.7.3 Remarks on the functions of correlatives . . . .
Quantifiers and related elements . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.8.1 Mass noun quantifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.8.2 Count noun quantifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.8.3 Remarks on the functions of certain quantifiers
6.8.4 Numerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.8.5 Other postnominal modifiers . . . . . . . . . .
Word order within the noun phrase . . . . . . . . . . .

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100
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103
104
104
110
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112
114
114
119
121
123
124
126
127
129
135
137

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141
141
141
146
150
152
155
158
160
161
163
165
166

7 Verb Morphology
7.1 Introduction . . . . . . . .
7.2 Number agreement . . . .
7.3 Negation . . . . . . . . . .
7.4 Tense, aspect, and mood .
7.4.1 Verb conjugations
7.4.2 Imperfect . . . . .
7.4.3 Progressive . . . .
7.4.4 Perfect . . . . . . .
7.4.5 Perfective . . . . .
7.4.6 Conditional . . . .
7.5 Aspectual derivation . . .
7.5.1 Resultative . . . .

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CONTENTS

3
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171
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185
185
190

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193
193
193
193
197
202
202
206
208
208
209
212
219
223

9 Clause Structure
9.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.2 Word order within the clause . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.2.1 Word order and topicality . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.2.2 Preposed constituents . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.2.3 Postposed constituents . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3 Special clause types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.1 Copular sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.2 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.3 Imperatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.3.4 Direct quotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.4 Valence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.4.1 Decreasing valence: Equivalents of the passive .
9.4.2 Increasing valence: Causative constructions . .
9.4.3 The reflexive construction . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.4.4 Reciprocal clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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225
225
225
226
231
232
234
234
238
242
244
246
246
248
252
258

10 Nominalization and Complex Clauses

10.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.2 The dependent form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.2.1 Dependent clauses as arguments . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.2.2 Dependent clauses as complements of relational nouns
10.2.3 Dependent clauses as complements of aun and alh . .
10.2.4 Restructuring: Bare dependent complements of verbs
10.3 Participial clauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.1 Indicative participles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.3.2 Subjunctive participles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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262
262
263
266
272
274
278
283
284
289

7.6
7.7

7.5.2 Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.5.3 Telic and atelic inchoative . . . . . . . . . .
7.5.4 Durative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.5.5 Completive and incompletive . . . . . . . .
Relative marking and the comparative construction
Expressing modality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.7.1 Modal suffixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.7.2 Modal verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 Minor Word Classes

8.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.2 Sentence particles . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.2.1 Focus particles . . . . . . . . . . .
8.2.2 Force and evidential particles . . .
8.3 Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.3.1 Coordinators . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.3.2 Discourse markers . . . . . . . . .
8.4 Adverbial elements . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8.4.1 Manner adverbs . . . . . . . . . .
8.4.2 Aspectual adverbials . . . . . . . .
8.4.3 Adverbials formed from quantifiers
8.4.4 Other temporal adverbials . . . . .
8.4.5 Other degree adverbials . . . . . .

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CONTENTS
10.4 The converb construction . . . . . .
10.5 Gerunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10.6 Participant nominals . . . . . . . . .
10.6.1 Participant nominal inflection
10.6.2 Actor nominals . . . . . . . .
10.6.3 Theme nominals . . . . . . .
10.6.4 Delimiter nominals . . . . . .
10.6.5 Circumstantial nominals . . .

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290
295
297
298
302
304
307
308

11 Derivation and the Lexicon

11.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.2 Noun derivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.2.1 Diminutive and augmentative marking
11.2.2 Collective nouns . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.2.3 Other noun derivational morphology .
11.3 Verb derivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.3.1 Deriving verbs from nouns . . . . . . .
11.3.2 Deriving verbs from verbs . . . . . . .
11.4 Special lexical classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.4.1 Kinship terminology . . . . . . . . . .
11.4.2 Colour terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.4.3 Motion verbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.5 Common expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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313
313
313
313
314
315
318
318
319
323
323
327
329
334

12 Sample Texts
336
12.1 The North Wind and the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336

Chapter 1

Introduction
This book provides a detailed grammatical description of an invented language called Okuna (formerly
known as Tokana). This language was constructed for personal amusement and edification. It is intended as
a purely personal artistic and intellectual exercise, though my hope is that othersthose few who appreciate
the Secret Vicewill find the results interesting and entertaining. My goal is to construct the outlines of a
naturalistic grammar, one which is linguistically plausible, internally consistent, and original in its details.
Though not based on any single existing language, Okuna is meant to look and feel realistic, with all the
complexities and (seemingly) arbitrary features which naturally-evolving human languages have. Note that
Okuna is an ongoing project, with no fixed endpoint. It has changed substantially over the seventeen or
more years that I have worked on it, and will no doubt continue to change as long as I remain interested in
it. The description given here is thus not the final word on Okuna, but merely represents the state of the
language as it exists now.
It is important to note that this grammar is not intended as a textbook or teach-yourself guide, but as
an attempt to lay out the structure of Okuna (for posterity, as it were) in as comprehensive a fashion as
possible. Hence the material is organized thematically rather than as a series of lessons. Likewise, I have
not shied away from using technical terms in cases where I felt this would make the description more precise
(to those unfamiliar with these terms, I apologise in advance). That said, I do not present a formal analysis
of the language, but have tried to keep my treatment as descriptive as possible.
The discussion is divided into eleven chapters. Chapter 1 gives a very brief typological overview of the
language. Chapter 2 deals with phonology. Chapter 3 covers the basics of argument structure, focusing on
the rather complex case system. Chapter 4 discusses pronouns and morphologically related elements, while
chapter 5 gives additional information on noun phrase structure. Chapters 6 deals with verb morphology.
Chapter 7 discusses minor word classes not covered in the previous chapters, including sentential particles,
conjunctions, and adverbs. Chapter 8 deals with word order in basic clauses, along with the formation of
questions, commands, and other marked sentence types. Chapter 9 discusses subordination, nominalization,
and complex sentence structures. Finally, chapter 10 covers miscellaneous topics pertaining to vocabulary,
and chapter 11 gives sample texts. An extensive glossary is appended to the grammar.
Okuna words and morphemes appear in italics, with glosses set off by single quotes, e.g., kotu house.
Example sentences are normally presented in the following three-line format:
(1.1) Lakiak`
a
sihkunoi elohka
estyit
hunter.nom river.dat yesterday reach.pv.pl
The hunters reached the river yesterday
The first line of the example gives the Okuna phrase or sentence, while the second line gives word-by-word
glosses. If a word is morphologically complex, each morpheme is glossed separately (grammatical morphemes
are labelled with abbreviations in small caps, morpheme breaks are indicated using periods, and a colon

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

is used to link two or more units of meaning expressed by a single morpheme). Finally, the third line gives
a free English translation of the phrase or sentence set off by single quotes.
To make the example sentences as readable as possible, I have opted not to divide the Okuna words
into their component morphemes. Where necessary, I include remarks on the internal structure of certain
words in the text accompanying the example. Where the notation X > Y is used in discussions of morphophonology, X represents the underlying form of a word (with the morphemes separated by periods), while Y
gives the form of the word as it is pronounced following any phonological transformationse.g., m.siehp.o
> ntsiehpo doesnt write illustrates the change whereby, when the negative prefix m- attaches to a verb
stem beginning with s, the resulting consonant sequence becomes nts through a process of assimilation.
References to example numbers appear in parentheses, while cross-references to sections and subsections
are marked with the symbol . Below is a list of the abbreviations used in the examples:
1s
12/13
2(s/p)
3a(s/p)
3i(s/p)
abl
act
ainc
all
anzr
cnzr
comp
cond
cpl
cv
dat
dep
dist
dnzr
dpl
dur
emph
epl
erg
foc
ger
icpl

1st person singular

1st person plural inclusive/exclusive
2nd person (singular/plural)
3rd person animate (singular/plural)
3rd person inanimate (singular/plural)
ablative case
active aspect
atelic inchoative
allative case
actor nominalizer
circumstantial nominalizer
comparative
conditional mood
completive aspect
converb
(irrealis) dative case
dependent form
distal
delimiter nominalizer
dative plural
durative aspect
emphatic particle
ergative plural
ergative case
focus particle
gerund
incompletive aspect

imp
inst
ipv
loc
med
neg
nom
npl
pf
pl
pot
prox
prg
pst
pt
pv
qu
quot
rdat
recip
rel
res
sbj
sg
tinc
tnzr

imperative
instrumental case
imperfective aspect
locative case
medial
negative particle/inflection
nominative case
nominative plural
perfect aspect
plural (topic)
potential aspect
proximal
progressive aspect
past tense
participle
perfective aspect
question particle
quotative particle
realis dative case
reciprocal
relative marker
resultative aspect
subjunctive mood
singular
telic inchoative
theme nominalizer

Chapter 2

An Overview of Okuna
2.1

The language and its speakers

Okuna belongs to the Northern branch of the Kman-Tok family of languages. It is spoken as a first language
by approximately five thousand people inhabiting two dozen settlements in the Okuna Watershed, including
the towns of Tenmotlai, Uiluma, and Kemotlasi. There are three distinct dialects of Okuna: an Interior
dialect spoken in and around the three towns, plus Northern and Southern coastal dialects. However, the
differences among these dialects are quite small, mostly confined to details of pronunciation and vocabulary.
Here I focus on the Interior dialect, which has the largest number of speakers.
Speakers of Okuna generally refer to themselves as Ehkantlukampa People of the First Raven, or as
Mohkiampa People of the Five Hearths. However, in dealings with outsiders they tend to identify themselves
as Okuna, using the name of the region they inhabit as a tribal designation, and also adding it before their
clan names as a kind of surname. They have no name for their language, referring to it simply as isane sul
our language. Here I use Okuna both for the language and for those who speak it.
The Okuna live primarily by fishing, hunting, and gathering wild plants, berries, and shellfish. They also
grow maize, beans, and other crops in small garden plots, and raise goats for milk and wool, and kauen (an
introduced turkeyfowl domesticate) for meat and eggs. Okuna towns and villages consist of between half a
dozen and three dozen widely spaced houses built of cedar. Political structure is based on clan membership.
The Okuna are matrilocal, and reckon kinship bilineally, with each individual belonging to two exogamous
clans, one matrilineal and the other patrilineal. The patrilineal clans, or otana, have a largely ceremonial
function; while the matrilineal clans, or mok hearths, are responsible for allocating economic resources
and duties, and for hosting potlaches (see 11.4.1 for more on Okuna kinship). Each of the five mok elects
representatives to a council of elders, responsible for settling disputes between clans, as well as negotiating
trade relations with other peoples. The Okuna are active members of the Coastal Exchange, a vast trade
network extending from Marngalaks in the north all the way to Tibue in the south. Their major exports are
wool, timber, and wood products.
The remainder of this chapter gives a selective overview of Okuna grammar, focussing on the typologically
distinctive features of the language.

2.2

Phonology

Okuna has a fairly simple phonology. The phoneme inventory consists of eighteen basic sounds, twelve
consonants and six vowels. Syllables are maximally CVC (or CCVC word-initially, with strict limits on
permissible CC clusters). Stress assignment is based on moraic trochees. Major phonological processes
include vowel hiatus resolution (with vowel sequences converted to diphthongs), as well as nasal assimilation,
continuancy assimilation, and degemination to resolve illicit consonant clusters.
7

2.3

CHAPTER 2. AN OVERVIEW OF OKUNA

Word classes

The major lexical classes in Okuna are noun and verb. These categories are easily distinguished on morphosyntactic grounds, and there are very few stems in the language which can function either as a noun or as
a verb (though there are a number of productive means for deriving noun stems from verb stems). Okuna
does not have a distinct class of adjectives. States and properties are instead expressed by verbs, or in a few
cases (such as colour terms) by nouns. When used attributively, a stative verb is nominalized (e.g., pata be
tall > pate tall one, person/thing which is tall) and then concatenated with the noun it modifies to form
a compound-like structure (pate palahta tall tree).
Nouns belong to one of two genders, animate and inanimate. Without exception, gender is semantically
determined: nouns denoting people and (living) animals are treated as animate, while all other nouns are
inanimate. Animacy is reflected primarily in the choice of third person pronouns (e.g., ne pata he/she is
tall versus hi pata it is tall). In addition, demonstratives and certain quantifiers, which follow the noun,
agree with the noun in gender. Compare animate pyi child with inanimate palahta tree:
pyi nan
pyi mi`
o
pyi nket

that child
which child?
every child

palahta tan
palahta m`
a
palahta eket

that tree
which tree?
every tree

The Okuna pronoun system distinguishes three persons and two numbers, with an inclusive/exclusive distinction in the first person plural (kim we [includes addressee] versus sat we [excludes addressee]). Oblique
pronouns each have a single form, while non-oblique pronouns (those used to express subject and object relations) have both clitic forms and full forms, where the full forms are used mostly for emphasis, and as
demonstratives. Clitic pronouns express person but not number, except in the first person, while full and
oblique pronouns have singular and plural forms for all persons.
There is no class of adpositions in Okuna. Spatio-temporal and other relations, which in other languages
are expressed using adpositions, are generally expressed in Okuna by means of case endings: e.g., kotu
house + locative -na > kotuna in the house. To express certain relations the case ending will attach to
an abstract relational noun (such as kuma front) which in turn heads a compound-like structure: e.g., kotu
kumana in front of the house (lit. at the house front). In addition, Okuna has a large number of motion
verbs which encode the path or direction of motion: e.g., lhyua enter, go into, tlisa go across/over, kloha
go through. These can combine with verbs expressing manner of motion to form more complex predicates:
e.g., iante lhyua jump into (lit. enter by jumping).
Closed classes in Okuna include conjunctions, quantifiers, aspectual and temporal adverbs, preverbal
particles functioning as focus/predicate operators (with meanings like also, only, and not), and postverbal
particles for expressing clause-type, emphasis, and evidentiality.

2.4

Morphology and inflectional categories

Okuna has a good deal of inflectional morphology, especially on verbs. Prefixes, suffixes, and clitics all occur,
with some suffixes having infixed allomorphs (e.g., totsat table plus the dative case marker -i > totsait to
the table). Some clitics precede their hosts while others follow their hosts. Compounding is also extremely
common. Ablaut occurs on a handful of verb stems to express the resultative aspect (e.g., lima open >
luma be open). Noun incorporation also occurs residually as a derivational strategy (e.g., him interior +
eka be empty > himeka be hollow; ksas salt + patla cover > ksapatla cover with salt).
Noun inflection is rather simple, being confined to the marking of case roles (see below). Nouns do not
inflect for number in Okuna: for example, palahta may mean tree or trees, depending on the context.
However, non-clitic pronouns do distinguish singular from plural (e.g., tan it/that versus tin they/those).
These pronouns also function as demonstratives, in which case they follow the noun and express the number
of the noun phrase as a whole (palahta tan that tree, palahta tin those trees).
Okuna expresses grammatical relations with a combination of head marking and dependent marking.
Noun phrases inflect for case, which is indicated by a suffix (or infix) on the rightmost element in the noun

2.4. MORPHOLOGY AND INFLECTIONAL CATEGORIES

phrase (typically, but not always, the noun itself). In addition, verbs are marked for the number (singular
versus plural) of their subjects and objects.
There are seven case roles: nominative (nom), dative (dat), ergative (erg), locative (loc), ablative
(abl), allative (all), and instrumental (inst). Their distribution follows a complex pattern, where the
choice of case marking is determined largely by the semantic role of the argument. For example, noun
phrases expressing the initiator of the action (agents, actors) normally appear in the ergative case, while
noun phrases denoting participants associated with the endpoint or culmination of the action (patients,
goals, and experiencers) take the dative case, and other core arguments of the verb take the nominative.
The following sentences illustrate the system, showing that the cases do not align in a straightforward way
with categories like subject and object in English:
(2.1) Pyie
etskanyi
child.nom arrive.pv
The child arrived
(2.2) Pyima
muelhyi
child.erg sleep.pv
The child slept
(2.3) Ihama
kahoi
iasyi
woman.erg fish.dat eat.pv
The woman ate the fish
(2.4) Ihama
moihai kihune
lastyi
woman.erg girl.dat letter.nom send.pv
The woman sent the letter to the girl
(2.5) Moihai kihune
moityi
girl.dat letter.nom receive.pv
The girl received the letter
(2.6) Moihai mikale
kilyi
girl.dat boy.nom see.pv
The girl saw the boy
In addition to semantic roles, case marking can be affected by the aspect and modality of the verb. For
example, the eventive verb toka fix normally assigns dative case to its patient argument, as shown in the
first example below. However, when the verb is inflected for resultative aspect (toika be fixed, be in a fixed
state) that argument instead appears in the locative case, as shown in the second example:
(2.7) Sakialma
mutoi
tokyi
Sakial.erg fence.dat fix.pv
Sakial fixed the fence
(2.8) Mutuna
takan itoika
fence.loc now prg.fix:res.ipv
The fence is now fixed
Likewise when the verb tala read inflects for desiderative modality (taluha want to read), the actor, which
normally takes ergative marking, instead appears in the locative case:
(2.9) Pyima
halma atai
itala
child.erg book that:dat prg.read.ipv
The child is reading that book

10

CHAPTER 2. AN OVERVIEW OF OKUNA

(2.10) Pyina
halma atai
taluha
child.loc book that:dat read.want.ipv
The child wants to read that book
An unusual property of Okuna is that dative case marking on pronouns and demonstratives comes in two
variants: irrealis dative and realis dative (the latter abbreviated rdat). As noted above, dative case is
typically used to mark the patient or goal of a telic eventthat is, an event which has an inherent endpoint.
Realis dative forms are used when the goal has been reached or realized, or when the patient has been fully
affected by the action, at the time when the sentence is uttered; while irrealis dative forms occur elsewhere.
The choice between realis and irrealis is influenced by various factors, such as the tense and aspect of the
verb. For instance, irrealis dative is required in imperfective sentences, while realis dative tends to be used
in perfective sentences. Compare:
(2.11) Pyima
halma atai
itala
child.erg book that:dat prg.read.ipv
The child is reading that book
(2.12) Pyima
halma utai
talyi
child.erg book that:rdat read.pv
The child read that book
Verb inflection in Okuna is quite complex. Verbs take various combinations of prefixes and suffixes to mark
tense, aspect, mood, and negation, and to form various kinds of dependent clauses. The following examples,
featuring the verb stem host- dance, give a sense of what this morphology looks like:
hosta
hostanka
ihosta
ihostike
uhostanka
uhost`
a
ihoste
uhostai
hostyi

dances, will dance

used to dance
is dancing
would be dancing
had danced
that (one) has danced
while dancing
if (one) had danced
danced

nkosto
nkostunka
mehosto
mehostoike
mohostunka
mohost`
o
mehostu
mohostau
nkostou

doesnt dance, wont dance

didnt used to dance
is not dancing
would not be dancing
hadnt danced
that (one) has not danced
without dancing
unless (one) had danced
didnt dance

Verbs also take suffixes to mark the number (singular versus plural) of their nominative, dative, and ergative
arguments. This is illustrated by the examples below, featuring the ergative subject kalma and the dative
object kauein. The verb carries the suffix -t when the ergative argument is plural, and -ma when the
dative argument is plural. These suffixes co-occur when both arguments are plural. Notice that plurality is
indicated solely by the morphology on the verb, while the nouns themselves remain unchanged.
(2.13) Kalma
kauein
itaha
man.erg turkey:dat prg.kill.ipv
The man is killing the turkey
(2.14) Kalma
kauein
itahat
man.erg turkey:dat prg.kill.ipv.pl
The men are killing the turkey
(2.15) Kalma
kauein
itahama
man.erg turkey:dat prg.kill.ipv.dpl
The man is killing the turkeys

2.5. CONSTITUENT ORDER AND CLAUSE STRUCTURE

11

(2.16) Kalma
kauein
itahamat
man.erg turkey:dat prg.kill.ipv.dpl.pl
The men are killing the turkeys
In addition to the inflectional categories mentioned above, verbs also take suffixes to derive reciprocal
forms (e.g., etsampa talk, etsampauot talk with each other), and can include suffixes expressing modality/intensionality, causation, and event type (e.g., kila see, kiluha want to see, kilihpa intend to see,
kiluhka manage to see, kilota see repeatedly). Finally, verbs denoting scalar properties take prefixes and
suffixes to express equative, comparative, and superlative degrees (e.g., pata be tall, apata be so/as tall,
apatohta be taller/tallest, apatima grow, get taller).
With all of these inflectional categories, verbs in Okuna can be quite complex. An extreme example is
the verb in (2.17). Here the stem tal- read carries the negative prefix m-, the perfect aspect prefix o-, the
incompletive suffix -ahp try/attempt to, the inchoative suffix -et begin to, the negative past imperfective
suffix -unka, and the agreement suffixes -ma and -t, indicating that the dative and ergative arguments are
both plural.
(2.17) Sa
halma atat
eima motalahpetunkamat
1exerg book those:dat still neg.pf.read.try.begin.ipv:pst:neg.dpl.pl
We had not yet begun to try reading those books

2.5

Constituent order and clause structure

Noun phrases in Okuna are head-final. Possessors and modifiers precede the head noun: e.g., kotu house,
im`e kotu my house, im`e sane kotu my red house. Relative clauses, which take the form of nominalizations,
also precede the noun they modify. In the example below, kauein utahaka iha woman who had killed the
turkey consists of the head noun iha woman combined with the agentive nominal modifier kauein utahaka,
literally one who has/had killed the turkey:
(2.18) Mo
kauein
utahaka
ih`
a
kilyi
1srdat turkey.dat pf.kill.dep.anzr woman.nom see.pv
I saw the woman who had killed the turkey
Only a handful of elements, such as quantifiers and demonstratives, follow the head noun: e.g., kotu hen
two houses, kotu emot all the houses, kotu tan that house.
In relation-denoting expressions, the element expressing the relation follows its complement. In this sense,
Okuna patterns as a postpositional rather than prepositional language. However, relational elements in
Okuna do not belong to a separate category of postpositions, but are instead a type of noun. Notice that in
the example below, the relational element epam top takes the locative case ending -na, with totsat epam
being a type of noun-noun compound (top of table or table top).
(2.19) totsat epamna
table top.loc
on top of the table
Relational nouns also follow their complement when the complement is a clause, as in (2.20). Here talhkou
because (consisting of the noun talhko cause/reason plus the ablative case ending -u) combines with a
preceding embedded clause. Inasmuch as the subordinator follows the subordinate clause, Okuna again
patterns as a typical head-final language.
(2.20) ma
elohka
halmai
atala
talhkou
1serg yesterday book.dat pv.read.dep cause.abl
because I read the book yesterday
more lit. from the cause of me having read the book yesterday

12

CHAPTER 2. AN OVERVIEW OF OKUNA

At the clause level, constituent order is somewhat freer than within noun phrases, although there is a
definite preference for verb-final (SOV) order. The prototypical clause consists of a verb preceded by one
or more case-marked pronouns or noun phrases. The order of these noun phrases is determined primarily
by the discourse context in which the clause is uttered (see below). In this respect, Okuna behaves as a
scrambling language similar to Japanese. This is illustrated by the examples below, showing that when a
verb takes an agent noun phrase (marked with ergative case) and a patient noun phrase (marked with dative
case), the two arguments may occur in either order:
(2.21) Sakialma
mutoi
itoka
Sakial.erg fence.dat prg.repair.ipv
Sakial is repairing the fence
(2.22) Mutoi
Sakialma
itoka
fence.dat Sakial.erg prg.repair.ipv
Sakial is repairing the fence
or The fence is being repaired by Sakial
In sentences with more than one noun phrase, the order of the noun phrases depends largely on their discourse
prominence, with the most topical noun phrase occurring at the left edge of the clause. The topic is the
noun phrase which identifies the individual that the clause is about, and is normally interpreted as definite or
specific. Of the sentences above, (2.21) might be used to attribute some action to Sakial, while (2.22) would
be used to assert a property of the fence. For instance, the former sentence might be given in response to
the question What is Sakial doing?, while the latter would be more appropriate in answer to the question
What is happening to the fence?. (Notice that I give a passive construction as a possible translation for
the latter sentence. This is merely a way of indicating that the patient is more topical than the agent; (2.22)
does not actually have the structure of a passive.)
In addition to the most topical noun phrase coming at the beginning of the clause, there is a tendency for
the most focal noun phrase to immediately precede the verb, where a noun phrase is focal if it expresses
foregrounded (new or contrastive) information. Consider the examples below, which differ in the order of
the dative-marked indirect object and the nominative-marked direct object. In (2.23) the direct object is
more focal; the sentence might be used in answer to the question What did you put in the chest?. In
(2.24), by contrast, the indirect object is more focal; this sentence might be used in answer to the question
Where did you put the book?. In the former context, the existence and relevance of the chest has already
been established, while the book represents salient new information; in the latter context, it is the chest
which represents new information while the book is presupposed. (If both the book and the chest are new
information, either order is acceptable.)
(2.23) Ma
kohoit
halm`
a
elhyi
1serg chest.dat book.nom put:in.pv
I put the book in the chest
(2.24) Ma
halm`
a
kohoit
elhyi
1serg book.nom chest.dat put:in.pv
I put the book in the chest
Pronouns tend to pick out highly topical referents. Hence, if a clause contains one or more pronominal
arguments and one or more full noun phrase arguments, the pronoun(s) will almost always precede the full
noun phrase(s). This is illustrated in (2.23) and (2.24) above, where the first person singular ergative pronoun
ma comes at the beginning of the sentence. Nominative, dative, and ergative pronouns all have special clitic
forms, which must be clause-initial, and ma is an example of such a clitic. Additional examples of clitic
pronouns are given below: na is the clitic form of the third person animate ergative pronoun (non-clitic form
in`
a ), while ti is the clitic form of the third person inanimate dative pronoun (non-clitic form atai ). These
sentences show the pronominal argument preceding the non-pronominal argument regardless of which one is
the subject and which is the object.

2.5. CONSTITUENT ORDER AND CLAUSE STRUCTURE

13

(2.25) Na
mutoi
itoka
3aerg fence.dat prg.repair.ipv
S/he is repairing the fence
(2.26) Ti
Sakialma
itoka
3idat Sakial.erg prg.repair.ipv
Sakial is repairing it
When a clause includes two pronominal arguments, both can take the form of clitics in certain cases. When
two clitics co-occur as arguments of the same verb, they combine to form a single phonological word, or
clitic cluster, which appears at the left edge of the clause. The sentences below each begin with a clitic
cluster:
(2.27) Ima
kohoit
elhyi
3inom.1serg chest.dat insert.pv.epl
I put it in the chest (lit. It+I in:chest inserted)
(2.28) Uma
halm`
a
elhyi
3irdat.1serg book.nom insert.pv.epl
I put the book there / in it (lit. To:it+I book inserted)
(2.29) Intso
sliahte ukiyima
3aerg.13rdat story tell.pv.dpl
S/he told us a story (lit. S/he+us story told)
Many clitics change their form when occurring as the first element in a cluster. In (2.27) above, for example,
the third person inanimate nominative clitic hi becomes i- when it combines with the first person exclusive
ergative clitic ma to give ima. Likewise, in (2.29) the third person animate ergative clitic na becomes inwhen combining with the first person realis dative clitic so to give intso. The order of the clitics in a cluster
is fixed by a person hierarchy, which requires that third person clitics precede first and second person clitics.
Although verb-final (SOV) order is normal in Okuna, various elements optionally follow the verb. In
particular, embedded clauses, which are formed from main clauses by nominalizing the verb, normally
occur to the right of the verb that selects them. This is illustrated below, where pyie elohfoi nioktat`
a the
children(s) returning tomorrow is a nominalized clause (marked for nominative case) which functions as
the direct object of etsa say/tell:
(2.30) Ma
ihai
etsyi
pyie
elohfoi
nioktat`
a
1serg woman.dat tell.pv child.nom tomorrow return.dep.pl.nom
I told the woman that the children were returning tomorrow

Chapter 3

Phonology
3.1

Introduction

This chapter gives an overview of Okuna phonology. In 3.2 I present the phoneme inventory. 3.3 and 3.4
deal with syllable structure, phonotactic constraints, and stress assignment. Finally in 3.5 I summarize
the major morpho-phonological processes in the language, which include vowel hiatus resolution, nasal
assimilation, and continuancy assimilation.
Okuna is normally written in a syllabary called ilo. In this grammar it will be represented in the Latin
alphabet using the following letters: a, e, f, h, i, k, l, m, n, o, p, s, t, u, y. Three digraphs are used: lh, tl,
and ts. The letter y represents a central or back unrounded vowel, pronounced [@] in unstressed syllables,
and ranging from [1] to [7] to [2] in stressed syllables, depending on dialect. The digraphs lh and tl represent
voiceless postalveolar lateral sounds, and may be roughly transcribed [fl] and [tfl] in IPA (see below for

description). All other letters have essentially their IPA values, subject to the allophony
discussed below.

3.2

Phoneme inventory

Okuna distinguishes the following eighteen sounds.

3.2.1

Consonants

There are twelve consonant phonemes, with the following places and manners of articulation. Notice that
voicing is not contrastive in Okuna.
bilabial
plosive
affricate
fricative
nasal
approximant

labiodental

p
f
m

dental/
alveolar
t
ts
s
n
l

palatal
(lateral)

velar

glottal

k
tl
lh

A condensed chart, which groups consonants into phonologically salient categories, is given below. A basic
division of consonants into obstruents and sonorants is justified on both phonetic and phonotactic grounds.
Sonorants are always voiced while obstruents are usually voiceless. In addition, sonorants are the only
consonants which may occur as geminates (konomme with a hammer, sanna in the blood, nalla greet);
whereas when two identical obstruents come together at a morpheme boundary, the first one becomes h, as
discussed in 3.5.1. The division of obstruents into a non-continuant and a continuant series is also justified
14

3.2. PHONEME INVENTORY

15

on phonotactic grounds. Non-continuants are the only obstruents that are allowed to follow a nasal: any
continuant obstruent that comes to follow a nasal changes into the closest corresponding non-continuant (m
+ f becomes mp, n + lh becomes ntl, etc.), as discussed in 3.5.2.
labial
plain
obstruent

non-continuant
continuant

sonorant

p
f
m

t
n

coronal
grooved lateral
release release
ts
tl
s
lh
l

velar/
glottal
k
h

Obstruents
The obstruent series consists of three plosives (bilabial p, dental t, and velar k ), two affricates (alveolar ts and
postalveolar tl ), and four fricatives (labiodental f, alveolar s, postalveolar lh, and glottal h). The affricates
ts and tl are counted as single segments on distributional grounds, in that they occur freely at the end of a
word (mots frog, hetl piece) or adjacent to another consonant (etskana arrive, luhtsa smell, atlpa play
music, hentla half). Okuna does not permit consonant clusters word-finally, and allows sequences of at
most two consonants word-medially.
By far the most exotic sounds in Okuna are the lateral fricative lh and the corresponding lateral affricate
tl, which may be transcribed roughly as [fl] and [tfl], respectively. Note that lh is made without any contact
between the tongue body/tip and the roof of the mouth (in this respect it differs from the voiceless lateral
sound of Welsh). The primary articulatory difference between lh and the alveolar fricative s is that s is
made with the central portion of the tongue depressed (or grooved), as in English, while lh is made with
the central portion of the tongue raised and the sides of the tongue lowered. Also, the narrowest point of
constriction in the mouth is somewhat further back for lh than for s. The affricate tl has the same place
of articulation as lh, but starts with a period of complete closure before opening into a fricative. (For some
speakers, there is almost no frication when tl is released, making it closer to a plosive sound than an affricate.)
Fricatives and affricates are always voiceless. The plosives are always unaspirated, and are generally
voiceless as well. However, in the Southern and Interior dialects, the non-coronal plosives p and k become
voiced after a word-initial sonorant consonant, between a sonorant consonant and an unstressed vowel, or
between two vowels where the second vowel is unstressed:
malka
["malga]
wolf
nketu
["NgEtu]
crab
mpehkai
[mbEh"kai]
first

kiotampa [kiO"tamba]
hurry

lhonko
["flONgO]
loud noise
naka
["naga]
stone
otupa
[O"tuba]
decide
The coronal obstruents are noticeably palatalized when followed by an i -glide, though not when followed by
a non-glide i vowel. Compare:
tiku
sila

["tigu]
["sila]

spear, harpoon
be clear

tiame
siem

["ciamE] grandmother
["CiEm]
sky

In the Northern dialect, the glottal fricative h is optionally deleted word-internally before an unstressed
vowel: e.g., teha stay, which most speakers pronounce ["tEha], is pronounced ["tEa] by many Northern
speakers.
Sonorants
The sonorant consonants consist of two nasals (m, n) and one lateral liquid (l ). The sonorants are always
voiced, and this voicing often carries over to a following p or k, as discussed above. The sonorant m is

16

CHAPTER 3. PHONOLOGY

bilabial, while n and l are generally dental or alveolar. However, n assimilates in place of articulation to a
following obstruent. In addition, n is optionally realized as velar word-finally, especially after a non-front
vowel or before a word beginning with a velar consonant.
ntlyuo
ntioko
tunku
kian

["ntfl7uO]
not enter
OgO]

["ci
not die

["tuNgu]
pain
["kian] or ["kiaN] five

As with the coronal obstruents, the coronal sonorants n and l are palatalized before an i -glide, though not
before a non-glide i :
nilu
lima

3.2.2

["nilu]
["lima]

net
open

nial
lioke

["ial]
["LiOgE]

blade
mark, symbol

Vowels

Okuna has six vowel phonemes:

front
high
low

i
e

non-front
unround round
u
y
o
a

In all positions, the high vowels i and u, and the low vowel a, are pronounced as in the IPA (except that i
and u are realized as glides when adjacent to another vowel, as discussed below). The mid vowels e and o
may be tense or lax: e is tense before an i glide and lax in all other positions, while o is tense before an u
glide and lax in other positions. Compare:
tene
tenei
teneu
teneia

["tEnE]
hill
kopo
["kObO]
pot
[tE"nei]
hill.dat
kopoi
[kO"pOi]
pot.dat
] hill.abl
]
[tE"nEu
kopou
[kO"pou
pot.abl

a] pot.all
[tE"neia] hill.all
kopoua [kO"pou

In stressed syllables, y is pronounced as a high central unrounded vowel, or as a mid back unrounded vowel
(tense or lax), depending on the dialect. For example, hyna move is pronounced ["h7na] by Inland speakers,
["h1na] by Northern coastal speakers, and either ["h7na] or ["h2na] by Southern coastal speakers. In all
varieties, y centralizes to schwa in unstressed syllables (e.g., tynan [t@"naN] dew).
Vowel length is not contrastive in Okuna. There are pairs of monosyllabic stems which appear to show a
length contraste.g., the vowel in s`
u rain is longer than the vowel in su or. However, the contrast here
is primarily one of stress rather than length: s`
u is always stressed, whereas su never is (cf. 3.4 below).
The high vowels i and u are non-syllabic, pronounced as [i] and [u] (phonetically: [j] and [w], respectively),
vowels
(iu, ui ), the first vowel is non-syllabic.
when adjacent to a non-high vowel. In sequences of two high
This results in seven falling diphthongs (ai, ei, oi, yi ; au, eu, ou), ten rising diphthongs (ia, ie, io, iu, iy;
ua, ue, ui, uo, uy), and fourteen triphthongs (iai, iei, ioi, iyi, iau, ieu, iou; uai, uei, uoi, uyi, uau, ueu, uou).
Note that even when i and u are pronounced as glides, they are treated as vowels by the morphology. For
example, when the negative marker is prefixed to a verb, it takes the form ma- before a sonorant consonant
(e.g., mutla understand, mamutlo doesnt understand), and m- before a vowel (e.g., eta go, meto doesnt
go). When the negative marker attaches to a verb beginning with a glide, the m- form is used (uihta sit
down, muihto doesnt sit down).
Note finally that a glottal stop is never inserted before a word-initial vowel; when two vowels occur
adjacent to one another at a word boundary, they are pronounced with a smooth transition: e.g., me ita
I am going is pronounced [mE"ita] (not *[mE"Pita]). When a word ending in a vowel comes before a word
beginning with the same vowel, and the latter is unstressed, there is a tendency for the two vowels to coalesce
phonetically into a single long vowel: e.g., me etskana I arrive is normally pronounced [mE:ts"kana].

3.3. SYLLABLE STRUCTURE AND PHONOTACTICS

3.3

17

Syllable structure and phonotactics

Except word-initially, the following syllable types are possible: V, CV, VC, CVC, where C represents a
single consonant and V represents a simple vowel, diphthong, or triphthong. Division of words into syllables
is straightforward: A single intervocalic consonant is always syllabified with the following vowel (kila see
is syllabified as ki.la). When two consonants occur together word-internally, the syllable boundary goes
between them (mokta go home is mok.ta, atlpa make music is atl.pa). When a high vowel occurs between
two non-high vowels, it is syllabified with the following vowel, producing a rising diphthong in the second
syllable rather than a falling diphthong in the first syllable (e.g., paua wash is pa.ua, not *pau.a).
Word-initially, a syllable may begin with a consonant cluster. By far the most common initial clusters
consist of a non-continuant obstruent preceded by a homorganic nasal: mp, nt, nts, ntl, nk. A handful of
uninflected stems begin with a nasal-obstruent cluster (e.g., mpyka bump against, nketu crab). In most
cases, however, these clusters result from adding the negative prefix m- to an obstruent-initial stem, with
place and continuancy assimilation (e.g., m- neg + pat- be tall + -o neg > mpato not be tall; mneg + lhyu- enter + -o neg > ntlyuo not enter).
Besides the nasal-obstruent clusters, six other initial clusters are found in a handful of words: kl (kloha
go through), ks (ksohe darkness), sk (skoha steal), st (stoka destroy), sl (sliahte story), and ps
(occurs only in the onomatopoetic psyta spit out).
Beyond these general constraints on syllable structure, the following phonotactic patterns may be noted:
1. Geminate sonorant consonants are possible word-internally (ikimme with us, inna eye, nalla
greet), but geminate obstruents are disallowed, due to a historical and synchronic change whereby
the first of a pair of identical obstruents becomes h (e.g., t + t > ht).
2. The fricatives h and f have restricted distributions. The latter never occurs in the coda of a syllable,
due to a historical change where f merged with h in this position. In addition, although syllable-final h
is allowed word-internally, it never occurs at the end of a word. This is also due to a historical change,
following f > h merger, whereby h was lost word-finally (e.g., *ipalah > ipal`
a herb). In addition, h
never occurs after a consonant (recall that the sequence lh represents a single sound), or before l, lh,
or itself. All other h + C combinations are permitted, and some are common.
3. The vowel y is less common than the other five vowels. It occurs most often as part of the diphthong
yi (generally pronounced [7i] or [2i]), and never appears at the end of a word. Note that there is no

diphthong yu, due to a historical

change
whereby *yu merged with ou. Synchronically, the sequence
yu only appears when y and u are separated by a syllable boundary, as in lhyua enter.
4. The rising diphthongs iu and ui are found in noun and verb roots, but never occur across a morpheme
boundary due to the vowel hiatus rules discussed in 3.5.3 below.
5. The affricate tl rarely occurs syllable-finally. When tl is syllable final but stem-internal, the following
syllable always begins with a non-coronal plosive or nasal (e.g., atlpa make music, nitlka sting).
6. Consonant clusters consisting of two fricatives are limited. The combinations hf and hs are not
uncommon (e.g., muohfa be heavy/dense, tuhsa winter). But other fricative clusters are rare or
non-existent. Moreover, fricatives never occur after a sonorant, due to a rule which changes the
fricative into the corresponding affricate or stop (n + f > mp, n + s > nts, n + lh > ntl, etc.).

3.4

Stress assignment

Okuna words are parsed into moraic trochees, where coda consonants and glides count as moraic. Primary
and secondary stress are assigned from the right edge of the word, and stress clashes within a word are not
permitted. This translates into the following rules:

18

CHAPTER 3. PHONOLOGY
1. For words of more than one syllable, the final syllable receives primary stress if it ends in a consonant
(kamal knife) or a falling diphthong (huiloi window); otherwise the penultimate syllable receives
primary stress. Monosyllabic words are stressed if they end in a consonant (nalh arm) or falling
diphthong (lai light); otherwise they are unstressed and form a prosodic unit with an adjacent stressbearing word, generally the following one.1
2. For words of four or more syllables, and for three-syllable words ending in a stressed syllable, secondary
stress is assigned right-to-left to every other syllable preceding the one with primary stress.

Examples of primary and secondary stress assignment are given below:

tene
mosie
hakui
minap
totsat
ulau
elohka
etskana
elohfoi
ksohnomats
ihtaupatam
teiektakunme

["tE.nE]
hill
["mO.CiE]
shoulders
i]
["ha.gu
bristle

[mi."nap]
marrow
[tO."tsat]
table
[u."lau]
scrotum

[E."lOh.ka]
yesterday
[Ets."ka.na]
arrive
[E.lOh."fOi]
tomorrow

[ksOh.nO."mats]
dusk, twilight
[ih.tau.ba."tam]
sixteen

[te.iEk.ta."kun.mE]
forty-nine.inst

The only apparent exceptions to the above rules consist of a handful of stems and common inflectional forms
which end in a non-glide vowel but nevertheless have primary stress on the final syllable. In the orthography
used here, these are marked by placing a diacritic over the final vowel:
nap`e
ipal`
a

[na."pE]
[i.ba."la]

daughter
herb, medicinal plant

The use of this diacritic is crucial, since a change in how a word is stressed often signals the difference
between one inflectional form and another. For example, woman is iha in the unmarked form (with stress
on the first syllable) and ih`
a in the nominative case (with stress on the last syllable). Note that the same
diacritic is also placed over monosyllabic stress-bearing words ending in a non-glide vowel, such as n`
a water.
These words are pronounced with a slightly longer vowel than their unstressed counterparts (e.g., s`
u rain
has a longer vowel than su or).
Final stressed vowels have two sources in the phonology:
1. In some inflected forms, two adjacent vowels fuse to become a single stressed vowel. For example, when
the nominative ending -e is added to the stem iha woman, the ending fuses with the final stem vowel
to give ih`
a (see 3.5.3).
2. Although syllables in Okuna may normally end in the glottal fricative h (e.g., the first syllable in ahte
father), there is a rule which deletes h word-finally (cf. 3.3). However, words with a deleted final h
behave as if they still ended in a consonant, insofar as primary stress falls on the final syllable. This is
the case with s`
u rain and nap`e daughter, for instance, whose stems are suh- and napeh-, respectively.
(Because h only deletes in word-final position, it is preserved when a case ending attaches to the stem:
e.g., suhna rain.loc, napehme daughter.inst).
For the most part, word-level stress is insensitive to morphological structure: primary and secondary stress
are assigned to fully inflected stems, after all affixes have been added to the stem. Note the stress shift in
the following forms (and its effect on the pronunciation of k, which is routinely voiced before an unstressed
vowel, as noted above):
1 Unstressed particles for marking force and evidentiality, discussed in 8.2.2, are an exception to this: these particles
immediately follow the verb and form a prosodic unit with the verb.

3.5. COMMON PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES

muka
mukat
mukanka
mukankat

["mu.ga]
[mu."kat]
[mu."kaN.ga]
[mu.gaN."kat]

19

close
close.pl
close.ipv:pst
close.ipv:pst.pl

There is one important exceptions to this, however. The question marker -n, which is the contracted form
of ne used after a vowel, does not affect the stress of the verb to which it attaches. Instead, the verb is
stressed as though the -n were not present (I assume that -n is actually an enclitic rather than a true suffix).
Compare the stress placement in the following examples:
na
na
na
na

hosta
hostat
h`
ostan
hostat ne

[na."hOs.ta]
[na.hOs."tat]
[na."hOs.taN]
[na.hOs."tat.nE]

s/he dances
they dance
does s/he dance?
do they dance?

Notice that when -n attaches to a verb with penultimate stress, penultimate stress is retained even though
the verb now ends in a consonant. In such cases the penultimate vowel is marked with a diacritic to show
that stress is falling on a syllable other than the expected one, in the same way that idiosyncratic final stress
is marked by a diacritic in words like nap`e.

3.5

Common phonological processes

The following are some commonly attested phonological rules. The application of these rules in particular
cases is discussed in the sections dealing with noun and verb morphology.

3.5.1

Consonant cluster simplification

Although geminate sonorant consonants (mm, nn, ll ) are permitted, geminate obstruents are disallowed.
When two identical obstruents come together at a word-internal morpheme boundary, the first one loses
its closure and becomes h, creating an hC cluster. This rule is attested in compounds (e.g., mok hearth,
maternal lineage + kilu grandchild > mohkilu maternal grandchild). It also applies productively when
a verb stem ending in t takes the inchoative suffix -t (e.g., pat.t.a > pahta make/become tall); and when
the ordinal suffix -ka attaches to a number term ending in k (teiek.ka > teiehka ninth, tolok.ka > tolohka
ten-thousandth).
Similarly, sequences consisting of f followed by a consonant, or p followed by a plosive consonant, are
disallowed. When such sequences are created, the labial consonant loses its place features and becomes h,
again creating an hC cluster. This rule applies in compounds (e.g., minap bone marrow + kan worth >
minahkan esteem, high regard); and when the inchoative suffix -t is added to a verb stem ending in p or f
(elif.t.a > elihta become beautiful, beautify; koip.t.a > koihta get to know).
When the suffix -t is added to a stem ending in the affricate tl, the tl becomes the corresponding fricative
lh (mutl.t.a > mulhta realize, come to understand).
Lastly, word-final lh is optionally pronounced as h when followed by a word beginning with l, tl, s, or ts,
especially in rapid speech (this change is not indicated in the spelling). For example, the phrase olh tlotsaka
that kind is normally pronounced [Oh tflOtsaga].

3.5.2

Place and continuancy assimilation

When a morpheme ending in a nasal N (either m or n) is followed by a morpheme beginning with an

obstruent, the nasal assimilates to the place of articulation of the obstruent. In addition, if the obstruent is
a continuant it will change into the closest corresponding non-continuant. The outputs of this rule are listed
below:

20

CHAPTER 3. PHONOLOGY
N
N
N
N
N

+
+
+
+
+

p
t
ts
tl
k

>
>
>
>
>

mp
nt
nts
ntl
nk

N +f

>

mp

N +s
N + lh
N +h

>
>
>

nts
ntl
nk

This rule applies when the negative prefix m- attaches to a stem beginning with an obstruent: e.g., m.pat.o
> mpato isnt tall; m.fon.o > mpono doesnt praise; m.sas.o > ntsaso doesnt meet; m.lhil.o > ntlilo
doesnt pull; m.hakatl.o > nkakatlo doesnt laugh. The rule also applies when a verb stem ending in a
nasal combines with the causative/inchoative suffix -t, or when a numeral word ending in a nasal combines
with the suffix -ka (which forms ordinal numbers) or -tla (which forms fractions): e.g., lhum.t.a > lhunta
become/make dim; tam.ka > tanka tenth, tam.tla > tantla one tenth.
Nasals fail to assimilate before another sonorant: e.g., kalon.me > kalonme with the young man.

3.5.3

Vowel hiatus resolution

Sequences of two syllabic (non-glide) vowels are not permitted. Moreover, the sequences ii and uu are not
permitted, and the sequences iu and ui are allowed only within a stem. When one of these impermissible
vowel sequences is created through affixation, regular rules apply to produce an acceptable sequence of
non-high vowels and glides.
The following rules apply when a prefix ending a vowel attaches to a stem beginning with a vowel:
1. When a prefix ending in a attaches to a stem beginning with a, the two vowels fuse into a single vowel.
Example: a.ati.a > atia when (it) got closer.
2. When a prefix ending in a high vowel (i or u) attaches to a stem beginning with a non-glide vowel, the
prefix vowel is pronounced as a glide. Examples: i.alh.a > ialha is allowed, i.yt.a > iyta is true,
u.euolht.a > ueuolhta has gone there. If the stem-initial vowel is also high, then that vowel lowers
to become the corresponding mid vowel (i becomes e, and u becomes o). Examples: i.ikl.a > iekla
is scratching, i.usl.a > iosla is about to end; u.ipam.a > uepama has prepared, u.ukti.i > uoktie
having given.
3. When a prefix ending in a high vowel attaches to a stem beginning with a glide, the prefix vowel itself
lowers to become the corresponding mid vowel. Examples: i.ias.a > eiasa is eating, i.uoht.a > euohta
is sitting; u.iahkip.a > oiahkipa has struck, u.uant.a > ouanta has thrown.
4. When a prefix ending in a non-high vowel (a, e, o, y) is attached to a stem beginning with a non-glide
vowel, a glide is inserted between the two vowels. If at least one of the vowels is rounded, then an u-glide
is inserted; otherwise an i -glide is inserted. Examples: a.elif.oht.a > aielifohta be more beautiful,
a.ynt.im.a > aiyntima get narrower; e.otl.i > euotli to come apart, a.oit.oht.a > auoitohta be more
important. If the initial vowel of the stem is high, then the inserted glide causes it to lower. Examples:
a.ikl.a > aiekla when (s/he) scratched, a.ipam.a > aiepama when (s/he) prepared, ta.iht`
a > taieht`
a
sixty; e.ukti.i > euoktie to give, a.uti.oht.a > auotiohta be closer.
The following rules apply when a suffix beginning with a vowel attaches to a stem ending in a vowel, or
when the infix -i- (which marks dative case on nouns and resultative aspect on verbs: see 4.2 and 7.5.1,
respectively) is inserted immediately after the final vowel in a stem:
1. When the nominative suffix -e attaches to a stem ending in a non-high vowel, the two vowels fuse into
a single vowel. This vowel attracts word-level stress, and has the quality of the original stem vowel.
Examples: malka.e > malk`
a wolf.nom, ike.e > ik`
e dog.nom, talo.e > tal`
o chieftain.nom. In all
other cases of vowel hiatus, the following rules of vowel lowering and glide formation apply.

3.5. COMMON PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES

21

2. When a suffix beginning with a high vowel attaches to a stem ending in a glide, the suffix vowel lowers.
Examples: pyi.i > pyie to the child, m.taki.unka > ntakionka has not broken, u.pau.i.ma > upauema
having washed (pl), piau.u > piauo from the top, m.o.tsoku.u > motsokuo without having met
before. Likewise, the infix -i- undergoes lowering when it is inserted after a glide. Examples: kaiha
kill, murder + -i- > kaieha be killed, murdered; euta clean + -i- > eueta be clean(ed).
3. If a suffix beginning with a high vowel attaches to a stem ending in a vowel, the suffix vowel is
pronounced as a glide; if the stem-final vowel is also high, that vowel changes into the corresponding
mid vowel. Examples: tomla.i > tomlai to the mountain, lhati.i > lhatei to the children, kilu.i
> kiloi to the grandchild; tlasi.u > tlaseu from the bend in the river, kotu.u > kotou from the
house. These same rules also apply when the infix -i- is inserted after a non-glide vowel. Examples:
uhin + -i- > uhein to a song; muk.a close + -i- > moika be closed.
4. When a suffix beginning with a non-high vowel is added to a vowel-final stem, a glide is inserted in
between them (except in cases where the vowel fusion rule in (1) above takes precedence). An u-glide
is inserted if at least one of the vowels is rounded; otherwise an i -glide is inserted. If the stem-final
vowel is high, glide insertion causes it to lower. Examples: iase.a > iaseia for food, lhati.a > lhateia
for the children; talo.a > taloua for the chieftain, sihkunu.a > sihkunoua towards the river.

Chapter 4

Case and Argument Structure

4.1

Introduction

Okuna is a case-marking language, where grammatical roles (subject, object, etc.) are encoded primarily by
morphology on pronouns and noun phrases. In this chapter I discuss the Okuna case system in detail. This
system is complicated by the existence of different verb classes which show distinct case marking patterns,
and by the ways in which case marking interacts with aspect, negation, and other factors.
Noun phrases may appear in their unmarked form, or inflected for one of the following seven case roles:
nominative (nom), dative (dat), ergative (erg), locative (loc), allative (all), ablative (abl), or instrumental (inst). The nominative, dative, and ergative may be classified as the core cases, while the locative,
allative, ablative, and instrumental are the oblique cases. This division into core and oblique cases is
justified on distributional grounds. In particular, noun phrases in the core cases agree in number with the
verb (see 7.2), whereas oblique noun phrases do not. Moreover, pronouns have special clitic forms for the
core cases, but not for the oblique cases (see chapter 5).
I begin by reviewing the morphology for marking case on nouns in 4.2 (case marking on pronouns is
dealt with in the next chapter). I then turn to the functions of the various case roles. In 4.3 I review
the functions of the core cases, while 4.4 gives examples of the various verb classes in Okuna. 4.5 deals
with the functions of the oblique cases. Finally, in 4.6 I discuss the distribution of noun phrases which are
unmarked for case.

4.2

Noun case morphology

A noun phrase may occur in its bare form, or in combination with one of seven case markers. The basic
forms of the case markers are given in the following table:
nominative (nom)
dative (dat)
ergative (erg)
locative (loc)
allative (all)
ablative (abl)
instrumental (inst)

-e
-i
-ma
-na
-a
-u
-me

The case marker attaches to the final word in the noun phrase. Since Okuna is a head-final language,
the final word in the noun phrase will usually be the noun itself. However, demonstratives and quantifiers
(including numerals) follow the noun, so when a noun phrase contains one of these, it is the quantifier or
demonstrative which carries the case marker while the noun itself remains unmarked. When the noun phrase
22

4.2. NOUN CASE MORPHOLOGY

23

includes both a quantifier and a demonstrative, the demonstrative follows the quantifier and takes the case
marker. Compare the following noun phrases, illustrating the position of the locative case marker -na:
kotuna
kulhe kotuna
kulhe kotu henna
kulhe kotu itena
kulhe kotu hen itena

(house.loc)
(green house.loc)
(green house two.loc)
(green house these:loc)
(green house two these:loc)

in
in
in
in
in

the house
the green house
(the) two green houses
these green houses
these two green houses

In addition, when two or more noun phrases are combined into a larger noun phrase using a conjunction such
as ka and (see 8.3.1), only the rightmost conjunct is marked for case. Consider the following example, in
which the instrumental case marker -me attaches to no ame his mother, while Sakial is unmarked:
(4.1) Sakial ka no
ameme
Sakial and 3ardat mother.inst
with Sakial and his mother
There is an added complication involving the nominative case ending -e: this ending attaches to the noun
phrase only when the noun itself is the final element. If a noun phrase in the nominative case role ends in a
numeral, quantifier, or related element, the -e ending is not used (making the nominative form homophonous
with the unmarked form). For example, kamal knife is kamalme in the instrumental and kamale in the
nominative; by contrast, kamal hen two knives takes the form kamal henme in the instrumental, but simply
kamal hen (with no ending) in the nominative.
The fact that they attach to the noun phrase as a whole suggests that the case markers are clitics.
Phonologically, however, they behave in a way that is more characteristic of true suffixes than of clitics. For
example, they can cause stress to shift rightward (e.g., k
otu house versus kot
una in the house), and, in the
case of the dative, the ending can actually be infixed within the word it attaches to. In order to side-step
the question of whether they should be treated as affixes or clitics, I will refer to these morphemes simply
as case endings.
All nouns inflect using the same set of case endings. However, there is a good deal of phonologicallyconditioned allomorphy: the vowel-initial case endings all vary in form depending on the final sound(s) of the
stem they attach to, and adding these endings to a noun can also cause changes to the stem. The attested
patterns are explained and illustrated below.
Consonant-final stems
1. When the stem ends in a consonant preceded by a glide, the case endings given in the table above are
added without any changes. This is illustrated in the table below with the declension for the noun
koin person.
2. When the stem ends in a consonant other than h, and that consonant is preceded by a syllabic (nonglide) vowel, the dative case is marked by infixing an i -glide before the final consonant. All other case
endings are as expected. This is illustrated below for tlukan raven. When the vowel preceding the
infixed glide is high, that vowel lowers in accordance with the vowel lowering rule discussed in 3.5.3
(i > e, u > o). This pattern is illustrated for his star and kihul islet.
3. Stems whose final consonant is h inflect the same way as above, except that the h disappears in the
unmarked form and after the infixed -i of the dative. This is due to a regular phonological rule which
deletes word-final h (see 3.3). Because the h is dropped, the noun ends in a stressed vowel in the
unmarked form and a diphthong in the dative. This is illustrated below for napeh- (nap`e ) daughter
and suh- (s`
u ) rain.

24

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

nom
dat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst

koin
koine
koini
koinma
koinna
koina
koinu
koinme

tlukan
tlukane
tlukain
tlukanma
tlukanna
tlukana
tlukanu
tlukanme

his
hise
heis
hisma
hisna
hisa
hisu
hisme

kihul
kihule
kihoil
kihulma
kihulna
kihula
kihulu
kihulme

nap`e
napehe
napei
napehma
napehna
napeha
napehu
napehme

s`
u
suhe
soi
suhma
suhna
suha
suhu
suhme

Vowel-final stems
1. When the stem ends in a glide vowel, the dative ending -i lowers to become -e (making the dative
and nominative forms homophonous). Likewise, the ablative ending -u lowers to become -o. All other
endings remain unchanged. This is illustrated in the table below for pyi child.
2. When the stem ends in the vowel a, that vowel merges with the nominative ending -e to form a single
stressed a vowel, while a u-glide is inserted before the allative ending -a. These changes are illustrated
below in the declension for malka wolf.
3. When the noun stem ends in e, the stem-final vowel fuses with the nominative ending -e to form a
single stressed e vowel, and an i -glide is inserted before the allative ending -a. This is shown for
ilme moon. These same changes happen when the noun stem ends in (non-glide) i, and in addition,
stem-final i lowers to e before a glide and in the nominative. This is illustrated for lhati children.
4. Finally, when the noun stem ends in o, that vowel fuses with the nominative ending -e to form a
stressed o vowel, while an u-glide is inserted before allative -a, as shown for talo chieftain. These
same changes occur for nouns ending in (non-glide) u, such as uosu smooth round stone, but in
addition the stem-final u lowers to become o before a glide and in the nominative.

nom
dat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst

pyi
pyie
pyie
pyima
pyina
pyia
pyio
pyime

malka
malk`
a
malkai
malkama
malkana
malkaua
malkau
malkame

ilme
ilm`e
ilmei
ilmema
ilmena
ilmeia
ilmeu
ilmeme

lhati
lhat`e
lhatei
lhatima
lhatina
lhateia
lhateu
lhatime

talo
tal`
o
taloi
taloma
talona
taloua
talou
talome

uosu
uos`
o
uosoi
uosuma
uosuna
uosoua
uosou
uosume

Pronouns and certain other elements (such as the quantifiers -mot all and -ket every) inflect for case
according to a different pattern, as discussed in chapter 5. The functions of the cases are reviewed below in
4.3 and 4.5.

4.3

The core cases

The three core cases are nominative, ergative, and dative. (Pronouns distinguish two forms for the dative,
realis and irrealis; however, I postpone discussion of this distinction until 5.3.3.) The distribution of these
cases is somewhat complex. Okuna exhibits a typologically unusual active case marking system, where core
case roles do not map in a straightforward way onto familiar grammatical relations like subject and object.
Instead, case is determined in large part by the event structure of the predicate. From the perspective of an
English speaker, Okuna case marking can seem idiosyncratic, which is why the glossary accompanying this
grammar lists case assignment information for many verbs.
Most verbs in Okuna can be assigned to one of three classes according to the maximum number and kind
of core arguments they take. For simplicity I refer to these simply as Class I, Class II, and Class III. A

4.3. THE CORE CASES

25

detailed discussion of these classes, with examples of each, is given in 4.4 below. I begin with a preliminary
overview of the core case roles. 4.3.1 summarizes the functions of the nominative and ergative cases, while
in 4.3.2 I consider the functions of the dative case in some detail.

4.3.1

Nominative and ergative case

Ergative (erg) case is marked by adding the ending -ma to the final word in the noun phrase. To mark the
nominative (nom), the ending -e is typically attached to the noun if it is the final element in the noun phrase;
otherwise the nominative is unmarked (e.g., quantifiers and correlatives are unmarked in the nominative; see
6.7 and 6.8). Note that nominative marking is subject to a high degree of allomorphy, as summarized in
4.2 above. This section gives an overview of the functions of the nominative and ergative cases. For more
extensive discussion and illustration of nominative and ergative case assignment with respect to the different
verb classes, see 4.4.
Ergative case is used to mark noun phrases that denote actors. The actor is that participant in the
event (if any) who initiates or carries out the action denoted by the verb, often causing a change in some
other participant. When a clause denotes an open-ended activity, the individual(s) engaged in that activity
may be referred to by a noun phrase in the ergative case, as in (4.2) and (4.3). When a clause denotes an
activity resulting in a change of state or location, an ergative noun phrase is used to indicate the individual
(if any) who is responsible for bringing about the change, as in (4.4) and (4.5).
(4.2) Lhatima
yhmana
ilaliat
children.erg outside.loc prg.play.ipv.pl
The children are playing outside
(4.3) Sakialma halma itala
Sakial.erg book prg.read.ipv
Sakial is reading a book
(4.4) Ihama
hut`
a
kotoi
lhyuyiat
woman.erg basket.nom house.dat enter.pv.npl.pl
The women took/brought the baskets into the house
(4.5) Ikei
sisliankama
kilhtyi
dog.dat rattlesnake.erg bite.pv
The dog was bitten by a rattlesnake
The actor is typically an animate participant who acts consciously and deliberately to bring about the event
denoted by the verb. However, this is not a necessary property of actors. In the examples below, ergative
case marks an inanimate noun as the initiator of the action:
(4.6) Kas
ahoma is`e
ikista
already sun.erg snow.nom prg.melt.ipv
The sun is already melting the snow
(4.7) Sukuma olh
palahta emot
lhope
tiausyia
wind.erg dist tree
all.nom blow.cv fall.pv.npl
The wind blew all those trees over
(4.8) Mo
somoityi
ne
hintsypalma
atiok`
a
1srdat hear:news.pv 3anom pneumonia.erg pv.die.dep.nom
I heard that he died of pneumonia (more lit. that pneumonia caused him to die)

26

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

Nominative case is assigned to noun phrases which bear the theme role. Such noun phrases typically denote
a participant that occupies a location or position, or undergoes a change of location or position, whether
spontaneously or as the result of being manipulated by an actor. Examples of nominative marking on themes
are given below:
(4.9) Kamale
totsatna
itima
knife.nom table.loc prg.lie.ipv
The knife is lying on the table
(4.10) Kamale
totsat epamu tiausyi
knife.nom table top.abl fall.pv
The knife fell off the table
(4.11) Ma
kihune
kohoit
elhyia
1serg letter.nom chest.dat put:in.pv.npl
I put the letters in the chest
(4.12) Ikema
sekite
kiompyi
dog.erg rat.nom chase.pv
The dog chased the rat
(4.13) Ihama
kamale
ikpa
woman.erg knife.nom prg.hold/carry.ipv
The woman is holding/carrying a knife
(4.14) Hitole
mukyi
door.nom close.pv
The door (was) closed
(4.15) Sakialma
hitole
mukyi
Sakial.erg door.nom close.pv
Sakial closed the door
When the clause expresses a state or property, the nominative-marked theme argument denotes the entity to
which that state or property is attributed, as in (4.16) and (4.17). In addition, with certain verbs expressing
entry into a state, the noun phrase which names the individual that enters into that state is marked with
nominative case, as in (4.18)(4.20).
(4.16) Sakiale
teusu pata
Sakial.nom very tall.pv
Sakial is very tall
(4.17) Mule
ihalhka
cloth.nom prg.dry.ipv
The cloth is dry
(4.18) Mule
halhketyi
cloth.nom dry.tinc.pv
The cloth dried (out)
(4.19) Ma
mule
halhketyi
1serg cloth.nom dry.tinc.pv
I dried (out) the cloth

4.3. THE CORE CASES

27

(4.20) Luhme kale

tiokyi
old:one man.nom die.pv
The old man died
Nominative case also marks the subject of a non-verbal predicate, as in the examples below (as discussed
in 9.3.1, Okuna predicates need not include an overt copular verb). In (4.21) and (4.22), the nominativemarked noun phrase is the subject of a predicate nominal, unmarked for case. In (4.23), the nominative
noun phrase is the subject of a relational predicate in the locative case (cf. 6.5):
(4.21) Mule
sane
cloth.nom red:one
The cloth is red
(4.22) Sakiale
no
ahte
Sakial.nom 3ardat father
Sakial is her father
(4.23) Tenmotlai tiesate
ekau
heutna
Tenmotlai town.nom here:abl north.loc
The town of Tenmotlai is north of here

4.3.2

Dative case and the delimiter role

On regular noun phrases, dative case is typically marked by adding the ending -i to the final element in the
noun phrase. As discussed in 4.2, this ending often infixes before the final consonant in the noun stem:
e.g., totsat table + -i > totsait. Pronouns and related elements distinguish two forms of the dative, called
realis and irrealis. The difference between realis dative and irrealis dative is discussed in 5.3.3.
Dative case is typically assigned to a noun phrase which denotes the delimiter of a telic event. A
telic event is any event which reaches a natural (non-arbitrary) culmination point, beyond which it cannot
continue. For example, the sentence The girl ate the fish denotes a telic event, since the action described
by this sentence necessarily ends once the fish has been completely consumed. Compare this with The girl
ate fish, which denotes an atelic or open-ended event: since no particular quantity of fish is specified, the
action of eating does not culminate and can go on indefinitely. Likewise, The boy pushed the cart is atelic,
since the event lacks a natural endpoint: in principle the boy could go on pushing the cart indefinitely. By
contrast, The boy pushed the cart into the ditch is telic, since the event necessarily ends once the cart is
in the ditch.1
In clauses denoting telic events, the dative-marked delimiter argument is that noun phrase in the sentence
(if any) which identifies or is associated with the culmination point of the event. The exact role which the
delimiter noun phrase plays depends on the type of event. For example, with events of motion, where
an object undergoes a change of location from one place to another, the verb can take a dative argument
expressing the goal to which the object movesprovided the event necessarily ends once that goal is
reached. Examples are given below. In (4.26), for instance, the dropping event ends as soon as the stone is
in the hole; hence the hole can be thought of as delimiting the event.
(4.24) Sa
tiesait
etyit
13nom town.dat go.pv.pl
We went to the town
(4.25) Ma
kamale
totsait
teunyi
1serg knife.nom table.dat put.pv
I put the knife on the table
1 The boy might continue to push the cart after that point, but he can no longer be described as pushing the cart into the
ditch once it is actually in the ditch.

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.26) Mikalma nak`

a
otoi
tiausyi
boy.erg stone.nom hole.dat drop.pv
The boy dropped the stone into the hole
Like the goal in a motion event, the recipient functions as the delimiter in an event of transmission. The
recipient is that individual who, as a result of the transmission event, comes to possess an object or (as in
the case of verbs like etsa tell) a piece of information.
(4.27) Motlai
kytu
moityi
Motla.dat present receive.pv
Motla received a present
(4.28) Ma
halm`
a
Sakiail
uktiyia
1serg book.nom Sakial.dat give.pv.npl
I gave the books to Sakial
(4.29) Ko
suhpai
etsyin
sati
ituos`
a?
2erg brother.dat tell.pv.qu dinner prg.ready.dep.nom
Have you told (your) brother that its time for dinner?
With certain perception verbs such as kila see/show and ola hear, the experiencer participant counts as
the delimiter. To account for this, we might conceive of perception events as involving the transmission of
a sensation, which ends/culminates once the sensation has reached the perceiver.
(4.30) Eleim
lhonko
olyi
Elim.dat loud:noise hear.pv
Elim heard a loud noise
(4.31) Motlai
kietame
kilyi
Motla.dat picture.nom see.pv
Motla saw the picture
(4.32) Elimma
Motlai
kietame
kilyi
Elim.erg Motla.dat picture.nom see.pv
Elim showed Motla the picture (more lit. caused Motla to see the picture)
Verbs like kahta hit, patla cover, and peha kiss describe events where an actor manipulates an object or
a part of his/her body, bringing it into physical contact with some other entity. The latter entity is typically
expressed by a noun phrase in the dative case:
(4.33) Ma
Sakiail
kahtyi
1serg Sakial.dat hit.pv
I hit Sakial
(4.34) Ma
totsait
mul patlyi
1serg table.dat cloth cover.pv
I covered the table with a cloth
(4.35) Elimma
kohmei
ipeha
Elim.erg romantic:partner.dat prg.kiss.ipv
Elim is kissing (his) partner

4.3. THE CORE CASES

29

In all of the above examples, the dative-marked delimiter can be said to indicate the endpoint of a (literal
or figurative) motion event. With other verbs expressing telic events, the delimiter argument denotes an
entity whose condition is thought of as measuring out (i.e., identifying the degree of completion of) the
event. Consider, for example, events where one of the participants, the patient, undergoes a gradual change
culminating in an end state. Verbs expressing events of this sort include iasa eat, siehpa write, and tiespa
build. With such verbs, the delimiter is the noun phrase which names the patient of the action, since the
event necessarily ends once the patient has been completely affected (i.e., completely created, destroyed,
consumed, or otherwise altered) by the action:
(4.36) Ounama kahoi
iasyi
bear.erg fish.dat eat.pv
The bear ate the fish
(4.37) Kalma
kihoin
siehpyi
man.erg letter.dat write.pv
The man wrote the letter
(4.38) Sukakama kotoi
tiespyit
worker.erg house.dat build.pv.pl
The workers built a house
In the examples above, the eating event ends as soon as the fish has been thoroughly consumed, the writing
event ends once the letter is finished, and the building event ends when the house is complete. It is in this
sense that the patient argument identifies the culmination point of the event. In each case, the progress of
the event may be tracked by observing incremental changes in the state of the patient.
A clause denoting an atelic activity (containing a Class II verb) may be coverted into one denoting a
telic activity by adding a delimiting measure phrase in the dative case. This measure phrase expresses the
duration of the action, the distance traversed by an object in motion, or some other quantity which can be
used to assign an endpoint or upper limit to the event. When used in this sense, the dative phrase is often
followed by the particle sik`
a, meaning roughly all the way or until:
(4.39) Na
luom hein
muelhyi
3aerg hour two.dat sleep.pv
She slept for two hours
(4.40) Sukakama nak`
a
katlam kiain
tlynkyit
worker.erg stone.nom cubit
five.dat push.pv.pl
The workers pushed the stone five cubits (and then stopped)
(4.41) Sa
huta
huoie
sik`
a ipoi
titiyit
13erg basket twelve.dat until blackberry gather.pv.pl
We gathered twelve baskets of blackberries
Consider example (4.39). Although sleeping is an open-ended activity, sleeping for two hours is not: once
the two-hour mark is reached, it is no longer possible to continue sleeping for two hours. It is in this sense
that the measure phrase luom hen two hours delimits the event, and thus appears in the dative case. To
make sense of (4.41), we might translate this sentence more literally as We gathered blackberries until (we
reached a total of) twelve baskets.
Notice, incidentally, that even though these measure phrases are plural and appear in one of the core
cases, they do not trigger plural marking on the verb (see 7.2 on number agreement). Although absence of
agreement is the usual rule, it is possible for a measure phrase to optionally trigger dative plural agreement
when it is interpreted as definite. Compare (4.41) with (4.42) below, where huta huoie twelve baskets is
replaced with the definite noun phrase olh huta huoi utat those twelve baskets, and the verb carries the
dative plural suffix -ma in agreement with this argument.

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.42) Sa
olh
huta
huoi
utat
ipoi
titiyimat
13erg dist basket twelve those:rdat blackberry gather.pv.dpl.pl
We gathered those twelve baskets of blackberries
or We gathered blackberries until we filled those twelve baskets
A noun phrase or dependent clause may also function as a dative-marked delimiter if it indicates an event
which marks the temporal cut-off point for the event denoted by the clause, or the state resulting from an
activity denoted by the clause. Here, dative case is equivalent to up to or until in English. As above, the
dative phrase is often followed by the particle sik`
a.
(4.43) Na
kahpahoi
lakiyit
3aerg sunset.dat hunt.pv.pl
They hunted until sunset
(4.44) Kim
kauotat
lhat`e
nioktatai
sik`
a
12nom be:here.dur.ipv.pl children.nom return.dep.pl.dat until
We will stay here until the children return
(4.45) Inan
ekonampyi
atiokai
3aloc hungry.act.pv pv.die.dep.dat
He was starved to death (lit. He was made hungry until [he] died)
Note that when a resultative expression of this sort occurs in the same clause as a patient argument,
the resultative usurps the role of delimiter from the patient, forcing the latter into the nominative case.
Consider the examples below. In (4.46) the patient tsike fly takes dative marking; whereas in (4.47) this
ending appears on the dependent verb atioka that [it] died, and tsike is marked for nominative case instead.
This illustrates a general principle of case assignment in Okuna, namely that a telic clause can have no more
than one delimiter, and hence no more than one dative-marked noun phrase.
(4.46) Usoitma
tsikei
nitlkyi
spider.erg fly.dat sting.pv
The spider stung the fly
(4.47) Usoitma
tsik`e
nitlkyi
nan
atiokai
spider.erg fly.nom sting.pv 3anom pv.die.dep.dat
The spider stung the fly until it died
Compare also the following examples. In (4.48) and (4.49), the event of writing ends once the letter is
finished; hence kihun letter is the delimiter, and takes the dative case. Example (4.49) also includes a
non-case-marked noun phrase, es luom an hour, which measures the amount of time from the beginning
of the event to the endpoint. In (4.50), the temporal measure phrase itself delimits the event: that is, the
event is over once one hour has elapsed, not once the letter is finished. Since the measure phrase identifies
the endpoint, it appears in the dative case, while kihun, no longer construed as a delimiter, is treated as the
theme argument and takes the nominative instead.
(4.48) Sakialma
kihoin
siehpyi
Sakial.erg letter.dat write.pv
Sakial wrote the letter
(4.49) Sakialma
kihoin
es luom siehpyi
Sakial.erg letter.dat one hour write.pv
Sakial wrote the letter in an hour

4.4. VERB CLASSES

31

(4.50) Sakialma
kihune
es luoim
siehpyi
Sakial.erg letter.nom one hour.dat write.pv
Sakial worked on the letter for an hour
A minor exception to the restriction against multiple delimiters comes from iterative clauses, which are formed
by suffixing the durative aspectual marker -ot to an eventive verb stem (e.g., tlynka push > tlynkota push
repeatedly; see 7.5.4). As the following examples show, iterative clauses are able to take two dative phrases,
typically a goal or patient plus a measure phrase. This is because iteratives have a complex event structure:
they consist of a macro-event composed of more-or-less identical micro-events, where the macro-event and
micro-events may each be delimited separately. In (4.54), the goal lahi ditch delimits the micro-events
(each individual pushing event ends once the stone is in the ditch), while the measure phrase luom hen two
hours delimits the macro-event (the activity of repeatedly pushing concludes once two hours have elapsed).
(4.51) Mikalma nak`
a
tlynkyi
boy.erg stone.nom push.pv
The boy pushed the stone
(4.52) Mikalma nak`
a
lahei
tlynkyi
boy.erg stone.nom ditch.dat push.pv
The boy pushed the stone into the ditch
(4.53) Mikalma nak`
a
lahei
tlynkotyi
boy.erg stone.nom ditch.dat push.dur.pv
The boy pushed the stone repeatedly into the ditch
(4.54) Mikalma nak`
a
lahei
luom hein
tlynkotyi
boy.erg stone.nom ditch.dat hour two.dat push.dur.pv
The boy pushed the stone repeatedly into the ditch for two hours

4.4

Verb classes

All verbs in Okuna may be assigned to one of three classes according to the number of core arguments which
they take and how those arguments are marked for case. I will refer to these simply as Class I, Class II,
and Class III:
1. Class I verbs take a single core argument (the theme) marked with nominative case. Verbs in this
class tend to express states and relations.
2. Class II verbs take up to two core arguments: a nominative noun phrase (the theme) and an ergative
noun phrase (the actor). Verbs in this class tend to express atelic (open-ended) events carried out by
the actor, or telic events involving the (near-)instantaneous entry of the theme into a state.
3. Class III verbs take up to three core arguments: a nominative noun phrase (the theme), an ergative
noun phrase (the actor), and a dative noun phrase (the delimiter). Verbs in this class express telic
events which culminate in a non-arbitrary endpoint, where that endpoint is identified by, or associated
with, the delimiter argument.
Crucially, class membership is based on the maximum number of core arguments which a verb can take. A
verb may appear with fewer than the maximum number of core arguments, since (as discussed in 9.4.1)
arguments are freely omitted from the clause if they lack a referent, or if the referent is unknown or unimportant. For example, a large number of Class II and Class III verbs may occur either with or without
an ergative-marked actor. When the actor is not expressed, the sentence may denote a spontaneous event,
which comes about without being initiated by an external participant; or it may denote an event initiated

32

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

by a participant whose identity is unknown or unimportant to the context. In the latter case, the sentence
may usually be translated using a passive construction. Consider the following examples, featuring the Class
II verb muka close and the Class III verb uihta sit/set down:
(4.55) Ihama
hitole
mukyi
woman.erg door.nom close.pv
The woman closed the door
(4.56) Hitole
mukyi
door.nom close.pv
The door (was) closed
(4.57) Ihama
pyie
keuli
uihtyi
woman.erg child.nom chair.dat sit:down.pv
The woman set/sat the child down in the chair
(4.58) Pyie
keuli
uihtyi
child.nom chair.dat sit:down.pv
The child sat down in the chair or The child was set down on the chair
A small number of verbs commonly appear without any core arguments at all. These include verbs which
express emotions or physical sensations internal to ones bodye.g., kesta be happy, ekona be hungry,
muelhona be drowsy, feel like sleeping. Verbs of this type typically occur with a single noun phrase in the
locative case, denoting the individual who experiences the emotion or sensation:
(4.59) Iman kestanka
1sloc happy.ipv:pst
I was happy
(4.60) Sakialna
teusu iekona
Sakial.loc very prg.hungry.ipv
Sakial is very hungry
However, these verbs can nevertheless be assigned to Class I, since they occasionally take a nominativemarked theme argument denoting the object or occasion which inspires the emotion in question. Notice that
in (4.63), the nominative argument is the postposed dependent clause ku uket`
a (lit. you having come here).
(4.61) Iman ikou sat`e
iekona
1sloc 2abl food.nom prg.hungry.ipv
Im hungry for your food (i.e., your food is the source of my hunger)
(4.62) Mehkanen tan
nkestunka
iahok
occasion
that:nom neg.happy.ipv:pst:neg at:all
That occasion was not a happy one (i.e., not a source of happiness)
(4.63) Iman kesta
ku
uket`
a
1sloc happy.ipv 2nom pf.come:here.dep.nom
Im happy that you came (more lit. You having come is a source of happiness in me)
Likewise, verbs denoting the emission of bodily substances (e.g., salhka bleed, hiunuka cry, weep, shed
tears) typically appear with just a noun phrase in the ablative case, denoting the individual from whose
body the substance is emitted, as in (4.64). However, these verbs occasionally take a core argument in the
ergative case, denoting an individual who intentionally initiates the action, as in (4.65), showing that they
belong to Class II:

4.4. VERB CLASSES

33

(4.64) Sakialu
isalhka
Sakial.abl prg.bleed.ipv
Sakial is bleeding (i.e., shedding blood)
(4.65) Sakialma
tsan isalhka
Sakial.erg self prg.bleed.ipv
Sakial is bleeding himself (i.e., releasing his blood)
In the following subsections I consider the three verb classes in detail, providing examples of each and
illustrating their argument structures. I focus my discussion on how the core case roles (nominative, dative,
ergative) are mapped to participant roles according to the kind of event that the verb denotes. However, I
also comment on the oblique roles (see 4.5) which certain types of verbs routinely occur with.

4.4.1

Class I verbs

A large number of verbs in Okuna take at most a single core argument, always in the nominative case. This
argument may be identified with the semantic role theme. For expository purposes, Class I verbs may be
divided into various semantic subclasses.
Stative verbs
Class I includes the majority of verbs denoting states or properties. With verbs of this type, the nominative
argument indicates the individual to which the state or property is attributed. Stative Class I verbs include:
fiha
hakta
kiha
kiota
laina
liuna
mila
muha
ohtla
oita
pata
toha

be young
be tired
be small
be fast, be quick
shine, be bright
be old
be beautiful, be pretty
suffice, be enough
resemble, be similar
be important, matter
be tall
be big

Examples of sentences featuring Class I stative verbs:

(4.66) Pyie
fiha
child.nom young.ipv
The child is young
(4.67) Olh tomla
tin
teusu patat
dist mountain those:nom very tall.ipv.pl
Those mountains are very tall
(4.68) Elime
kotsimna
ihaktanka
le
Elim.nom morning.loc prg.tired.ipv:pst it:seems
Elim seems to have been tired this morning
Some stative verbs may occur without an overt nominative argument when predicated of general conditions,
as when expressing the state of the weather:

34

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.69) Teusu inuha

hial`
o
very
prg.cold.ipv today
Its very cold today
Positional and experiencer verbs
Class I also includes a number of verbs which, in addition to a nominative core argument, routinely take an
argument in one of the oblique cases (locative, allative, ablative, instrumental). Verbs denoting the position,
posture/stance, or orientation of an object belong to this class, for instance. These include:
kanta
kumuta
sailha
suna
teha
tima
toilha
uohta

stand, be vertical/upright
face, be oriented (towards)
lie, be lying/horizontal
hang
stay, remain (behind)
lie (on the ground); be located/situated
stand
sit, be seated

With verbs of this type, nominative case is assigned to the argument whose position/posture/orientation is
being specified. The place where the nominative argument is located may be specified by a noun phrase in
the locative case. With verbs such as kumuta, an object, location, or direction towards which the nominative
argument is oriented is indicated by a noun phrase in the allative case. Examples:
(4.70) Sakiale
keulna
euohta
Sakial.nom chair.loc prg.sit:res.ipv
Sakial is sitting on a chair
(4.71) Ntse kise mian
itimo
yhmana
neg ice much:nom prg.lie.ipv:neg outside.loc
There isnt much ice (lying) on the ground outside
(4.72) Pal`
o
sihkunu utena
tima
village.nom river
near.loc lie.ipv
The village lies near a river
(4.73) Kotu emot
sihkunoua kumutat
house all:nom river.all face.ipv.pl
The houses all face (towards) the river
A number of Class I verbs, such as those listed below, denote mental states or processes. For verbs of this
type, the nominative argument indicates the theme or subject matter of the mental state/process, while the
experiencer argument appears in the locative or allative case. Of the verbs listed below, henka, huata, and
ohka take allative case-marked experiencers, while the remainder all take locative case-marked experiencers.
ampa
falha
henka
huata
iona
koipa
ksafa
mutla
niokona
ohka

think, have the opinion that

wish (for), hope (for)
like, enjoy
like, appreciate
know [a fact]
know [a person or thing], be acquainted with
hope (for), want
understand
remember, recall
love; be dear, cherished

4.4. VERB CLASSES

okfa
opa

35

want, desire, wish (for)

think, believe, speculate

Examples:
(4.74) Me
Sakiala
huata
1snom Sakial.all like.ipv
Sakial likes me
(4.75) Isena Sakiale
koipa
13loc Sakial.nom know.ipv
We know Sakial
(4.76) Nesap
tan
mamutlo
iman
question that:nom neg.understand.ipv:neg 1sloc
I dont understand that question
Verbs of possession
Finally, verbs that express relations of possession or inclusion belong to Class I. The principal verbs in this
sub-class are efa have, own, possess, iala have, be responsible for, and yla have, contain, include, be
equipped with. These verbs express distinct types of relations. Efa expresses alienable possessionthat is,
ownership of personal property which may be transferred from one individual to another. With this verb
the nominative argument denotes the thing being possessed, while the possessor noun phrase appears in the
instrumental case:
(4.77) Motlame
halma ante
efa
Motla.inst book many:nom have.ipv
Motla has/owns many books
Iala denotes possession by virtue of familial relationship, birthright, custom, or stewardship. It is generally
used when the possessee is a person, domestic animal, cultivatable land, hunting or fishing rights, or other
entity or property to which the possessor can be said to have a social obligation or responsibility. Iala can
also be used for possession of physical features or abstract attributes such as age, wisdom, etc. With iala,
the possessor appears in the ablative case, while the possessee is again in the nominative.
(4.78) Sakialu
lihpa hen
iala
Sakial.abl sister two:nom have.ipv
Sakial has two sisters
(4.79) In`
o
ulhmo takun
iala
3aabl year
forty:nom have.ipv
He is forty years old (lit. He has forty years)
Finally, yla expresses a part-whole relation, and is commonly used when the possessee is a part of the body.
With this verb, the noun phrase expressing the whole takes the nominative case while the noun phrase
expressing the part appears in the instrumental:
(4.80) Kotu tan
halu ehteme
yla
house this:nom room three.inst have.ipv
This house has three rooms
(4.81) Ik`e
atak kunme
yla
dog.nom limb four.inst have.ipv
Dogs have four legs

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.82) Ne
lohne inieme
yla
3anom brown eyes.inst have.ipv
She has brown eyes
Verbs of possession do not usually agree with their plural nominative arguments (see 7.2 on plural agreement). The possessee triggers agreement only if it is definite and functions as the topic of the clause.
Compare the following examples. In (4.84), the nominative argument ke halma emot all these books is
the topic, and the verb carries the plural suffix -t; whereas in (4.83), the nominative argument halma ante
many books is an indefinite non-topic (expressing new information), and the plural suffix is absent. As
these examples show, efa is translated as have when the possessor is the topic, and as belong to when the
possessee is the topic.
(4.83) Motlame
halma ante
efa
Motla.inst book many:nom have.ipv
Motla has many books
(4.84) Ke
halma emot
Motlame
efat
med book all:nom Motla.inst have.ipv.pl
These books all belong to Motla

4.4.2

Class II verbs

Verbs belonging to Class II take a maximum of two core arguments, an actor marked with ergative case and
a theme marked with nominative case. Dative-marked delimiter arguments do not occur with verbs of this
class, except under the special circumstances discussed in 4.3.2. Class II verbs are typically atelicthat is,
they denote open-ended events, which lack an inherent endpoint and can in principle continue indefinitely.
However, a handful of Class II verbs denote telic events (usually involving a change of state or location) for
which no delimiter can be specified.
Atelic activity verbs
Most Class II verbs denote atelic activities or processes. Informally, atelic Class II verbs may be further
divided into two subclasses: those which are generally used transitively, taking both an actor and a theme,
and those which are generally used intransitively, taking just an actor argument. This transitive-intransitive
distinction is largely a matter of semantics, depending on whether the verb names an activity that is normally
understood to involve two participants or just a single participant. An example of an intransitive Class II
verb is hosta dance, illustrated in (4.85) below; while ksona look at in (4.86) is an example of a transitive
Class II verb.
(4.85) Lhatima
ihostat
children.erg prg.dance.ipv.pl
The children are dancing
(4.86) Ikema
pil`
a
iksonaua
dog.erg bird.nom prg.look:at.ipv.npl
The dog is looking at the/some birds
The distinction between verbs like hosta and verbs like ksona is not absolute, however. In principle, any Class
II verb may be used either transitively or intransitively. Compare the following pairs of examples, illustrating
the Class II verbs uhna sing, kiompa run, chase, move quickly, and atlpa play, perform music. In the
first sentence of each pair, the verb takes just an actor argument, while in the second sentence it takes both
an actor and a theme argument. When the theme argument is absent, the actor is understood to be acting
upon him/herself, and/or upon some unspecified object, depending on the meaning of the verb.

4.4. VERB CLASSES

37

(4.87) Sakialma
iohna
Sakial.erg prg.sing.ipv
Sakial is singing
(4.88) Sakialma
elife
uhine
iohna
Sakial.erg beautiful.tnzr song.nom prg.sing.ipv
Sakial is singing a beautiful song
(4.89) Lakiakama kiompyit
hunter.erg run.pv.pl
The hunters ran
(4.90) Lakiakama hastine
kiompyit
hunter.erg deer.nom run.pv.pl
The hunters chased the deer (i.e., made the deer run)
(4.91) Na
lempekme
iatlpanka
3aerg lempek.inst prg.play.ipv:pst
He was playing the lempek [a stringed instrument]
(4.92) Na
huiome
lempekme
iatlpanka
3aerg music.nom lempek.inst prg.play.ipv:pst
He was playing the music on the lempek
Examples of Class II activity verbs which routinely take a nominative argument are listed below:
ekpa
heulhta
ksona
kuola
loita
mina
nakpa
nyipa
teula
titia
tiyisa
tlynka
tsula
uila
untsapa

carry, hold, bring/take, wear

pull, drag
look at
meet [by arrangement], rendezvous with
watch, observe, look at
think [a thought]
carry/hold in ones hands
use, make use of
listen to
collect, gather
lift, pick up
push
see, visit, spend time with
love, cherish
wonder (about), ask oneself

For Class II verbs used transitively, the ergative argument denotes the participant who carries out the action,
while the nominative argument denotes the participant being manipulated, or towards which the action is
directed. Examples:
(4.93) Ihama
kop`
o
ikpa
woman.erg pot.nom prg.carry/hold.ipv
The woman is carrying/holding a pot
(4.94) Sakialma
lhat`e
iloitanka
Sakial.erg children.nom prg.watch.ipv:pst
Sakial was watching the children

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.95) Sa
Motl`
a
tsulyit
13erg Motla.nom visit.pv.pl
We visited Motla
(4.96) Motlama
otanaimite
uilaua
Motla.erg children.nom love.ipv.npl
Motla loves (his) children
In some cases the nominative-marked argument will take the form of a dependent clause. In (4.97), the
theme role is filled by the dependent clause lhatima ilaliata (that) the children (are/were) playing ; while
in (4.98) the aun clause acts as the theme argument of untsapa:
(4.97) Sakialma
iloitanka
lhatima
ilaliat`
a
Sakial.erg prg.watch.ipv:pst children.erg prg.play.dep.pl.nom
Sakial was watching the children playing
(4.98) Ma
untsapa
Elimma
halmai
uta
tale
uosla
aun
1serg wonder.ipv Elim.erg book.dat already read.cv pf.finish.dep if
I wonder if Elim has finished reading the book yet
The following Class II activity verbs regularly appear with just an ergative-marked actor argument:
atlpa
ekpiha
hosta
koma
muelha
peuta
tsuhpa
uhna

play, perform [music]

search, look around
dance
speak, understand, know [a language]
sleep
wait
live, dwell, reside
sing

Sample sentences containing these verbs are given below. Notice that in addition to an actor core argument,
many of these verbs regularly take an oblique noun phrase denoting some other conventional participant in
the event. For example, tsuhpa live, reside takes a locative noun phrase to express the location where the
actor resides; koma speak, understand, know takes an instrumental phrase denoting the language or means
of communication; while ekpiha search, look around and peuta wait may take an allative noun phrase to
denote the objective or goal (in which case they are translated look for and wait for, respectively).
(4.99) Kimima imuelha
baby.erg prg.sleep.ipv
The baby is sleeping
(4.100) Elimma
Tenmotlaina
tsuhpa
Elim.erg Tenmotlai.loc live.ipv
Elim lives in Tenmotlai
(4.101) Na
Okuna sulme
nkomo
iahok
3aerg Okuna language.inst neg.speak.ipv:neg at:all
She doesnt speak any Okuna
(4.102) Ma
im`e
kamala
ikpihanka
1serg 1sall knife.all prg.search.ipv:pst
I was looking for my knife

4.4. VERB CLASSES

39

(4.103) Kima Motlaua

peutat nem nkilhata
kamna
12erg Motla.all wait.pl imp leave.dep.pl before.loc
Lets wait for Motla before we go
Verbs denoting the production of sound (many of them onomatopoetic) typically belong to the singleargument subclass of Class II. Examples include:
aila
hakatla
laka
miauha
myhuna
niuka
syma
tsana
tseuika
ytypa

cry, bawl, wail

laugh
bark, bay
mew, meow
purr
grunt, snort
mutter, mumble, murmur
make a noise, make a sound
stir, make a soft sound
rumble, rattle

With verbs of this type, the entity that produces the sound is expressed by an argument in the ergative case:
(4.104) Ikema
laka
le
miuama miauha
dog.erg bark.ipv but cat.erg meow.ipv
Dogs bark and cats meow
Class II also includes a large number of verbs denoting bodily functions and the emission of bodily substances,
along with other activities usually performed on or with a part of ones body. These verbs include:
ahinka
haukia
hehta
hektuta
hisa
hiunuka
imla
ksiama
misalhka
salhka
siehka
tsinuka
uahka
utsaska

breathe out, exhale, sigh

cough
move, stir, change position
hiccough
cry, weep
cry, weep, shed tears
smile
sneeze
menstruate
bleed, shed blood
shit, defecate
ejaculate; release seeds
piss, urinate
sweat, perspire

Note that with verbs denoting bodily emissions, the participant from whose body the substance is emitted
can be expressed by a noun phrase in the ablative case rather than the ergative case. The choice depends
largely on whether the event is viewed as being under the control of the individual or not. Compare the
sentences below, for example: (4.105) would be used if the child acted deliberately or by exerting him/herself,
while (4.106) would be used if the event is thought of as being beyond the childs control:
(4.105) Pyima
hiunukyi
child.erg weep.pv
The child cried/wept
(4.106) Pyio
hiunukyi
child.abl weep.pv
The child shed tears (involuntarily)

40

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

Note that verbs formed by adding the active aspectual suffix -amp to a stative stem all belong to Class II.
Compare the following sentences, where the Class I verb sita be quiet denotes a property or propensity,
while its Class II counterpart sitampa act quietly denotes an activity (see 7.5.2 for more on -amp):
(4.107) Sakiale
isita
Sakial.nom prg.quiet.ipv
Sakial is quiet (now)
(4.108) Sakialma
isitampa
Sakial.erg prg.quiet.act.ipv
Sakial is being quiet or Sakial is doing things quietly
Manner-of-motion verbs
An important group of atelic Class II verbs are those which express manner of motion (see 11.4.3). These
include:
hiela
ianta
kaklala
kiompa
lhopa
mimilha
paka
piyla
puita
salia
sihpa
talha
tupa
uasta
yisa

take, travel in, ride in (a vehicle)

jump, leap
scurry, scamper, move quickly on small legs
run, chase, move quickly
flow; blow [fluid, wind]
move in a serpentine fashion
step, take a step
slither, crawl on ones belly
ride
wave, flap, flutter; gesticulate
swim
climb [a sloping surface]
walk, go on foot
fly
climb [a sheer/vertical surface]

For example:
(4.109) Kahuma sihpa,
le
pilama
uasta
fish.erg swim.ipv while bird.erg fly.ipv
Fish swim, and birds fly
(4.110) Ikema
palahtame myiso
dog.erg tree.inst neg.climb.ipv:neg
Dogs dont climb trees
With manner of motion verbs, the ergative argument denotes the individual who brings about the motion
event. When that individual also undergoes the motion event, typically there is no nominative argument
present. However, when the actor induces motion in a particular part of his/her body, or in some separate
object, the latter may be expressed as a noun phrase in the nominative or unmarked form. Compare:
(4.111) Na
saliyi
3aerg wave.pv
He waved/gesticulated
(4.112) Na
temie saliyi
3aerg hands wave.pv
He waved his hands (around)

4.4. VERB CLASSES

41

(4.113) Na
kiompyi
3aerg run.pv
She ran
(4.114) Na
kihunme
inie kiompyi
3aerg letter.inst eyes run.pv
She ran her eyes quickly over the letter
(4.115) Na
sihafauta
hielyit
3aerg downstream.all go:by:vehicle.pv.pl
They paddled/boated downstream
(4.116) Na
puole
sihafauta
hielyit
3aerg canoe.nom downstream.all go:by:vehicle.pv.pl
They paddled/propelled the canoe downstream
Manner-of-motion verbs often occur as converbs modifying another motion verb (see 10.4 and 11.4.3). In
such cases, the modified verb determines the verb class (usually Class III) for the construction as a whole.
Compare the examples below. The verb ianta jump belongs to Class II; whereas iante lhyua jump into
(lit. enter jumping) patterns with Class III, since lhyua enter is a Class III verb. Hence, Sakial takes the
ergative case in (4.117), but the nominative case in (4.118). Notice also that ot`
u hole denotes a location
in the first sentence, and is marked with locative case; whereas in the second sentence it functions as a goal
(delimiter), and is thus marked with dative case. (Compare the latter sentence with Sakiale otoi lhyuyi
Sakial went into the hole, where the manner of motion is left unspecified.)
(4.117) Sakialma
otuhna
iantyi
Sakial.erg hole.loc jump.pv
Sakial jumped (around) in the hole
(4.118) Sakiale
otoi
iante
lhyuyi
Sakial.nom hole.dat jump.cv enter.pv
Sakial jumped into the hole (lit. entered the hole [by] jumping)
Compare also the sentences below. These show that whereas uasta fly is a Class II verb, and encodes the
participant in motion as an actor argument; uaste suha fly out of, exit by flying is assigned to Class III,
and encodes the participant in motion as a theme. This is why pila bird is marked with ergative case in
the first example and nominative case in the second example:
(4.119) Mo
kilyi
pilama
euast`
a
1srdat see.pv bird.erg prg.fly.dep.nom
I saw a bird flying (around)
(4.120) Mo
kilyi
pil`
a
palahtau uaste suh`
a
1srdat see.pv bird.nom tree.abl fly.cv go:out.dep.nom
I saw a bird flying out of the tree
Change of state verbs
A handful of Class II verbs are telic, and denote an event whereby the theme (marked with nominative case)
comes to be in a new state or location. These verbs include:
atia
lima
lyua
muka

approach, get closer; bring/take closer

open; begin, start; ignite
wake up; awaken
close, shut; finish; extinguish

42

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

otla
peta
tioka
uata
usla

come/take apart, separate

take, get, grasp/grab
die; kill, cause to die
stop, break off, interrupt
end, conclude

Examples of these verbs are given below. Notice that they can occur either with or without an overt ergative
argument. When the ergative argument is present, the clause denotes an event whereby an actor brings
about a change in the theme. The ergative argument is left out when the identity of the actor is unknown
or unimportant to the context, or when the clause denotes a spontaneous change in the state or location of
the theme.
(4.121) Huiloie
limyia
window.nom open.pv.npl
The windows (were) opened
(4.122) Motlama
huiloie
limyia
Motla.erg window.nom open.pv.npl
Motla opened the windows
(4.123) Sakiale
tiokyi
Sakial.nom die.pv
Sakial died
(4.124) Sakiale
hintsypalma
tiokyi
Sakial.nom pneumonia.erg die.pv
Sakial died of pneumonia or Sakial was killed by pneumonia
Stative Class I verbs may be converted into telic Class II verbs by adding the inchoative aspectual suffix
-(e)t (discussed in 7.5.3). Compare:
(4.125) Mule
itasla
cloth.nom prg.wet.ipv
The cloth is wet
(4.126) Mule
tasletyi
cloth.nom wet.tinc.pv
The cloth got wet
(4.127) Sakialma
mule
tasletyi
Sakial.erg cloth.nom wet.tinc.pv
Sakial wetted the cloth or Sakial got the cloth wet

4.4.3

Class III verbs

The majority of telic verbs in Okuna (that is, verbs denoting events which have an inherent endpoint; cf. 4.3
above) are capable in principle of taking up to three core arguments, an actor, a theme, and a delimiter, and
thus belong to Class III. The actor is marked with ergative case, the delimiter (typically a goal, recipient,
or patient) is marked with dative case, and the theme is marked with nominative case:
(4.128) Motlama
ikei
ias`e
uktiyi
Motla.erg dog.dat food.nom give.pv
Motla gave the food to the dog
In order to explain how the core arguments of Class III verbs are interpreted, it is useful to divide these
verbs into particular subgroups based on their semantics.

4.4. VERB CLASSES

43

Change-of-location verbs
Class III includes a large number of verbs expressing a change of location, or the transference of an object
from one person or place to another. These include:
elha
esta
eta
etskana
hista
lasta
lhyua
milhta
nata
niokta
nkilha
nufa
suha
teuna
tifa
uktia

put in, insert

reach, get to; manage to
go, come, move; bring, take
arrive, appear; bring
lead, take, escort
send
enter, go in; bring/take in
turn; become
hand, pass
return, go/come back; bring/take back
leave, go away, disappear; take away, remove
take out, remove (from inside), extract
go/come out, exit, leave; bring/take out
put, place, lay
remove, take off
give

For verbs of this type, the ergative argument encodes the agent of transmission (if any), while the dative
argument encodes the goal or endpoint of transmission, and the nominative argument encodes the object
undergoing motion or being transmitted. Examples:
(4.129) Ne
Elima
kotoi
ita
3anom Elim.all house.dat prg.go.ipv
She is going to Elims house
(4.130) Ih`
a
sihkunoi estyit
woman.nom river.dat reach.pv.pl
The women reached the river
(4.131) Na
tsokoimpai
es kyt`
o
uktiamat
3aerg stranger.dat one gift.nom give.ipv.dpl.pl
They will give a gift to the strangers
(4.132) Sakialma
kop`
o
totsat epaim
teunyia
Sakial.erg pot.nom table top.dat put.pv.npl
Sakial placed the pots on the table
Most change-of-location verbs can be used to describe either an event of spontaneous motion, where the
moving object propels itself, or an event of directed motion, where the moving object is propelled or conveyed
by an external agent or force. For example, lhyua can be used to mean enter, go in, where the motion is
self-directed, or move/bring/take in, where the motion is caused by an external agent. In the latter case,
an ergative argument is added to the clause to express the causer of the motion event. (Change-of-location
verbs are discussed further in 11.4.3.)
(4.133) Sakiale
kotoi
lhyuyi
Sakial.nom house.dat enter.pv
Sakial went into the house

44

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.134) Elimma
keule
kotoi
lhyuyi
Elim.erg chair.nom house.dat enter.pv
Elim took/brought the chair into the house
With the verbs nufa take out, extract, remove [from inside something] and tifa take off, strip, remove [from
the outside of something], the dative argument expresses the source from which something is removed, rather
than the goal:
(4.135) Na
kahoi
nek emot
tifyimat
3aerg fish.dat scale all:nom remove.pv.dpl.pl
They removed all the scales from the fish
(4.136) Ma
kopoi
nahe
tiause
nufa
1serg pot.dat water.nom pour.cv take:out.ipv
I will pour the water out of the pot
Many change-of-location verbs can also be used metaphorically to describe non-motion events. For example,
like its English counterpart, uktia give can denote a change of possession, without implying any actual
change of location. Another example is milhta turn: in addition to its literal meaning, milhta can be used
in the sense of become or be transformed (into), where the dative noun phrase expresses the end state of
the transformation, as shown below. Milhta also occurs in a handful of expressions with a dependent verb in
the dative case (cf. 10.2.1), where it means begin to or enter into [a state]: e.g., muelha sleep > muelhai
milhta go to sleep; isuta be alive > isutai milhta come to life; okla hide > oklai milhta go into hiding.
(4.137) Lyihpiylak`
a
sileip
umilhta
caterpillar.nom butterfly.dat pf.turn.ipv
The caterpillar (has) turned into a butterfly
(4.138) Me
sati
kihisna
muelhai
milhtyi
1snom dinner right:after.loc sleep.dep.dat turn.pv
I went to sleep right after dinner
The verb esta reach, make it (to) can also be used with a dative dependent clause, in which case it means
succeed, manage to:
(4.139) Me
niloi
namuohtai
estyi
1snom net.dat repair.dep.dat reach.pv
I succeeded in fixing the net (lit. I reached [the] fixing [of] the net)
Verbs of communicatione.g., etsa say, tell; nesapa ask; tafa show, demonstrate, teach; ukia tell, recite,
performmight also be regarded as metaphorical change-of-location verbs. Here the nominative argument,
which may be a noun phrase or a dependent clause, expresses the information being transmitted, while the
dative argument identifies the recipient of the information:
(4.140) Luhme kalma
lhatei
sliaht`e
ukiyi
old:one man.erg children.dat story.nom tell.pv
The old man told the children the story
(4.141) Inmo
etsyi
na
ahtei
kihune
ulast`
a
3aerg.1srdat tell.pv 3aerg father.dat letter.nom pf.send.dep.nom
He told me that he had sent the letter to (his) father

4.4. VERB CLASSES

45

Change-of-state verbs
Another large group of Class III verbs are those which denote an agentive change-of-state eventthat is,
an event involving an agent and a patient, where the agent creates, destroys, consumes, or otherwise brings
about a (typically incremental) change of state in the patient, and where the event necessarily ends once the
patient has been completely created, destroyed/consumed, or otherwise changed. Examples of verbs of this
type include:
hana
iasa
kahta
kaiha
lihka
lohka
mupatla
patla
pusuka
sepa
siehpa
stoka
taha
takia
tieka
tiespa
toka
tsitspa
uosta

cut (into), make an incision in

eat
hit, strike
kill, murder
cut [into pieces], sever
bring about, cause to happen
clothe, drape, dress
cover
make, create
drink; inhale
write
destroy
kill [an animal for food]
break, snap (in half) [something long and thin]
chop, cut up
build, construct, put together
fix, repair, mend
break, shatter, smash [something brittle]
shape, give shape to, create, make

With change-of-state verbs, the ergative argument denotes the agent of the event (if any) and the dative
argument denotes the patient, where the latter measures out (or identifies the endpoint for) the event:
(4.142) Ounama kahoi
eiasama
bear.erg fish.dat prg.eat.ipv.dpl
The bear is eating the/some fish
(4.143) Mikalma kopoi
tsitspyi
boy.erg pot.dat break.pv
The boy broke a/the pot
The ergative and dative noun phrases are both optional, in keeping with the general optionality of arguments
in Okuna. The dative argument may be omitted if the clause describes a general activity and the patient is
either unknown or unimportant. Likewise, the ergative argument may be omitted if the agent is unknown
or unimportant. Compare the sentences below with (4.142) above.
(4.144) Ounama eiasa
bear.erg prg.eat.ipv
The bear is eating (something)
(4.145) Kahoi
eiasat
fish.dat prg.eat.ipv.pl
The fish are being eaten
The actor argument is also omitted when the clause describes a spontaneous event, one where the change of
state in the patient is not (conceived of as being) initiated by any agent:

46

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.146) Kopoi
tsitspyi
pot.dat break.pv
The pot broke or The pot got broken
In addition to an actor and a delimiter, change-of-state verbs sometimes take a nominative-marked theme
argument as well, which is why they are assigned to Class III. The theme argument has a number of
semantic functions. Most commonly it indicates an instrumentthat is, an object which is manipulated by
the agent in order to bring about a change of state in the patient, as illustrated below. Note that instruments
typically appear in the instrumental case, or as unmarked noun phrases (as discussed in 4.5.4 and 4.6.3,
respectively). Nominative marking typically implies that the instrument undergoes a change of location,
literally or figuratively transferring force from the agent to the patient, and may itself be affected by the
action as a result of coming into contact with the patient.
(4.147) Ihama
lotsain
kamale
hanyi
woman.erg wood.dat knife.nom cut.pv
The woman cut (into) the wood with the knife
or The woman used the knife to make an incision in the wood
(4.148) Na
palahtai nak`
a
kahtyi
3aerg tree.dat rock.nom hit.pv
He hit the tree with the rock
(4.149) Elimma
totsait
es sane mule
patlyi
Elim.erg table.dat one red cloth.nom cover.pv
Elim covered the table with a red cloth
The examples below also include a nominative-marked theme, but here the ergative-marked actor is omitted:
(4.150) Nak`
a
palahtai kahtyi
rock.nom tree.dat hit.pv
The rock hit the tree (e.g., after being thrown)
(4.151) Totsait
es sane mule
patlyi
table.dat one red cloth.nom cover.pv
The table was covered with a red cloth
In some cases, the performer of the action may be expressed either as an actor or as a theme. The choice
between these options is determined by whether that participant is acting volitionally or not, and by whether
that participant is directly affected by the action. Compare the examples below, both corresponding to The
man hit the tree in English. In (4.152), where kal man is an ergative-marked actor, the sentence describes
an event where the man brings some instrument or part of his body into forceful contact with the tree; in
(4.153), where kal in a nominative-marked theme, the sentence describes an event where the mans body
comes into forceful contact with the tree.
(4.152) Kalma
palahtai kahtyi
man.erg tree.dat hit.pv
The man hit the tree (i.e., used something to strike the tree)
(4.153) Kale
palahtai kahtyi
man.nom tree.dat hit.pv
The man hit the tree (i.e., collided with the tree)

4.4. VERB CLASSES

47

With verbs of creation or material transformation, the nominative argument may express the substance
being transformed, while the dative argument denotes the object or material being created, as illustrated
below (the ablative case can also be used to mark the substance from which something is made, as discussed
in 4.5.3):
(4.154) Kalma
sut`e
kopoi
euosta
man.erg clay.nom pot.dat prg.shape.ipv
The man is shaping the clay into a pot
(4.155) Kalma
kopoi
sut`e
euosta
man.erg pot.dat clay.nom prg.shape.ipv
The man is making/fashioning the pot out of (the) clay
(4.156) Motlama
tsimoke
sofoi
tlulyi
Motla.erg corn.nom flour.dat grind.pv
Motla ground the corn into flour
Experiencer/recipient verbs
The last major subclass of the Class III verbs consists of verbs of perception, along with other verbs which
express events whereby an individual receives an object, sensation, experience, or idea from some external
source. These verbs include:
etskopa
kila
luhtsa
mahtla
mehka
moita
naklana
ola
sasa
sefa
tlelha
tsokua
tsuhka
uota

realize, come to understand

see, notice; show
smell
taste
happen, transpire, come/bring about; happen to, affect; cause
get, receive, acquire, attain
happen/affect inadvertently, be unexpected
hear
find, run across, happen upon, meet (by accident)
feel [with ones fingers/skin]
find, locate
meet [for the first time], encounter, become acquainted with
happen badly, go wrong; befall, affect negatively; cause [something bad]
feel, perceive, sense

With these verbs, the nominative argument denotes the object/idea/sensation/etc. being received, while the
dative expresses the receiver or experiencer:
(4.157) Mo
utsape
halm`
a
tlelhyi
1srdat pf.become:lost.tnzr book.nom find.pv
Ive found the book that had been lost
(4.158) Kaloin es lhonk`
o
olyi
boy.dat one loud:noise.nom hear.pv
The boy heard a loud noise
(4.159) Sakiail
efose
etskopyi
Sakial.dat problem.nom realize.pv
Sakial realized the problem

48

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.160) Kuo
m`
a
um`ehkan?
2rdat what:nom pf.happen.ipv.qu
What happened to you?
Like get in English, moita can mean either acquire, receive [an object or property] or have the opportunity
to. In the latter case the theme argument is a clause headed by a verb in the dependent form (e.g., halmai
talut`
a reading the book; cf. 10.2):
(4.161) Moihai tlok tsani`e
moityi
girl.dat shoe pair.nom get.pv
The girl got a pair of shoes
(4.162) Si
mamoitout
halmai
etalit`
a
13dat neg.get.pv:neg.pl book.dat sbj.read.dep:sbj.pl.nom
We didnt get to read the book
Other experiencer/recipient verbs can also take dependent clauses as their nominative arguments, including
mehka happen, naklana happen unexpectedly, and tsuhka befall, happen/affect badly, as well as perception verbs such as kila see. Examples are given below. Notice that in this construction, mehka and tsuhka
can be translated using have in English, while naklana corresponds roughly to come to be or find oneself
[in a given situation].
(4.163) Motlai
utsuhka
kotoi
kiosp`
a
Motla.dat pf.befall.ipv house.dat burn.dep.nom
Motla had his house burn down
more lit. (It) happened to Motla that (his) house burned down
(4.164) Elime
ulyue,
no
naklanyi
tsulna
isailh`
a
Elim.nom pf.wake:up.pt 3ardat unexpected.pv bed.loc prg.lie.dep.nom
When Elim woke up, he found himself lying in bed
more lit. Elim having woken up, (it) happened to him unexpectedly that (he) was lying in bed
(4.165) Mo
kilyi
Sakialma
halma ital`
a
1srdat see.pv Sakial.erg book prg.read.dep.nom
I saw (that) Sakial (was) reading a book
As the examples above illustrate, experiencer/recipient verbs typically denote spontaneous actions, and
appear without an ergative-marked actor argument. When an actor is present it denotes an agent or stimulus
that causes the dative participant to receive the object/idea/sensation/etc. Compare the following examples.
These show that kila, normally translated as see, corresponds to show (i.e., cause to see) when it selects
an ergative argument.
(4.166) Pyie
kyuaitanene kilyi
child.dat carving.nom see.pv
The child saw/noticed the carving
(4.167) Elimma
pyie
kyuaitanene kilyi
Elim.erg child.dat carving.nom see.pv
Elim showed the child the carving
Additional examples are given below. Here tsuhka means either happen to [someone] or cause [something]
to happen to [someone], depending on the presence or absence of an actor; while etskopa means either occur
to [someone] or cause [something] to occur to [someone]. (Note that in the second pair, the nominative role
is filled by the free relative construction kima m`
a esukita aun what we should do; see 10.2.3 for discussion
of this construction.)

4.5. THE OBLIQUE CASES

49

(4.168) Mo
tiaumilhe
tsuhkyi
1srdat accident.nom happen.pv
I had an accident (lit. An accident happened to me)
(4.169) Mo
Elimma
tiaumilhe
tsuhkyi
1srdat Elim.erg accident.nom happen.pv
Elim caused me to have an accident
(4.170) Mo
etskopyi
kima
m`
a
esukita
aun
1srdat realize.pv 12erg what sbj.do.dep:sbj.pl if
It occurred to me what we should do or I realized what we should do
(4.171) Mehkanen it`
a
umai
etskopyi
kima
m`
a
esukita
aun
experience that:erg 1srdat realize.pv 12erg what sbj.do.dep:sbj.pl if
That experience made me realize what we should do
Note that not all verbs of perception belong to Class III. Consider the following pairs, where the verb on the
left belongs to Class III while its counterpart on the right belongs to Class II:
kila
ola
luhtsa
mahtla
sefa

see
hear
smell
taste
feel

ksona
teula
teluhtsa
temahtla
lala

look at
listen to
smell, sniff
taste, try, sample
feel, touch

As noted above, the Class III perception verbs assign dative case to the noun phrase denoting the perceiver.
By contrast, Class II perception verbs take an ergative noun phrase to denote the perceiver. Both types
assign nominative case to the object or event being perceived. Compare:
(4.172) Motlai
mo
lohane
olyi
Motla.dat 1srdat voice.nom hear.pv
Motla heard my voice
(4.173) Motlama mo
lohane
teulyi
Motla.erg 1srdat voice.nom listen:to.pv
Motla listened to my voice
As the glosses in the above table indicate, the Class III perception verbs denote spontaneous (non-agentive)
events, while their Class II counterparts denote directed (agentive) events. This distinction is not always
easy to render in English. For example, both mahtla and temahtla translate English taste, but mahtla is
used to mean detect the flavour of while temahtla means take a taste of or sample the flavour of. The
following example illustrates the contrast between these two verbs (note the dative versus ergative case forms
of the first person clitic in the two clauses):
(4.174) Ma
mase
temahtlyi le
mi
itan
ntse ksas mahtlou
1serg soup.erg taste.pv but 1sdat 3isloc neg salt taste.pv:neg
I tasted the soup, but I didnt/couldnt taste (the) salt in it

4.5

The oblique cases

There are four oblique cases in Okuna: locative, allative, ablative, and instrumental. Each case has a number
of different functions, as discussed in the following subsections. (Here I focus on how the oblique cases are
used at the sentence level to mark dependents of the verb; for their use in marking the possessor in a noun
phrase, see the discussion in 6.6.1.)

50

4.5.1

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

Locative

The locative (loc) case is marked by attaching the suffix -na to the final word in the noun phrase. As the
name of this case indicates, noun phrases in the locative typically indicate the spatial or temporal location
of an object or event. Noun phrases in the locative case often correspond to prepositional phrases with at,
in, on, etc., in English:
(4.175) Sakialma
Tenmotlaina
tsuhpa
Sakial.erg Tenmotlai.loc live.ipv
Sakial lives in Tenmotlai
(4.176) Mikalma temiena
kopo ikpa
boy.erg hands.loc pot prg.carry.ipv
The boy is carrying a pot in his hands
(4.177) Se
tuhsana
nioktat
13nom winter.loc return.ipv.pl
We will return in the winter
(4.178) Puniakakai
sihkununa sasyit
traveller.dat river.loc meet.pv.pl
The travellers met at the river
To express finer spatio-temporal distinctionse.g., to distinguish at from in from on in cases of potential
ambiguitythe locative case may be used in combination with a relational noun such as him interior or
epam top, horizontal surface (see 6.5). Compare the following sets of sentences:
(4.179) Moih`
a
totsatna euohta
girl.nom table.loc prg.sit.ipv
The girl is sitting at the table
(4.180) Moih`
a
totsat epamna euohta
girl.nom table top.loc prg.sit.ipv
The girl is sitting on (top of) the table
(4.181) Halm`
a
kohotna hit
book.nom chest.loc be:ipv.pl
The books are in/at/by the chest
(4.182) Halm`
a
kohot himna
hit
book.nom chest interior.loc be:ipv.pl
The books are in(side) the chest
(4.183) Halm`
a
kohot utena
hit
book.nom chest near.loc be:ipv.pl
The books are by/beside/near the chest
With verbs of motion, locative case may be used for noun phrases denoting the means of transportation:
(4.184) Kim
puolna
euolhtat
13nom boat.loc go:there.ipv.pl
We will go there by boat

4.5. THE OBLIQUE CASES

51

Animate noun phrases in the locative case frequently occur with verbs denoting an emotional state, or a
sensation internal to ones body. Such verbs include kesta be happy, ohiyna be sad, hotsma be angry,
muelhona be drowsy, feel like sleeping, and tunkona hurt, ache, be in pain. With verbs of this type, the
locative noun phrase indicates the individual who experiences the feeling or sensation. Similarly, verbs of
cognitione.g., iona know (a fact), koipa know (a person/thing), be familiar with, mutla understand,
and niokona remember, and verbs formed with the modal suffix -ihp intend totake a locative noun
phrase to denote the individual possessing the knowledge, memory, intention, etc. Examples:
(4.185) Ihana
ihotsma
woman.loc prg.angry.ipv
The woman is angry
(4.186) Ik`
o
uts`e
mamutlo
iman
2serg pf.say.tnzr.nom neg.understand.ipv:neg 1sloc
I dont understand what you were saying
(4.187) Ne
Sakialna
k`
oipan?
3anom Sakial.loc know.ipv.qu
Does Sakial know her?
(4.188) Elimna
iona
puniakak`
a
paloi
elohfoi
nioktat`
a
Elim.loc know.ipv traveller.nom village.dat tomorrow return.dep.pl.nom
Elim knows that the travellers will return to the village tomorrow
(4.189) Inena kotoi
elohfoi
nepatlihpa
3aploc house.dat tomorrow paint.intend.ipv
They intend to paint the house tomorrow
In a somewhat related function, when a verb is marked with the modal suffix -yip can, able (to), the noun
phrase denoting the individual who possesses the ability is marked with locative case. Likewise, when the
verb carries the modal suffix -uh want to, the individual possessing the desire is expressed by a noun phrase
in the locative case. When the locative noun phrase is coreferential with one of the core arguments in the
clause, especially the ergative argument, the latter is normally omitted. (For more on modal suffixes, see
7.7.1.) Compare:
(4.190) Motlama
halmai
itala
Motla.erg book.dat prg.read.ipv
Motla is reading the book
(4.191) Motlana
halmai
talyipa
Motla.loc book.dat read.able.ipv
Motla can read the book
more lit. In Motla is the ability to read the book
(4.192) Motlana
halmai
taluha
Motla.loc book.dat read.want.ipv
Motla wants to read the book
more lit. In Motla is the desire to read the book
(4.193) Motlana
Elimma
halmai
taluha
Motla.loc Elim.erg book.dat read.want.ipv
Motla wants Elim to read the book

52

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

When a stative Class I verb is derived from a telic Class III verb using infixal resultative aspect morphology
(e.g., siehpa write > sieihpa be written/complete; takia break > takeia be broken), the argument which
was the delimiter of the Class III verb (marked with dative case) appears instead in the locative. Compare
these pairs of sentences:
(4.194) Motlama
kihoin
siehpyi
Motla.erg letter.dat write.pv
Motla wrote the letter
(4.195) Kihunna isieihpa
letter.loc prg.write:res.ipv
The letter is (already) written
(4.196) Pyie
nalh takiyi
child.dat arm break.pv
The child broke her arm
(4.197) Pyina
nalh itakeia
child.loc arm prg.break:res.ipv
The child has a broken arm
To make sense of the case marking in (4.196) and (4.197) above, we might render the former more literally
as The child received an arm-breaking, or An event of arm-breaking came to the child, while the latter
could be paraphrased as A state of being arm-broken is in the child.
Finally, locative case marking may be added to a clause headed by a verb in the dependent form (cf.
10.2). The interpretation of a locative-marked clause depends on whether the clause is in the indicative
or subjunctive mood. An indicative dependent clause in the locative expresses the time at which the event
denoted by the main clause takes place, and is equivalent to an English subordinate clause with when,
while, as. A subjunctive dependent clause in the locative expresses a condition, and is equivalent to an
if/when(ever) clause. (For other ways of forming temporal and conditional clauses, see 10.2.3 and 10.3.2.)
(4.198) Ne
ma
imuelhana
nkilhyit
3anom 1serg prg.sleep.dep.loc leave.pv.pl
They left while I was sleeping (lit. at my sleeping)
(4.199) Sa
akut
aleut uktiamat
elyihpina
13erg 2pdat help give.ipv.dpl.pl sbj.possible.dep:sbj.loc
We will help you (pl) if possible

4.5.2

Allative

Allative case (glossed all in the examples) is usually expressed by attaching the ending -a to the final word
in the noun phrase. In its spatial function, the allative case marks noun phrases which indicate the direction
in which an individual is headed, or the object or location towards which something is oriented or aimed. In
this usage allative case is roughly equivalent to English to or towards:
(4.200) Ne
heuta
etyit
3anom north.all go.pv.pl
They went (towards the) north
(4.201) Ne
ekliona milhtyi
3anom left.all turn.pv
She turned (to the) left

4.5. THE OBLIQUE CASES

53

(4.202) Palu
itan
kotu emot
sihkunoua kumutat
village this:loc house 3i:all:nom river.all face.ipv.pl
All the houses in this village face (towards) the river
The function of the allative is similar to that of the dative, in that both cases can indicate a goal of motion.
However, the two cases are not synonymous. Compare the following sentences: In (4.203), where kotu house
is marked with the dative case, it is understood that the children reached the house. In (4.204), where kotu is
in the allative case, the house identifies the direction in which the children went; they may not have actually
reached the house, or even intended to do so.
(4.203) Lhat`e
kotoi
etyit
children.nom house.dat go.pv.pl
The children went to the house
(4.204) Lhat`e
kotoua
etyit
children.nom house.all go.pv.pl
The children went towards the house
The allative case also expresses various abstract relations. For example, it is used to indicate the beneficiary,
purpose, or objective of an event. In this function, the allative corresponds closely to English for, as shown
below:
(4.205) Amema
pyia
homai
ipusuka
mother.erg child.all bread.dat prg.make.ipv
The mother is making bread for the child
(4.206) Amema
esimoitatsa
homai
ipusuka
mother.erg naming:ceremony.all bread.dat prg.make.ipv
The mother is making bread for the naming ceremony
(4.207) Kale
kahoua sihityit
man.nom fish.all go:to:river.pv.pl
The men went to the river for fish (i.e., to get fish)
(4.208) Houna inie, hesa
atak
owl.all eyes rabbit.all leg
Eyes for the owl, legs for the rabbit2
In a clause which attributes a state or property to some entity, an allative noun phrase can indicate the
individual who is the source of the attribution, or with respect to whom the state or property holds:
(4.209) Mase
tsuo iakaila
Sakiala
soup.nom too prg.rel.hot.ipv Sakial.all
The soup is too hot for Sakial or Sakial finds the soup too hot
(4.210) Pyi in`
a
lhinta
im`
e
child that:erg clever.ipv 1sall
I consider that child clever or In my opinion, that child is clever
lit. For me, that child is clever
2 An

Okuna proverb, meaning roughly Each according to his abilities or Everyone has his/her own talents.

54

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

Note that this is how like or love are expressed in Okuna: an allative-marked noun phrase combines with
a verb such as ohka be dear, beloved, huata be appreciated, agreeable, or henka be enjoyable, with the
object of affection expressed by a noun phrase in the nominative:3
(4.211) Im`
e Sakiale
ohka
1sall Sakial.nom dear.ipv
I love Sakial (lit. Sakial is dear to me)
(4.212) Me
Sakiala
huata
1snom Sakial.all agreeable.ipv
Sakial likes me (lit. I am agreeable to/for Sakial)
(4.213) Sakiala
kah`
o
nkenko
iahok
Sakial.all fish.nom neg.enjoyable.ipv:neg at:all
Sakial doesnt like fish (lit. For Sakial, fish is not enjoyable at all)
Similarly, perceptual states like see and hear may be expressed by adding an allative-marked noun phrase
to a clause containing the stative verbs kula be visible, be in sight, ula be audible, etc.; here the allative
noun phrase encodes the experiencer (see 7.5.1 for more discussion of perception verbs):
(4.214) Im`
e palaht`
a
kulat
ekau
1sall tree.nom visible.ipv.pl here.abl
I (can) see the trees from here (lit. To/for me, the trees are visible from here)
(4.215) Isane lhonko
iolanka
13all loud:noise prg.audible.ipv:pst
We heard a loud noise or We could hear a loud noise
With verbs of thinking, saying, writing, etc., allative case indicates the subject matter, and corresponds to
about, concerning in English. Note also the verb ohtla resemble, be like, which takes an allative-marked
noun phrase to express the object with which a comparison is being made. This verb can combine with
various unmarked nouns expressing properties: e.g., akiel ohtla look like (lit. resemble in appearance),
amahtle ohtla taste like (lit. resemble in flavour). With ohtla, the individual bearing the resemblance is
expressed by a noun phrase in the nominative case.
(4.216) Luihama
Ehkaiona
sliahte iokianka
old:woman.erg Ehkaion.all story prg.tell.ipv:pst
An old woman was telling a story about Ehkaion
(4.217) Ma
lyihpe
iosok
tosepyia
umikyitsa
1serg possible.tnzr solution several.all pf.think:about.ipv
Ive thought of several possible solutions
(4.218) Sakiale
ameia
ohtla
Sakial.nom mother.all resemble.ipv
Sakial resembles his mother or Sakial is like his mother
(4.219) Sakiale
ameia
akiel
ohtla
Sakial.nom mother.all appearance resemble.ipv
Sakial looks like his mother
Finally, in noun phrases, alienable possessors (which precede the possessed noun) are usually marked with
allative case: e.g., Sakiala halma Sakials book, mo ameia kotu my mothers house.
3 The Class II verb uila love, cherish patterns differently, in that the individual who experiences the emotion is encoded by
a noun phrase in the ergative case: e.g., Ma Sakiale uila I love Sakial.

4.5. THE OBLIQUE CASES

4.5.3

55

Ablative

Ablative case (glossed abl) is usually marked by adding the ending -u to the right edge of the noun phrase.
The ablative case is typically used with verbs of motion to indicate the source or starting point of movement.
In this function, ablative noun phrases correspond to English prepositional phrases with from, out of, off
of, etc. Ablative case is also used with noun phrases denoting time periods to indicate the beginning point
of some event or state of affairs, in which case it corresponds to English since.
(4.220) Se
laisne Uilumau
uketat
13nom just
Uiluma.abl pf.come:here.ipv.pl
We have just arrived here from Uiluma
(4.221) Moih`
a
halou
suhyi
girl.nom room.abl go:out.pv
The girl came/went out of the room
(4.222) Me
tuhsau
ikauota
1snom winter.abl prg.be:here.dur.ipv
I have been staying here since the winter
When used to express a source or beginning point, the ablative noun phrase is sometimes followed by the
emphatic element su (glossed even). Ablative case combined with su corresponds roughly to English ever
since or all the way from: e.g., sihkunou su all the way from the river, tuhsau su ever since the winter.
This element is especially common in the construction X su Y sik`
a, meaning from X (all the way) to Y or
between X and Y, with X a noun phrase in the ablative and Y a noun phrase in the dative:
(4.223) Sihkunu tan
tomlau
su
moini
sik`
a lhopa
river
this:nom mountain.abl even ocean.dat until flow.ipv
This river flows from the mountains (all the way) to the ocean
(4.224) Hostakama tatanyit
paluna,
kotou
su
kotoi
sik`
a itit
dancer.erg wander.pv.pl village.loc house.abl even house.dat until prg.go.pt.pl
The dancers wandered around the village, going from house to house
Besides expressing a source or beginning point with verbs of motion, ablative noun phrases are used with
verbs of creation to indicate the material from which something is made:
(4.225) Okuna koinma
lotsanu
kotu tiespat
Okuna person.erg wood.abl house build.ipv.pl
The Okuna build (their) houses out of wood
In quantified noun phrases, the ablative case marks the superset in a partitive relation. Likewise, in noun
phrases containing a measure noun, the substance being measured out is usually marked as ablative. In
these uses, ablative case corresponds to the preposition of in English. Similarly, verbs like tsatsa be full,
eka be empty, paitla be covered (with), and tsihfa be bare, lack can take partitive complements in the
ablative.
(4.226) mikalu ehte
boy.abl three
three of the boys
(4.227) meunu
es nauot
milk.abl one cup
a cup of milk

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.228) Kop`
o
meunu
itsatsa
jug.nom milk.abl prg.full.ipv
The jug is full of milk
(4.229) Kop`
o
meunu
ieka
jug.nom milk.abl prg.empty.ipv
The jug has no milk in it (lit. The jug is empty of milk)
(4.230) Kim`e
eima luanu
tsihfa
baby.nom still hair.abl bare.ipv
The baby doesnt have any hair yet (lit. The baby is still bare of hair)
Ablative case is also used in various constructions to indicate a reference point or object of comparison. For
instance, ablative case can be used to mark the possessor in a kinship or other social relationshipi.e., the
individual with respect to whom the relationship holds: e.g., Sakialu ame Sakials mother, im`
o es kuna
a friend of mine. In addition, ablative case can be used to mark a spatial referencethat is, an object or
location with respect to which a positional or directional relationship is established. Here, as in partitive
constructions, ablative case typically corresponds to English of:
(4.231) Na
lokau
heutna
tsuhpat
3aerg forest.abl north.loc live.ipv.pl
They live north of the forest
In equative and comparative constructions, ablative case is used to marked the standard of comparison
(expressed in English with as or than). The verb sukuma be different also takes an ablative noun phrase
to indicate the standard of comparison.
(4.232) Kot`
o
palahtau apata
house.nom tree.abl rel.tall.ipv
The house is as tall as the tree
(4.233) Kot`
o
palahtau apatohta
house.nom tree.abl rel.tall.comp.ipv
The house is taller than the tree
(4.234) Sakiale
ahteu
akiel
sukuma
Sakial.nom father.abl appearance different.ipv
Sakial doesnt look like his father (lit. differs [in] appearance from [his] father)
The ablative case is also used with the verb iala have. When iala takes a noun phrase complement
(in the nominative case or the unmarked form), as in (4.235), it expresses non-transferable possession or
responsibility (e.g., possession of kin, land, animals, hunting and fishing rights, personal attributes, and
other people or resources for which one has a social obligation). When iala takes a dependent subjunctive
clause complement, as in (4.236), it means know how to. In sentences with iala, an ablative noun phrase
expresses the individual possessing knowledge or responsibility.
(4.235) Elimu
lihpa hen
iala
Elim.abl sister two:nom have.ipv
Elim has two sisters
(4.236) Elimu
esihpi
iala
Elim.abl sbj.swim.dep:sbj have.ipv
Elim knows how to swim

4.5. THE OBLIQUE CASES

57

Finally, nominalized clauses headed by a verb in the dependent form can take ablative case marking, as
illustrated below. Like since clauses in English, dependent clauses in the ablative can express either the
reason or the beginning point of an event, according to context.
(4.237) Olh tomla
tin
kantat
iome
alimau
dist mountain those:nom stand.ipv.pl world.nom pv.begin.dep.abl
Those mountains have been standing since the world began
(4.238) Elimma
pyie
meun uktiyi
inan
halhkonau
Elim.erg child.dat milk give.pv 3asloc thirsty.dep.abl
Elim gave the child some milk because she was thirsty

4.5.4

Instrumental

Instrumental (inst) case is marked by adding the ending -me to the rightmost element in the noun phrase.
As its name indicates, the instrumental case is used when the noun phrase expresses the instrument or means
by which an action is carried out:
(4.239) Mikalma kopoi
konomme
tsitspyi
boy.erg pot.dat hammer.inst smash.pv
The boy smashed the pot with a/the hammer
(4.240) Ma
kahu mais
tausme
eiasa
1snom fish soup:dat spoon.inst prg.eat.ipv
I am eating the fish soup with a spoon
As discussed in 4.4.3, the instrument can also be expressed by a noun phrase in the nominative (if the clause
does not already contain a nominative case-marked theme argument), or by an unmarked noun phrase if the
instrument is non-referential. Hence, (4.239) can be paraphrased as below, with hammer in the nominative
or unmarked form:
(4.241) Mikalma kopoi
konome
tsitspyi
boy.erg pot.dat hammer.nom smash.pv
The boy smashed the pot with a/the hammer
(4.242) Mikalma kopoi
konom
tsitspyi
boy.erg pot.dat hammer smash.pv
The boy smashed the pot with a hammer (more lit. hammer-smashed the pot)
However, in order for these alternative constructions to be available, the instrument must be construed as the
immediate causer of the event. In example (4.239) the boy manipulates the hammer, and it is the hammer
which actually brings about the change of state (the sentence thus entails The hammer smashed the pot).
Compare this with (4.240), where the spoon plays a more peripheral role (the spoon is not eating the soup,
but merely enabling the boy to eat the soup). Since the spoon does not cause the eating event, (4.240)
cannot be paraphrased with taus spoon in the nominative or unmarked form: the instrumental is the only
option here.
A noun phrase in the instrumental can also express the manner in which an action is carried out, as
illustrated below. Notice that in (4.244) and (4.245) the instrumental ending attaches to a dependent verb
or clause. In (4.244) instrumental case is added to the dependent form of the stative verb usuta be slow:
usutame (lit. by/with being slow) is functionally equivalent to a manner adverb in English. In (4.245) the
instrumental-marked clause expresses an event, and corresponds roughly to a participial clause with by or
by means of.

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.243) Na
tan
hostats muoheme tlynkyi
3aerg 3isnom power whole.inst push:on.pv
He pushed on it with all (his) might
(4.244) Na
usutame
inie limyi
3aerg slow.dep.inst eyes open.pv
She slowly opened her eyes
(4.245) Elimma
nasats
tafyi
olh
naka tan
tiyisame
Elim.nom strength show.pv dist rock that:nom lift.dep.inst
Elim demonstrated his strength by lifting that rock
With verbs of communication such as koma speak/understand/know, siehpa write, etc., a noun phrase
which denotes the language or other means of communication being used appears in the instrumental case:
(4.246) Okuna sulme
k`
oman?
Okuna language.inst speak.ipv.qu
Do (you) speak Okuna?
Like English with, the instrumental case can also be used to express a comitative (accompaniment) relation:
(4.247) Sakial ka imem iaf`
uhan?
Sakial and 1sinst prg.come:along.want.ipv.qu
Do (you) want to come with Sakial and me?
(4.248) Me
lihpame
sihityi
ekahunieia
1snom sister.inst go:to:river.pv sbj.catch:fish.dep:sbj.all
I went down to the river with (my) sister to catch fish
The instrumental case is also used with the copula he to indicate immediate possessionthat is, possession
of something in ones immediate control. The possessive verbs efa have, own and yla have, include, be
endowed with also take an instrumental noun phrase. In clauses with efa, which expresses transferable
possession (e.g., ownership of personal property), the instrumental case marks the possessor, while the
possessee is in the nominative case. In clauses with yla, which expresses possession of a body part or
physical attribute, the case roles are reversed: instrumental case marks the possessee while the possessor
appears in the nominative.
(4.249) Sakialme
es halma he
Sakial.inst one book be:ipv
Sakial has a book (with him) (lit. There is a book with Sakial)
(4.250) Sakialme
halma ante efa
Sakial.inst book many possess.ipv
Sakial owns many books
(4.251) Elime
kulhe inieme
yla
Elim.nom green eyes.inst have.ipv
Elim has green eyes
The instrumental case can also encode a spatial or temporal relation. In combination with motion verbs
such as hepa go along, hyla pass by, kloha go through, tlisa cross, go over, etc., a noun phrase in the
instrumental indicates the path traversed by the entity in motion, or some object which lies along or near
that path. When used in this way, instrumental noun phrases correspond to English prepositional phrases
with by (way of), across, through, along, over, via, etc., depending on the noun and the type of
motion involved.

4.5. THE OBLIQUE CASES

59

(4.252) Me
kuma hitolme
lhyuyi
1snom front door.inst enter.pv
I came in (through) the front door
(4.253) Kalma
losake
sihilalme
paloi
ekpe
inioktat
man.erg wood.nom riverbank.inst village.dat carry.cv prg.return.ipv.pl
The men are taking the firewood back to the village along the riverbank
(4.254) Pyie
siyhume kiompe itlise,
ne
tiausyi
child.nom field.inst run.cv prg.cross.pt 3anom fall:down.pv
As the child was running across the field, s/he fell down
(4.255) Es hastine
mutume
iante
tlisyi
one deer.nom fence.inst jump.cv go:over.pv
A deer jumped (over) the fence
(4.256) Pil`
a
palahta ypiahme
uaste tlisyi
bird.nom tree
above.inst fly.cv go:over.pv
The bird flew over the tree
In example (4.256), the noun phrase palahta ypi`
a means area above the tree. The fact that this noun phrase
is marked with instrumental case indicates that the flight path of the bird included this area, but neither
began nor ended there.
When added to a noun phrase denoting a temporal measurement, instrumental case indicates a span of
time, and corresponds roughly to during, for, or over the course of in English, as in (4.257). Dative case
can also be used to form temporal for expressions, as in (4.258) (see 4.3.2). The difference between these
sentences is quite subtle: (4.258) implies that we slept at Sakials house for exactly three nightsi.e., only
three nights passed between the beginning of the event and the end. (4.257), by contrast, does not have
this implication: it is possible that the event began earlier or ended later, but for some reason the speaker
is choosing to focus on three particular nights.
(4.257) Sa
Sakiala
kotuna
hun ehteme
muelhyit
13erg Sakial.all house.loc night three.inst sleep.pv.pl
We slept at Sakials house over the course of three nights
(4.258) Sa
Sakiala
kotuna
hun ehtei
muelhyit
13erg Sakial.all house.loc night three.dat sleep.pv.pl
We slept at Sakials house for three nights
An instrumental noun phrase can also be used to indicate a measure of distance or other dimension, or to
express the degree/extent to which an entity possesses a scalar property. In comparative constructions, such
as (4.261), the instrumental case is used with measure phrases to indicate the degree of difference between
the objects being compared.
(4.259) Kot`
o
katlam huoime
apata
house.nom cubit
twelve.inst rel.tall.ipv
The house is twelve cubits tall
(4.260) Sa
l`
o
ehtsan puniakatsme ekau
tsuhpat
13erg day one
journey.inst here.abl live.ipv.pl
We live a days journey from here

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.261) Mo
suhp`
a
ulhmo henme
afihohta
im`
o
1srdat brother.nom year
two.inst rel.young.comp.ipv 1sabl
My brother is two years younger than me (lit. younger than me by/with two years)
Note the following constructions, where the adverbials ihka before now, earlier, ago, efoi after now, later,
tahka before then, earlier, previously, and tahoi after then, later, subsequently select a temporal measure
phrase in the instrumental case. In (4.262) below, a temporal measure phrase in the instrumental modifies
a before clause.
ulhmo henme ihka
ulhmo henme efoi

two years ago

in two years, two years from now

l`
o tosepyime tahka
l`
o tosepyime tahoi

several days earlier, several days before (that)

several days later, several days after (that)

(4.262) Hi
mehkyi
mo
am`e
tiokau
l`
o
henme
kamna
3inom happen.pv 1srdat mother.nom die.dep.abl day two.inst before.nom
It happened two days before my mother died
A number of adverbial expressions are formed using the instrumental case, including:
ela henme
haklame
kaiehteme
kunahatsme
lohanme
nakapme
pakotame
tupuatsme

(each:time two.inst)
(go:straight.dep.inst)
(threesome.inst)
(friendship.inst)
(voice.inst)
(accident.inst)
(take:steps.dep.inst)
(pulse.inst)

two by two, two at a time

straight, directly, as the crow flies
three times, threefold, by a factor of three
as a friend, in friendship
aloud, out loud
by accident
step by step, incrementally
momentarily, for just a moment

Finally, one way of forming a conditional clause in Okunaequivalent to an if clause or unless clause in
Englishis to attach the instrumental case ending to a clause headed by a verb in the dependent subjunctive
form (see 10.2). (Other ways of forming conditional clauses are discussed in 10.2.3 and 10.3.2.)
(4.263) Ma
aleut uktia
etiuhime
1serg help give.ipv sbj.needed.dep:sbj.inst
Ill lend a hand if needed/necessary
(4.264) Pyie
ntse tehefoi eketoitame,
ma
inane
ekpihi
child.nom neg soon
sbj.come.dep:sbj:neg.pl.inst 1serg 3apall sbj.seek.dep:sbj
tiuha
must.ipv
If the children dont get here soon, Ill have to go look for them
or Unless the children get here soon...
While the comitative relation (with) is consistently expressed using instrumental case, Okuna has various
ways to express a privative relation (without). First, instrumental case may be added to a negated noun
phrase of the form ntse X m`
a or ntse X mi`
o no X, not any X: e.g., ntse kamal mahme without a knife (lit.
not with any knife or with no knife). Alternatively, without may be expressed using a negated participial
clause, or a negated dependent clause marked for instrumental case. Finally, the verb eka be empty or
tsihfa be bare may be used, together with a noun phrase in the unmarked or ablative form, to convey the
sense of English lack, be without. Examples:

4.6. THE UNMARKED FORM

61

(4.265) Pyie
ketyi
am`e
miafu
child.nom come.pv mother.nom neg.prg.accompany.neg:pt
The child came without her mother (lit. [her] mother not accompanying [her])
(4.266) Na
itatananka
ntse tlok ikpu
3aerg prg.go:around.ipv:pst neg shoe prg.wear.neg:pt
He was walking around without shoes (on) (lit. not wearing shoes)
(4.267) Im`e
ntse taus
nyipume
iasoksanka
1sall neg spoon use.dep:neg.inst eat.must.ipv:pst
I had to eat without a spoon (lit. by not using a spoon)
(4.268) ntse pyi
hunen
kotu
neg child be:neg.cnzr house
a house without children or a house where there arent any children
(4.269) luan tsihfe
kimi
hair bare.tnzr baby
a baby without hair (lit. a baby bare [of] hair)

4.6

The unmarked form

Having reviewed the functions of the various cases in previous sections, I now turn to those situations where
a noun or noun phrase fails to take any case marking and occurs instead in its unsuffixed or bare form. I
refer to this as the unmarked form.

4.6.1

Unmarked nouns within the noun phrase

As mentioned in 4.2, case endings attach to the final element in a noun phrase; hence the noun itself
will be unmarked for case if some other element within the noun phrase follows it. Such elements include
demonstratives and quantifiers, along with a handful of other modifiers discussed in 6.8.5 and 6.9 (e.g.,
mpehkai the first one, ufatl the wrong one). Consider the placement of the locative case ending -na in the
following noun phrases:
halmana
es halmana
halma ehtsanna
ke halma itena
halma ikina
halma mpehkaina
halma ufatlna

in
in
in
in
in
in
in

a/the book
a book
(just) one book
these books
every book
the first book
the wrong book

Likewise, in noun compounds, discussed in 6.4, the head noun is marked for case (provided it comes at the
right edge of the noun phrase), while the modifying noun appears in the unmarked form:
(4.270) ilme laina
moon light.loc
in the moonlight
When a noun phrase consists of two or more smaller noun phrases conjoined with ka and, husu and also,
or ohkina as well as (see 8.3.1), it is the rightmost conjunct which carries the case ending, while previous
conjuncts are unmarked for case:

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.271) Sakial ka Elimme

Sakial and Elim.inst
with Sakial and Elim
(4.272) mo
nap`e
husu
no
kunaua
1srdat daughter and:also 3ardat friend.all
for my daughter and her friends
In certain contexts, a noun phrase will lack case marking altogether. For instance, noun phrases are unmarked
for case when they function as (part of) the predicate of a clause. In addition, a noun phrase may be unmarked
for case when it is non-referentiali.e., when it does not pick out a particular entity or set of entities, but
functions more like a modifier or pseudo-argument. I review the distribution of unmarked noun phrases in
the following subsections.

4.6.2

Unmarked noun phrases as non-arguments

If a noun phrase does not function as an argument or other dependent of a verb, and thus is not assigned a
case role, it will appear in the unmarked form. For example, noun phrases occur without case marking when
they act as predicates. This is illustrated in (4.273) below, where mo ahte my father is a predicate nominal
rather than an argument (note the absence of a copula here; see 9.3.1 for more on copular sentences). The
unmarked form also occurs in existential and possessive constructions, where the verb he be, exist takes
an unmarked noun phrase as its complement. This is illustrated in (4.274) and (4.275), where es kamal a
knife is in the unmarked form.
(4.273) Sakiale
mo
ahte
Sakial.nom 1srdat father
Sakial is my father
(4.274) Totsatna es kamal he
table.loc one knife exist:ipv
There is a knife on the table
(4.275) Sakialme
es kamal he
Sakial.inst one knife be:ipv
Sakial has a knife (lit. There is a knife with Sakial)
Likewise the noun phrase is typically unmarked in presentational sentences, where it denotes an entity
whose existence or presence is being asserted or denied. Compare the examples below, where im`e kamal my
knife is in the nominative case in the first sentence and in the unmarked form in the second sentence. (4.276)
is a normal predicational sentence, with a nominative argument bearing the theme role. This sentence would
be used if the knife were already a topic of discussion and the speaker were reporting on its location. Example
(4.277), by contrast, is a presentational sentence, used to draw the listeners attention to the presence of the
knife.
(4.276) Im`e
kamale
its`
a
1sall knife.nom prg.be:here.ipv
My knife is here
(4.277) Im`e
kamal its`
a
1sall knife prg.be:here.ipv
Heres my knife or This is my knife

4.6. THE UNMARKED FORM

63

The examples below show the same contrast, this time with the locational verb euolha be (over) there
and the motion verb keta come here. Note that in (4.279) the fact that the sentence is presentational is
further indicated by the focus particle te. In (4.281), the particle iam marks the sentence as expressing new
information which the speaker has just become aware of.
(4.278) Hastine
ieuolha
deer.nom prg.be:there.ipv
The deer is over there
(4.279) Te es hastin ieuolha
foc one deer
prg.be:there.ipv
Over there is a deer or Theres a deer over there
(4.280) Sakiale
iketa
Sakial.nom prg.come:here.ipv
Sakial is coming here
(4.281) Sakial iketa
iam
Sakial prg.come:here.ipv it:turns:out
Look, here comes Sakial
Finally, compare the examples below, showing two different ways of asking a where question. The first
construction, where im`e kamal is marked for nominative case, would be used if the speakers knife were
already the topic of discussion (Speaking of my knife, where is it?). The second construction, with im`e
kamal unmarked for case and immediately preceding the copula, would be used if this speaker is mentioning
his/her knife for the first time.
(4.282) Im`e
kamale
miena
hin?
1sall knife.nom where.loc be:ipv.qu
Where is my knife?
(4.283) Miena
im`e
kamal hin?
where.loc 1sall knife be:ipv.qu
Wheres my knife?
A noun phrase will also appear in the unmarked form when it functions as a contrastive or switch-reference
topic, followed by the element aunme (see 9.2.2, 10.2.3). In the example below the unmarked noun
kahu fish establishes the general domain of objects under consideration, while kono salmon, marked for
nominative case, functions as the argument of predication in the sentence.
(4.284) Kahu aunme, kon`
o
ahenkohta
im`e
fish
if.inst salmon.nom rel.enjoyable.comp.ipv 1sall
As for fish, I like salmon best (lit. If fish, [then] salmon is most enjoyable to me)
Finally, proper names, kinship terms, and other noun phrases are unmarked for case when used in addressing
an individualthat is, as vocatives. Such noun phrases are optionally preceded by the quotative particle ia
(glossed quot), especially when used to attract the attention of the person being addressed:
(4.285) Ia
Sakial, aktape eskuke
quot Sakial help.cv please
Sakial, please help (me)
Proper names are also unmarked for case when they precede another noun phrase to which they stand in
apposition. For instance, Tenmotlai, Okuna, and Sakial are all unmarked in the following examples:

64

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.286) Tenmotlai tiesate

Okuna sihkunu ilalna
tima
Tenmotlai town.nom Okuna river
shore.loc lie.ipv
The town of Tenmotlai lies on the shore of the Okuna river
(4.287) Sakial mo
kasuhp`
a
itskana
etsuleia
elohfoi
Sakial 1srdat cousin.nom prg.arrive.ipv sbj.visit.dep:sbj.all tomorrow
My cousin Sakial is coming to visit tomorrow

4.6.3

Pseudo-incorporated arguments

We say that a noun phrase is non-referential (or non-individuated) if its function is to identify some
general class of entities rather than any specific entity or group of entities. In Okuna, if a core argument of
a verb is non-referential, it will often be unmarked for case.
Compare the examples below. In (4.288) and (4.289), the patient argument halma book delimits the
event denoted by the verb, and is expressed by a noun phrase in the dative case. This noun phrase is
interpreted as indefinite in (4.289) due to the presence of es one, while in (4.288) it can be construed as
either definite or indefinite, depending on the context in which the sentence occurs. In both sentences, the
speaker has a particular book in mind. Contrast these sentences with (4.290), where halma appears without
any case marking: here, its function is to represent a type of object, and not to pick out any specific book
(see below for more discussion of this).
(4.288) Na
halmai
itala
3aerg book.dat prg.read.ipv
He is reading a/the book
(4.289) Na
es halmai
itala
3aerg one book.dat prg.read.ipv
He is reading a (certain) book
(4.290) Na
halma itala
3aerg book prg.read.ipv
He is reading a book or He is reading books
Unlike case-marked arguments, which can occupy various positions in the clause, unmarked arguments
must immediately precede the verb which selects them, suggesting that they have undergone pseudoincorporation into the verb. In (4.290) above, for example, halma itala behaves as a kind of syntactic
unit, suggesting a literal translation along the lines of He is book-reading. As evidence for this adjacency
requirement, note that adverbials like eima still can come between the verb and its object if the latter is
case-marked, but must precede the object if it is unmarked for case:
(4.291) Na
halmai
eima itala
3aerg book.dat still
prg.read.ipv
He is still reading the book
(4.292) Na
eima halma itala
3aerg still
book prg.read.ipv
He is still reading a book (He is still book-reading)
Note also the examples below, where the clause has been negated. As discussed in 7.3, the negative scope
marker tends to attach to the right edge of the verb as a prefix: m(a)-. However, when the verb is preceded
by an unmarked noun phrase, which must be adjacent to the verb, the negative scope marker is blocked
from attaching to the verb and instead surfaces in its free form, ntse, preceding the unmarked noun phrase.

4.6. THE UNMARKED FORM

65

(4.293) Na
halmai
metalo
3aerg book.dat neg.prg.read.ipv:neg
He isnt reading the book
(4.294) Na
ntse halma italo
3aerg neg book prg.read.ipv:neg
He isnt reading (any) books
As discussed in 4.3.2, dative case marks the delimiter of a telic actione.g., the patient in a cumulative
change-of-state event. Non-referential patients, however, fail to act as delimiters, and so dative case marking
is unavailable. Consider the following examples. (4.295) denotes a particular event of eating: a specific
portion of meat is being referred to, and the eating event culminates once it has been completely consumed.
Hence, maka meat delimits the eating event and appears in the dative case (whether makai is definite or
indefinite, whether it means the meat or some meat, must be determined from the context). (4.296), by
contrast, refers to the general activity of meat-eating; while (4.297) expresses the characteristic of being a
meat-eater, the propensity of a particular dog (or dogs in general) to eat meat. In neither of these sentences
does the speaker have a particular portion of meat in mind. Generic activities and properties are inherently
open-ended: they have no natural endpoint, and hence cannot be delimited by the patient. This is why in
these sentences maka appears in the unmarked form rather than the dative.
(4.295) Ikema
makai
eiasanka
dog.erg meat.dat prg.eat.ipv:pst
The dog was eating the/some meat
(4.296) Ikema
maka eiasanka
dog.erg meat prg.eat.ipv:pst
The dog was eating meat (i.e., was engaged in meat-eating)
(4.297) Ikema
maka iasa
dog.erg meat eat.ipv
The dog eats meat or Dogs eat meat
The examples below show a similar contrast. The sentence in (4.298) denotes a telic event, and kahu fish
(marked for dative case) is understood to be referential. The speaker implies the existence of some finite
(though not necessarily identifiable) quantity of fish, such that the event necessarily ends once all of the fish
have been caught. By contrast, (4.299) denotes an atelic activity. Here, kahu, unmarked for case, indicates
the type of thing being caught: no particular quantity of fish is implied, meaning that the activity can go on
indefinitely. Finally, (4.300) attributes a general property to Sakial, and is likewise atelic, with kahu again
in its bare form.
(4.298) Sakialma
kahoi
palyima
Sakial.erg fish.dat catch.pv.dpl
Sakial caught the/some fish
(4.299) Sakialma
kahu palyi
Sakial.erg fish catch.pv
Sakial caught fish or Sakial went fishing
(4.300) Sakialma
kahu pala
Sakial.erg fish catch.ipv
Sakial catches fish (Sakial is a fisherman)

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

Notice that kahoi triggers the dative plural agreement suffix -ma on the verb in the first sentence, whereas
its unmarked counterpart in the other two sentences does not trigger plural agreement, even though the
context makes it clear that more than one fish is likely being caught. Unmarked noun phrases never trigger
number agreement.
When a non-referential patient argument appears in the unmarked form, this frees up the dative case,
which can then appear on another constituent to delimit the event. For instance, a dative phrase expressing
a measure can be added to a clause containing an unmarked patient, as illustrated below. In (4.301), where
ueho wine takes dative marking, the event is delimited by the wine: some specific quantity of wine is
implied, which defines the endpoint for the drinking event. In (4.302) the patient appears in the unmarked
form and hence does not delimit: the sentence refers to wine-drinking as a general activity. In (4.303) the
patient is again unmarked, but this time the event is delimited by the measure phrase es nauot one cup:
the wine-drinking activity ends once one cup worth of wine has been consumed.
(4.301) Ma
uehoi
sepyi
1serg wine.dat drink.pv
I drank (up) the/some wine
(4.302) Ma
ueho sepyi
1serg wine drink.pv
I drank wine
(4.303) Ma
es nauoit
ueho sepyi
1serg one cup.dat wine drink.pv
I drank a cup of wine (lit. I wine-drank [to] one cup)
Unmarked noun phrases appear in many weather predicates. These generally take the form of a motion verb
(belonging to Class II or Class III) used in combination with the unmarked theme argument denoting the
relevant meteorological phenomenon. Examples:
aho ilaina
esie ikahpa
ilme ilaina
ise ikahpa
ise itima
kise itima
mohi ikahpa
mohisiem ilaina
muohfe s`
u ikahpa
pahiem ilaina
s`
u ikahpa
suku ilhopa

its sunny
its misty/sprinkling
the moon is out
its snowing
theres snow on the ground
its icy, theres ice on the ground
its foggy
its (partly) cloudy
its raining hard, its pouring
its overcast
its raining
its windy

(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.

sun is shining)
mist is falling)
moon is shining)
snow is falling)
snow is lying)
ice is lying)
cloud is falling)
cloudy sky is shining)
thick rain is falling)
overcast sky is shining)
rain is falling)
wind is flowing)

Other examples:
(4.304) Elohka
ise
ukahpoksa
yesterday snow pf.descend.must.ipv
It must have snowed yesterday
(4.305) Tehefoi
mohi ikelha
presently cloud prg.lift.ipv
The fog is going to lift soon
(4.306) Tosuku
ilhopa
ha
yhmana
great:wind prg.blow.ipv in:fact outside.loc
Its very windy outside (lit. A great wind is blowing outside)

4.6. THE UNMARKED FORM

67

In the examples above, the unmarked (pseudo-incorporated) noun phrase expresses the patient or theme of
an action, and as such, replaces a noun phrase in the dative or nominative case. This is the most common
role for unmarked arguments. However, it is also possible for the unmarked noun phrase to express a nonreferential actor. Consider the examples below. In (4.307) Elima ike Elims dog functions as the delimiter,
marked with dative case, while in (4.308) it functions as an experiencer argument marked with locative
case. In both sentences, the unmarked noun phrase lianka snake is interpreted as a non-referential actor,
indicating the type of entity which initiates or triggers the event (if the speaker had a particular snake in
mind, lianka would have been marked with ergative case):
(4.307) Elima
ikei
lianka unitlka
Elim.all dog.dat snake pf.bite.ipv
Elims dog was bitten by a snake (Elims dog was snake-bitten)
(4.308) Elima
ikena
lianka huetlampa
Elim.all dog.loc snake afraid.act.ipv
Elims dog is frightened of snakes (lit. made afraid by snakes)
Additional examples are given below, in which the unmarked nouns (ipaimanen medicine, suku wind,
tohauat fire) specify the kinds of substance responsible for bringing about the event. Here it is perhaps
unclear whether the unmarked noun should be characterized as an actor or an instrument.
(4.309) Sakiale
ipaimanen hualtyi
Sakial.nom medicine
healthy.tinc.pv
Sakial was cured by/with medicine (Sakial was medicine-cured)
(4.310) Palaht`
a suku tiausyi
tree.nom wind fall.pv
The tree fell over in the wind (The tree was wind-felled)
(4.311) Kotu utai
tohauat ustoka
house that:rdat fire
pf.destroy.ipv
That house was destroyed in/by a fire (That house was fire-destroyed)
Note finally that a core argument will sometimes appear without any case marking when it refers to an
entity that is incidental to the discourse, even if the speaker has a specific referent in mind. In the sentence
below, for example, the unmarked argument hitol may be referring to a particular door, identifiable by both
the speaker and the addressee. However, this door plays only a peripheral role in the events being narrated:
it is the act of door-opening, rather than the identity of the door being opened, which is important here.
(4.312) Ihama
umupatle
hitol limyi
yhmai
suhyi
woman.erg pf.dress.pt door open.pv outside.dat go:out.pv
The woman having dressed, (she) opened the door (and) went outside
Similarly, in the following example, aho sun is semantically definite, and would thus (as the theme argument
of kahpa go down) be expected to appear in the nominative case. However, it appears in the unmarked
form instead. This is because the sun is only acting as an incidental character in the narrative: the setting
of the sun is a background event, serving merely to establish the time of the hunters return.
(4.313) Uta
aho ukahpanka
lakiakamite
paloi
anioktit
already sun pf.descend.ipv:pst hunting:party.nom village.dat pv.return.pt.pl
The sun had already set when the hunting party returned to the village

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CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

When the clause denotes an event where an agent manipulates a part of his/her own body, the body part
term normally occurs in the unmarked form. This is illustrated below. Notice also that, unlike in English,
the body part term does not take a possessive pronoun; sentence (4.314), for example, is literally Elim closed
eyes (or Elim eye-closed).
(4.314) Elimma
inie mukyi
Elim.erg eyes close.pv
Elim closed his eyes
(4.315) Ma
nalh kelhyi
1serg arm raise.pv
I raised my arm
In the following examples, the case-marked noun takes the dative rather than the ergative, and denotes
an individual undergoing a change of state. The unmarked noun here denotes the particular part of the
individuals body affected by the event.
(4.316) Sakiail
nalh takiyi
Sakial.dat arm break.pv
Sakial broke his arm or Sakial got his arm broken
(4.317) Sakiail
tem hanyi
Sakial.dat hand cut.pv
Sakial cut his hand or Sakial got a cut on his hand
The absence of case marking in these constructions suggests that the body part is not treated as an individual
participant in the event, but is instead conceptualized as a component of the action (arm-lifting, handcutting, etc.). Normally the body part term will appear in the dative or nominative case only if the agent
is manipulating a part of somebody elses body. Compare Elimma inie mukyi Elim closed (his own) eyes
with the following example, where inie eyes receives nominative marking:
(4.318) Elimma
tioike
kalna
ini`e
mukyi
Elim.erg dead.tnzr man.loc eyes.nom close.pv
Elim closed the dead mans eyes

4.6.4

Other unmarked noun phrases with Class III verbs

In the examples discussed in the previous section, the unmarked noun phrase replaces a case-marked subject
or object. It is also possible for an unmarked noun phrase to co-occur with an overt subject and object,
especially with Class III verbs expressing a change of state (see 4.4.3). This extra noun phrase has a number
of functions. Most commonly, it indicates the kind of instrumenta tool, body part, or other objectused
by the agent to bring about a change of state in the patient:
(4.319) Mikalma kopoi
konom
tsitspyi
boy.erg pot.dat hammer smash.pv
The boy smashed the pot with a hammer
(4.320) Ihama
kahoi
tiku
tahyima
woman.erg fish.dat harpoon kill.pv.dpl
The woman killed the fish with a harpoon or The woman harpooned the fish
(4.321) Elimma
totsait
sane mul patlyi
Elim.erg table.dat red cloth cover.pv
Elim covered the table with a red cloth

4.6. THE UNMARKED FORM

69

(4.322) Inmo
moikenaua kahtotyi
3aerg.1srdat fist
hit.dur.pv
He punched me or He hit me with (his) fists
Like other unmarked arguments, unmarked instruments are inherently non-specific or lacking in discourse
salience. For instance, (4.319), featuring the unmarked instrument konom hammer, would be used only if
the speaker doesnt know (or considers it irrelevant) which particular hammer was used to smash the pot, and
wishes merely to convey that a hammer is the type of object used. If the instrument were definite/specific, and
of continuing relevance to the conversation, konom would instead appear in the instrumental or nominative
case (see 4.4.3, 4.5.4).
With Class III verbs of creation or physical transformation, an unmarked noun phrase may be added to
express the material being transformed, while the delimiter argument (if present) represents the object or
substance being created, as illustrated below (the ablative case can also be used to mark the material from
which something is made, as discussed in 4.5.3):
(4.323) Ihama
kopoi
sute euosta
woman.erg pot.dat clay prg.shape.ipv
The woman is shaping a pot out of clay
(4.324) Na
kotoi
lotsan utiespat
3aerg house.dat wood pf.build.ipv.pl
They built the house out of wood
Finally, Class III verbs can take an unmarked noun phrase denoting the amount of time required for the
endpoint to be reachedthat is, the amount of time necessary to completely create, destroy, or change the
state of the patient (this construction is somewhat rare; normally the temporal measure phrase will appear
in the instrumental case):
(4.325) Na
kotoi
ilme
kun utiespat
3aerg house.dat month four pf.build.ipv.pl
They built the house in four months or They took four months to build the house

4.6.5

Unmarked noun phrases with Class I verbs

As discussed in 4.4.1, stative verbs belonging to Class I take a nominative (theme) argument referring to
the individual who possesses the property or attribute denoted by the verb. Sometimes these verbs also
take an unmarked noun phrase, which names a component or aspect of the theme with respect to which
the property or attribute holds. To illustrate this, consider first the sentences below, containing the Class
I verb henka be enjoyable, predicated of the nominative-marked theme iase the food, with an optional
experiencer argument in the allative case (see 4.4.1, 4.5.2):
(4.326) Ias`e
henka
food.nom enjoyable.ipv
The food is enjoyable
(4.327) Ias`e
henka
im`e
food.nom enjoyable.ipv 1sall
I like the food (lit. The food is enjoyable to me)
If one wishes to specify the particular aspect of the food which is enjoyable, an unmarked noun phrase
denoting an abstract property may be added to the sentence:

70

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.328) Ias`e
amahtle henka
food.nom flavor
enjoyable.ipv
The food is delicious (lit. The food is enjoyable [in] flavour)
(4.329) Ias`e
aluhtse henka
food.nom aroma enjoyable.ipv
The food smells good (lit. The food is enjoyable [in] aroma)
(4.330) Ias`e
akiel
henka
food.nom appearance enjoyable.ipv
The food looks good (lit. The food is enjoyable [in] appearance)
Adding an experiencer to these sentences, we get the following: (4.331) is literally the food is enjoyable [in]
flavour to me, and likewise for the other examples.
(4.331) Ias`e
amahtle henka
im`e
food.nom flavour enjoyable.ipv 1sall
I like the taste of the food
(4.332) Ias`e
aluhtse henka
im`e
food.nom aroma enjoyable.ipv 1sall
The food smells good to me or I like the smell of the food
(4.333) Ias`e
akiel
henka
im`e
food.nom appearance enjoyable.ipv 1sall
The food looks good to me or I like the look of the food
Note also the following examples, which show the same structure but with different stative verbs:
(4.334) Ohu`e
amahtle seima
fruit.nom flavour sweet.ipv
The fruit tastes sweet (lit. is sweet [in] flavour)
(4.335) Elime
akiel
ihakta
hial`
o
Elim.nom appearance prg.tired.ipv today
Elim is looking tired today (lit. Elim is tired [in] appearance today)
(4.336) Sakialna
aule
ikesta
Sakial.loc sound prg.happy.ipv
Sakial sounds happy (lit. Sakial is happy [in] sound)
The verbs ohtla resemble, be similar and sukuma differ, be different commonly take an unmarked noun
phrase denoting the quality with respect to which the resemblance holds or fails to hold: e.g., akiel ohtla
look like (lit. resemble [in] appearance), amahtle ohtla taste like (resemble [in] flavour), aule sukuma
sound different (differ [in] sound) and so on. The individual who bears the resemblance or difference is
expressed by a noun phrase in the nominative, while the standard of comparison is expressed by a noun
phrase in the allative (for ohtla) or the ablative (for sukuma):
(4.337) Sakiale
ahteia
akiel
ohtla
Sakial.nom father.all appearance resemble.ipv
Sakial looks like his father

4.6. THE UNMARKED FORM

71

(4.338) Sakiale
ahteia
aule
ohtla
Sakial.nom father.all sound resemble.ipv
Sakial sounds like his father
(4.339) Sakiale
ahteu
akiel
sukuma
Sakial.nom father.abl appearance different.ipv
Sakial looks different from his father
The verbs eka be empty, tsatsa be full, paitla be covered, and tsihfa be bare, free may combine with an
unmarked noun phrase expressing the type of entity or substance (e.g., n`
a water, aki flea) with respect
to which the property holds:
Nauote n`
a itsatsa
Nauote n`
a ieka

The cup is full of water

The cup is empty of water / has no water in it

Ik`e aki ipaitla

Ik`e aki itsihfa

The dog is covered with fleas

The dog is free of fleas / has no fleas

Consider also the construction illustrated below. Here the unmarked noun denotes a body part while the
nominative argument identifies the possessor of the body part (we may think of the first sentence as meaning
something like Elim is long with respect to [his] legs). The third example includes the resultative Class I
verb takeia be broken, which takes a locative case-marked patient (see 7.5.1). The fourth example shows
the Class I verb nuha be cold, which here takes a locative case-marked experiencer, denoting the individual
who feels cold, and an unmarked body part noun denoting the locus of the cold feeling.
(4.340) Elime
kalial liakna
Elim.nom legs
long.ipv
Elim has long legs or Elim is long-legged
(4.341) No
aht`e
nalhal nasa
3ardat father.nom arms strong.ipv
His father has strong arms
(4.342) Sakialna
kus itakeia
Sakial.loc foot prg.break:res.ipv
Sakial has a broken foot
(4.343) Iman temie inuha
1sloc hands prg.cold.ipv
My hands are/feel cold or I have cold hands
Finally, when the stative verb carries the relative prefix a- (see 7.6), the class of objects denoted by the
unmarked noun phrase provides a standard against which the theme is compared: e.g., toha be big; atoha
be so/as big, have a certain size; kotu atoha be as big as a house, be the size of a house; atohohta be
bigger (than); kotu atohohta be bigger than a house. Additional examples are given below. Note that in
the third and fourth examples, the unmarked noun phrase combines with a predicate formed by attaching
the relative prefix a- to a perception verb in the resultative aspect (7.5.1). Predicates formed in this way
(equivalent to English look/appear, sound, taste, smell, etc.) denote the possession of a property which
can be perceived through the senses, with the unmarked noun phrase expresses the substance or entity which
is the source of that property.
(4.344) Ne
hani alhinta
3anom fox rel.clever.ipv
Shes as clever as a fox

72

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

(4.345) Tonaka tan

koin
apatohta
rock
that:nom person rel.tall.comp.ipv
That rock is taller than a person
(4.346) Mase
ksas amaihtla
soup.nom salt rel.taste:res.ipv
The soup tastes of salt or The soup tastes salty
(4.347) Hal`
o
esip
ialoihtsanka
room.nom flower prg.rel.smell:res.ipv:pst
The room smelled of flowers or The room had the smell of flowers
As in other cases, the unmarked noun phrase in this construction is interpreted as non-referential. When a
particular entity is being presented as the standard of comparison, the noun phrase referring to that entity
must be marked with ablative case: e.g., kotou atohohta bigger than the house.

4.6.6

Fixed expressions

A large number of idioms and other fixed expressions in Okuna take the form of a verb preceded by a pseudoincorporated unmarked noun. Some of these are listed below. English equivalents for these expressions are
given first, followed by a literal translation in parentheses.

4.6. THE UNMARKED FORM

ahim tsimuka
aleut uktia
ampe alhta
efos ekpa
efos suka
eihte etsa
eske untsuka
euti tika
fasoun ekpa
hauk elha
iase tsatsta
itlas kyitsa
inie kelha
inie kloha
inie lhinta
inie peuta
kan ekpa
kanu etsa
kaume suka
kefis etsa
kihaule hehta
ksetli uanta
kuhinie eta
kuma kahpa
lai iahkipa
lhan ekpa
lhan laha
lhes uktia
lhonko hana
lohan tunka
luan tsihfa
masi`
o ekpa
mehu ekpa
mehu skala
muohsot etsa
nalei muohfa
naua taula
niokaule hana
nolal peuta
ope alhta
pahti muohfeta
silh teuna

gasp
help, assist
change ones mind/opinion
have a problem
make trouble, cause problems
be right, say the correct thing
be well-behaved, obedient
lay an egg
be proud
smoke [meat/fish]
eat ones fill
take note of, remark/comment on
look up at
look through
be alert, watchful, on guard
watch for, keep an eye out for
have worth, be worthy
lie, tell lies
make war
threaten
make a quiet noise
gamble
scowl, grimace
face down
blind (temporarily)
be resolved, determined
give up
sharpen, hone
be loud, make a lot of noise
speak on behalf of, represent
be bald
be sad, sorrowful
be ashamed
forgive
apologize
be brightly coloured
cup ones hands
echo, resound
listen for
change ones mind
blush
touch, put ones finger(s) on

73
(quickly close breath)
(give help)
(invert opinion)
(hold/carry problem)
(do problem)
(say right)
(enact request)
(release/emit egg)
(hold/carry pride)
(put smoke in)
(fill [with] food)
(say observation about)
(raise eyes)
(put eyes through)
(be clever-eyed)
(wait [with] eyes)
(hold/carry worth)
(say lie(s))
(do war)
(say threat)
(move small noise)
(cast dice)
(put dirty look)
(descend face)
(strike [with] light)
(hold/carry will)
(release will)
(give blade)
(cut noise)
(act [with] voice)
(be bare [of] head hair)
(hold/carry sorrow)
(hold/carry shame)
(remove shame)
(say apology)
(be dense-coloured)
(bend up palm)
(cut echo)
(wait [with] ears)
(invert belief)
(thicken [in] complexion)
(put finger)

74

CHAPTER 4. CASE AND ARGUMENT STRUCTURE

s`
o hota
sot esta
sot teuna
statl teuna
suk imla
tsimu ekpa
ufatl opa
ufatl suka
ulhmo moita
uske etsa
yte etsa

tie (up)
get through to, make understand
claim, make a claim on
set a trap
grin
be compassionate
be wrong, get it wrong
make a mistake, do the wrong thing
get a year older
deceive, lie, mislead
tell the truth

(attach rope)
(reach [with] words)
(put word(s))
(put trap)
(smile [with] teeth)
(hold/carry compassion)
(believe wrong)
(do wrong)
(acquire year)
(say deception)
(say truth)

Chapter 5

Pronouns
5.1

Introduction

In this chapter I discuss pronouns and morphologically related elements. As in English, a pronoun may be
used in place of a full noun phrase when the referent of that noun phrase is known or can be determined
from context. Compare the examples below, where the third person singular inanimate pronoun it`e towards
it/that in (5.2) plays the same grammatical role as the full noun phrase kulhe kotoua towards the green
house in (5.1). Like full noun phrases, pronouns inflect for case: e.g., it`e in the example below is the allative
case form of the pronoun.
(5.1) Elime
kulhe kotoua
ita
Elim.nom green house.all prg.go.ipv
Elim is going towards the green house
(5.2) Elime
it`
e
ita
Elim.nom 3isall prg.go.ipv
Elim is going towards it/that
Pronouns in Okuna have both full forms and clitic forms. For example, in the nominative case, the second
person pronoun you has the clitic form ku and the full form koi (in the singular). The clitic forms are
normally used when the pronoun identifies the topic of the clause, while the full forms are used elsewhere,
such as when the pronoun is being contrastively focussed. Compare:
(5.3) Ku
ohka
Sakiala
2nom love.ipv Sakial.all
Sakial loves you
(5.4) Koi
ohka
Sakiala
2snom love.ipv Sakial.all
Sakial loves you or Youre the one that Sakial loves
I begin the discussion in 5.2 by introducing the featural distinctions marked on pronouns in Okuna, including
person, number, animacy, and inclusive versus exclusive. In 5.3 I present the case declensions for the full
pronouns, and discuss their use as demonstratives. I also discuss the two forms of the dative case, realis
and irrealis, which are distinguished only on pronouns and related elements. Then in 5.4 I turn to
clitics and clitic clusters, and compare the distribution of clitics with that of full pronouns. 5.5 deals with
situations in which a pronominal argument may be omitted from the clause. Finally, in 5.6 I discuss the
universal quantifiers, equivalent to every and all, which pattern with the full pronouns both in terms of
their distribution and in terms of how they inflect for case.
75

76

5.2

CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

The personal pronouns

Pronouns in Okuna encode the person and animacy of their referents. In addition, full pronouns (as opposed
to clitics, see 5.4) make a number distinction between singular and plural. There are a total of nine personal
pronouns, given in the table below. The abbreviations used in this grammar for the personal pronouns are
shown in parentheses after their glosses. Note that, like noun phrases, pronouns inflect for case. Here I list
the nominative pronouns, which may be regarded as the default forms (the full case paradigms are given in
5.3.1 below).
1st person (exclusive)
1st person inclusive
2nd person
3rd person animate
3rd person inanimate

man

singular
I/me

(1s)

koi
nan
tan

you
he/him, she/her
it, that

(2s)
(3as)
(3is)

sat
kim
kut
nin
tin

plural
we/us
we/us
you
they/them
they/them, those

(13)
(12)
(2p)
(3ap)
(3ip)

Notice that there are two first person plural pronouns: the first person exclusive pronoun sat refers to a
group which includes the speaker but not the addressee, while the first person inclusive pronoun kim picks
out to a group which includes both the speaker and the addressee.
Sat itat
Kim itat

We are going
We are going

(I and others, but not you)

(you and I, and possibly others)

Unlike in English, no gender distinction is made in the third person: nan may be translated by he/him or
she/her, according to context. However, Okuna does have separate third person pronouns (both singular and
plural) for animate and inanimate referents. Animacy in Okuna is semantically based rather than lexically
based, meaning that the choice of pronoun is determined straightforwardly by the perceived animacy of
the referent. The third person animate (3a) pronouns are used to refer to people and animals, as well as
spirits and personified objects or forces; while the third person inanimate (3i) pronouns are used for all
other referents, including plants, non-living entities, tools and other artifacts, places, events, and abstract
concepts or ideas.
Some entities can be referenced by either an animate or an inanimate pronoun, depending on the context.
For example, kahu fish is treated as animate when referring to a living animal, and as inanimate when
referring to an item of food. This is illustrated in the examples below: in (5.5) kahu combines with the
animate pronoun nin (used here as a demonstrative, equivalent to those: see 5.3.2) while in (5.6) it
combines with the inanimate pronoun tin. (Note that humans and animals not considered as food are always
classified as animate, even when the referent is not currently alive.)
(5.5) Kahu nin
iante
ifuiat
fish
3apnom jump.cv prg.emerge:from:water.ipv.pl
Those fish are jumping out of the water
(5.6) Kahu tin
halhkahainna
isunat
fish
3ipnom drying:rack.loc prg.hang:res.ipv.pl
Those fish are hanging on the drying rack
The animate-inanimate distinction manifests itself in other ways in Okuna grammar besides the choice of
pronoun. For example, certain quantifiers have separate animate and inanimate forms: e.g., iha nemot all
the women versus kotu emot all the houses. These are discussed in 5.6 below.
In addition, there are certain pairs of stative verbs which express essentially the same meaning, but differ
in that one of the verbs usually takes an animate argument while its counterpart requires an inanimate
argument. Some of these are listed below:1
1 Fiha and liuna can actually be used with either animate or inanimate referents. However, hafa and nakluha are used
exclusively with inanimate referents. Hafa means new in the sense of fresh, newly created, while nakluha means old in the
sense of used, worn (out).

5.3. FULL PRONOUNS

77

animate

inanimate

fiha
liuna
mila
sailha
titoilha
toilha
uohta

hafa
nakluha
elifa
tima
tikanta
kanta
tima

be new, young
be old
be beautiful, handsome
lie, be prone/horizontal
be short (opposite of tall)
stand, be upright/vertical
sit, be sitting/seated

Examples:
Iha nan mila
Palahta tan elifa

That woman is beautiful

That tree is beautiful

Iha nan titoilha

Palahta tan tikanta

That woman is short

That tree is short

(5.7) Yhkun`
a
tsulna
isailhanka
guest.nom bed.loc prg.lie:res.ipv.pst
The guest was lying on the bed
(5.8) Halm`
a
tsulna
itimanka
book.nom bed.loc prg.lie.ipv.pst
The book was lying on the bed
As mentioned above, pronouns have both full forms and clitic forms. I begin by discussing full pronouns in
5.3 before turning to clitic pronouns in 5.4.

5.3

Full pronouns

Full pronouns are so called because they tend to be phonologically heavier than clitic pronouns. For
example, full pronouns may receive independent stress and are treated as separate prosodic words, rather
than combining into clitic clusters or forming part of a stress group with the following word. Also, full
pronouns have essentially the same distribution as non-pronominal noun phrases, whereas clitics have a
much more restricted distribution, as discussed in 5.4.
In addition to functioning as noun phrase arguments by themselves, full pronouns in the third person
can combine with a preceding noun (and its modifiers, if any) to form a complex noun phrase. Here the
pronoun functions much like a demonstrative determiner, equivalent to English this/that or these/those.
Note that when the pronoun is used as a demonstrative, it must agree in animacy with the noun: nan and
nin are used with nouns denoting human beings, (living) animals, and personified forces; while tan and tin
are used with inanimate and abstract nouns. In addition to marking the animacy of the noun phrase, the
pronoun indicates whether the noun phrase is singular or plural (the noun itself does not inflect for number).
moiha nan
moiha nin

this/that girl
these/those girls

kotu tan
kotu tin

this/that house
these/those houses

ike nan
ike nin

this/that dog
these/those dogs

uhin tan
uhin tin

this/that song
these/those songs

The use of pronouns as demonstratives is discussed further in 5.3.2. First, however, I discuss case inflection
on full pronouns, which is morphologically quite different from case inflection on nouns.

78

5.3.1

CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

Case marking on full pronouns

The declensions for the full pronouns are given in the following table (the columns are labeled with the
abbreviations given in the table in 5.2 above). Notice that dative pronouns make a morphological distinction
not found on nouns, between irrealis dative (dat) and realis dative (rdat) forms. This distinction
is discussed in 5.3.3 below. Notice also that the case morphology on pronouns is quite different from that
found on nouns: the ergative and oblique pronouns all incorporate the prefix i-, while the dative pronouns
include the prefix a- in the irrealis and u- in the realis. In addition, the case endings tend to fuse with the
pronominal root, and many of the endings are different from those found on nouns.

nom
dat
rdat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst
nom
dat
rdat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst

1s
man
amai
umai
im`
a
iman
im`e
im`
o
imem
13
sat
asat
usat
isat
isena
isane
iseu
isime

12
kim
akime
ukime
ikima
ikimna
ikime
ikimu
ikimme

2s
koi
akoi
ukoi
ik`
o
ikun
ikoi
ikou
ikom
2p
kut
akut
ukut
ikut
ikuna
ikune
ikunu
ikume

3as
nan
anai
unai
in`
a
inan
in`e
in`
o
inem
3ap
nin
anat
unat
inat
inena
inane
ineu
inime

3is
tan
atai
utai
it`
a
itan
it`e
it`
o
item
3ip
tin
atat
utat
itat
itena
itane
iteu
itime

The functions of the different case forms are the same for pronouns as for nouns (see 4.34.5 for discussion).
The only significant difference is that pronouns lack a bare (non-case-marked) form. In contexts where a
noun phrase would appear without any case marking (see 4.6), the nominative form of the pronoun is used.
For example, pronouns take the nominative form when the are preposed in the contrastive topic construction
(discussed in 9.2.2). Compare:
(5.9) Elim aunme, nami
ntsemi utsokuo
Elim if.inst 3anom.1sdat never pf.meet.ipv:neg
As for Elim, Ive never met him
(5.10) Nan
aunme, nami
ntsemi utsokuo
3asnom if.inst 3anom.1sdat never pf.meet.ipv:neg
As for him, Ive never met him or As for that one...
For more on full pronouns, see 5.4.2 below, where their distribution is compared with that of clitic pronouns.
In the following section, I discuss the use of full pronouns as demonstrative-like elements, and introduce the
related issue of spatial deixis (i.e., the expression of spatial relations with reference to the discourse context).

5.3.2

Demonstrative constructions and spatial deixis

As mentioned above, full pronouns can combine with a preceding noun (and its modifiers) to form a noun
phrase. When used in this way, the pronouns are roughly equivalent to the English demonstratives this/that
and these/those. I will thus refer to them as demonstratives when they carry this function, and gloss

5.3. FULL PRONOUNS

79

them using English demonstratives in the example sentences, even though they are formally indistinguishable
from full pronouns used without a preceding noun.
The demonstrative comes at the right edge of the noun phrase, following the noun itself as well as any
postnominal dependents (e.g., quantifiers such as ehte three). As shown below, the demonstrative agrees
with the noun in animacy, and expresses the number (singular versus plural) of the noun phrase as a whole.
Notice that the noun itself is not marked for number.
nan
tan

she/he; this/that one

it; this/that one

mikal nan
naka tan

this/that boy
this/that rock

nin
tin

they; these/those
they; these/those

mikal ehte nin

naka ehte tin

these/those three boys

these/those three rocks

Although third person pronouns are the ones most commonly used as demonstratives, first and second person
pronouns also combine with a preceding noun or quantifier in certain cases:
lhati kut
ispaka kim
ehte kim

you children
we students
we three, the three of us

Because it comes at the end of the noun phrase, the demonstrative carries the case marking for the noun
phrase as a whole, while the preceding noun occurs in the unmarked forme.g., this/that dog is ike nan in
the nominative, ike anai in the irrealis dative, ike inem in the instrumental, and so on, with the form of the
noun being invariant. The following examples show that dog and those dogs in the ergative and allative
case roles, respectively:
(5.11) No
ike in`
a
ehenna ukilhta
3ardat dog that:erg twice
pf.bite
Hes been bitten twice by that dog
(5.12) Ma
ike inane
ikpiha
1serg dog those:all prg.look:for.ipv
Im looking for those dogs
Noun phrases containing demonstratives may be used anaphorically, to refer back to a referent introduced
earlier in the discourse. For instance, ike nan may mean that dog in sense of the dog which we were just
talking about. Noun phrases with demonstratives can also be used presentationally, to identify or call
attention to a particular entity. When used presentationally, the noun phrase normally occurs adjacent to
the verb, with contrastive stress on the demonstrative, and may be preceded by the identificational focus
particle te:
(5.13) Ma
te
itan
tsuhpa
1serg foc that:loc live.ipv
Thats where I live (lit. I live in that)
(5.14) Ma
te
kotu itan
tsuhpa
1serg foc house that:loc live.ipv
Thats the house that I live in (lit. I live in that house)
Finally, noun phrases containing a demonstrative can have deictic force. That is, a demonstrative can be
used when the noun phrase picks out a referent which had not been previously mentioned in the discourse,
but which is identifiable to the speaker and hearer based on the context in which the sentence is uttered.
The following sentence, for example, might be used when pointing to a flock of birds flying overhead, in a
situation where the birds had not been discussed earlier:

80

CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

(5.15) Pila nin

ksonaua
na!
bird those:nom look:at.ipv.npl imp
Look at those birds!
Unlike their English counterparts, demonstratives in Okuna do not distinguish relative distance from the
speaker. For instance, palahta tin can be translated either these trees or those trees, depending on context.
If one wishes to specify relative distance, one of three spatial deictic particles, tsi, ke, or olh, may be added
to the noun phrase containing the demonstrative:
1. The proximal particle tsi (glossed prox in the examples) is used for objects which are perceived to be
close to the speaker, but not the addressee.
2. The medial particle ke (med) is used for objects perceived to be close to the addressee but not the
speaker, and for objects which are in the immediate domain of both speaker and addressee.
3. The distal particle olh (dist) is used for objects which are distant from both speaker and addressee.
The proximal, medial, and distal particles combine with a demonstrative, and can be used whether the
demonstrative appears by itself or is part of a larger noun phrase:
tsi nan
ke nan
olh nan

this one
this/that one
that one (over there)

(near me but not you)

(near us, or near you)
(not near us)

tsi palahta tin

ke palahta tin
olh palahta tin

these trees (over here)

these/those trees
those trees (over there)

(near me but not you)

(near us, or near you)
(not near us)

These particles can also combine with other demonstrative elements capable of being used deictically, such
as tlante this/that many and tlotsaka this/that kind (of), discussed in 6.7.2e.g., tsi halma tlante this
many books (pointing to a stack of books close to the speaker); olh tlotsaka kotu that kind of house
(pointing to a house far from speaker and addressee). In addition, the deictic particles can combine with
the universal quantifiers discussed in 5.6, which are mutually exclusive with the demonstrativese.g., ke
halma emot all these books, olh halma emot all those books; ke pyi nket each of these children, olh pyi
nket each of those children.
As the examples above illustrate, the deictic particle comes before the demonstrative and the preceding
noun, if any. More precisely, the particle precedes the noun and any simple non-case-marked modifiers (such
as luhme old one), and follows oblique case-marked modifiers and relative clauses:
(5.16) tenena olh luhme kotu itan
hill.loc dist old
house that:loc
in that old house on the hill
(5.17) isat
pyimitme
tsuhpaninen
ke
kotu itan
13erg children.inst live.epl.cnzr med house that:loc
in this house where we live with our children
Although the primary function of the deictic particles is to locate an object in space relative to the speaker
and hearer, they can also be used metaphorically to identify points in the discourse. For instance, the distal
particle is occasionally used when referring back to something mentioned earlier in the discourse: e.g., olh
ike nan that dog (like ike nan, with no deictic particle) can refer to a previously-mentioned dog, as well as
to a dog visible in the distance at the moment of speaking. Likewise, the proximal particle can be used when
introducing a new entity or topic of discussion (cf. this or the following in English), and the medial particle
can be used to refer to something just mentioned by the addressee, or to a current topic of discussion:

5.3. FULL PRONOUNS

81

(5.18) Mo
tsi
sliahte tan
laisne olyi
1srdat prox story this:nom just
hear.pv
I just heard this story/the following story or Heres a story I just heard
(5.19) Ke nesap
tan
esoniokti
teusu koluma
med question that:nom sbj.answer.dep:sbj very difficult.ipv
That question (of yours) is very difficult to answer
or Thats a very difficult question to answer (e.g., in response to a question just asked)
This three-way spatial distinction is also found with other elements. For instance, Okuna has three spatial
deictic adverbials which are clearly related to the particles discussed above: proximal etsi here, over here
(near me), medial eka here/there (near you/us), and distal euolh there, over there, yonder (not near us).
These adverbials pattern morphologically as nouns, inflecting for case (somewhat irregularly in the case of
etsi and eka):
nom
dat
loc
all
abl
inst

etsi
etsei
etsin
etseia
etseu
etsim

eka
ekai
ekan
ekaua
ekau
ekam

euolh
euoilh
euolhna
euolha
euolhu
euolhme

Spatial deictic adverbials occur most often in one of the four oblique cases. They have no ergative forms,
and the dative forms are rarely used (see below). The nominative forms are only used in combination with
a relational noun, which carries the dative or oblique case ending (see 6.5): e.g., eka himna in here, euolh
ihfona back/behind there, eka ka euolh kufuna between here and there. Examples of sentences with deictic
adverbials:
(5.20) Ma
ekan
tsuhpanka
1serg here:loc live.ipv:pst
I used to live here
(5.21) Ne
euolhu
etskanyit
3anom over:there.abl arrive.pv.pl
They came from over there
(5.22) Kotu emot
etseia
kumutat
house all:nom here.all face.pv.pl
The houses all face this way
When inflected for ablative case, the deictic adverbials may indicate a location which lies at a specified
distance from some other location relative to the speaker and/or addressee. In this function they are always
accompanied by a measure phrase in the instrumental case, indicating the degree of distance:
(5.23) Sa
l`
o
ehtsan puniakatsme ekau
tsuhpat
13erg day one
journey.inst here.abl live.ipv.pl
We live a days journey from here
In addition to the deictic adverbials, Okuna also has four sets of deictic verbs expressing motion and position,
listed below. Like the adverbials, these verbs are derived from the deictic particles, and express the same
three-way spatial distinction. (Note that ts`
a and k`
a have irregular conjugations, given in 7.4.1 for main
clauses, 10.2 for dependent clauses, and 10.3 for participial clauses.)

82

CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS
ts`
a
k`
a
euolha

be over here; here is... [near me]

be (t)here; (t)here is... [near you/us]
be over there; there is... [away from us]

tsita
keta
euolhta

come over here (to where I am)

come here (to where we are); go there (to where you are)
go over there (away from us), go away

tseuta
kauta
olhuta

go away from here/me

go away from here/us, go away from there/you
go/come away from over there (not near us)

tsimpa
kampa
olhempa

go this way, pass by here [near me]

go this/that way, pass by (t)here [near you/us]
go that way, pass by there [away from us]

The verbs in the first set belong to Class I (cf. 4.4.1). They may be used either to specify the location of some
already-mentioned entity, or to introduce a new entity into the discourse in a presentational construction. In
the former function they take a noun phrase argument in the nominative, while in the latter function they
combine with an unmarked noun phrase:
(5.24) Tiesate
euolha
town.nom be:there.ipv
The town is over there
(5.25) Kietam its`
a
picture prg.be:here.ipv
Here/this is a picture
(5.26) Halma sepyi ik`
a
book
some prg.be:here.ipv
Here are some books or There are some books here
The remaining verbs all belong to Class III (see 4.4.3). The verbs in the second set convey motion terminating at a deictically determined point, and are used much more frequently to express this notion than
a deictic adverbial in the dative. Often the deictic motion verbs are modified by a converb expressing the
manner of motion (see 10.4 and 11.4.3 for discussion):
(5.27) Ne
ketyit
3anom come:here.pv.pl
They came here
(5.28) Ne
tupe
ketyit
3anom walk.cv come:here.pv.pl
They walked here (lit. They came here by walking)
(5.29) Na
halm`
a
laste
ketyiat
3aerg book.nom send.cv come:here.pv.npl.pl
They sent the books here (lit. made the books come here by sending)
(5.30) Ne
kiompe olhempyit
3anom run.cv go:that:way.pv.pl
They ran that way (lit. They went via there by running)

5.3. FULL PRONOUNS

5.3.3

83

Realis versus irrealis dative

When a pronoun is marked for dative case, it may appear in one of two forms, called the realis dative and
irrealis dative. For instance, the first person singular dative pronoun is amai in the irrealis and umai in
the realis, as illustrated below. Throughout this grammar, the realis dative forms are glossed rdat in the
examples, while the irrealis dative forms are glossed simply dat (the latter abbreviation is also used for the
dative case ending on nouns, which fail to make a realis/irrealis distinction).
(5.31) Ku
amai kila
2nom 1sdat see.ipv
I (will) see you
(5.32) Ku
umai
kilyi
2nom 1srdat see.pv
I saw you
Both full and clitic pronouns make a distinction between realis and irrealis dative, as do other elements which
pattern morphologically with pronouns. In this section, I will illustrate the distinction using full pronouns
functioning as demonstratives (cf. 5.3.2).
As discussed in 4.3.2, dative case marks the delimiter of a telic eventthat is, the noun phrase which
identifies the goal of a motion event, or the patient of a change-of-state event when that patient measures
out the progress towards the endpoint of the event. When the delimiter is a pronoun, the realis dative is
used when the event is viewed as complete(d), meaning that the endpoint is fully realized or attained at the
point in time when the sentence is uttered. When the event is not viewed as complete(d), the irrealis dative
is used. If the delimiter denotes a patient, using the realis dative indicates that that patient is viewed as
having been completely affected by the action. If the delimiter denotes a goal or measurement, using the
realis dative indicates that the goal/measurement is viewed as having been reached.
The choice between realis and irrealis dative marking is sensitive to the aspect and polarity of the clause
(see 7.37.5). For instance, a dative pronoun will always appear in the irrealis form when the verb is in
the imperfect or progressive aspect (regardless of tense), or in the conditional mood. The following examples
illustrate this:
(5.33) Nilu atai
toka
na
net that:dat fix.ipv imp
Fix that net!
(5.34) Ma
nilu atai
toka
1serg net that:dat fix.ipv
I (will) fix that net
(5.35) Ma
nilu atai
itoka
1serg net that:dat prg.fix.ipv
I am fixing that net
(5.36) Ma
nilu atai
itokanka
1serg net that:dat prg.fix.ipv:pst
I was fixing that net
(5.37) Ma
nilu atai
tokike
1serg net that:dat fix.cond
I would fix that net
Note also the examples below, where the verb takes one of the modal suffixes (see 7.7.1) and the delimiter
is again in the irrealis dative:

84

CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

(5.38) Iman nilu atai

tokyipa
1sloc net that:dat fix.able.ipv
I can fix that net
(5.39) Iman nilu atai
tokihpanka
1sloc net that:dat fix.intend.ipv:pst
I intended to fix that net
On the other hand, when the verb appears in the perfect (indicative) aspect, or the perfective aspect, the
realis dative form is generally required. In the examples below, realis dative utai is used in place of irrealis
dative atai :
(5.40) Ma
nilu utai
utoka
1serg net that:rdat pf.fix.ipv
I have fixed that net
(5.41) Ma
nilu utai
tokyi
1serg net that:rdat fix.pv
I fixed that net
Although this is the basic pattern, there are certain conditions under which a dative pronoun will take the
irrealis form even when the verb is in the perfect or perfective aspect. For example, the irrealis dative is
required when the verb takes the incompletive suffix -ahp (7.5.5) or the telic inchoative suffix -(e)t (7.5.3),
regardless of the aspect of the verb. This is because incompletive and telic inchoative verbs focus attention
on the beginning point of the event, and a clause containing such a verb does not entail that the delimiter
is completely affected.
(5.42) Ma
nilu atai
tokahpyi
1serg net that:dat fix.icpl.pv
I attempted to fix that net or I set out to fix that net
(5.43) Ma
nilu atai
toktyi
1serg net that:dat fix.tinc.pv
I started fixing that net
In addition, the irrealis form is usually required if the clause is negatedagain, regardless of the aspect of
the verb. The one exception to this is when the negative marker ntse takes narrow scope over a contrastively
focused constituent and the dative pronoun is outside that scopal domain (see 7.3 on scope of negation).
Consider the examples below. The sentence in (5.44), with ordinary sentential negation, entails that the nets
did not get repairedi.e., the endpoint of the event was not reachedand so nilu net combines with the
irrealis dative pronoun even though the verb is in the perfective. The same applies to (5.45), where negation
takes narrow scope over the noun phrase containing the dative pronoun. Compare these with (5.46). In
this example, negation scopes over the ergative noun phrase: the sentence entails that the nets were indeed
repaired, just not by the women. Here it is understood that the endpoint of the event has been reached, and
so a realis dative pronoun is used.
(5.44) Ihama
nilu atat
ntokoumat
woman.erg net those:dat neg.fix.pv:neg.dpl.pl
The women didnt fix those nets
(5.45) Ihama
ntse nilu atat
tokoumat
woman.erg neg net those:dat fix.pv:neg.dpl.pl
It isnt those nets that the women fixed (but something else)

5.3. FULL PRONOUNS

85

(5.46) Nilu utat

ntse ihama
tokounit
net those:rdat neg woman.erg fix.pv:neg.epl.pl
It wasnt (the) women who fixed those nets (but someone else)
Moreover, there are many Class III change-of-state verbs for which realis and irrealis dative can both occur in
perfect and perfective clauses, depending on whether or not the patient is viewed as having been completely
affected by the action. Consider the sentences below, where the verb kiospa burn occurs in the perfective.
When the verb is used in the sense of burn up, the patient that cloth appears in the realis dative, since
the burning event necessarily ends once the cloth has been completely consumed. On the other hand, when
kiospa is used in the sense of make/receive a burn, that cloth appears in the irrealis dative: here the cloth
is merely damaged by the fire, not destroyed by it.
(5.47) Mul utai
kiospyi
cloth that:rdat burn.pv
That cloth burned up
(5.48) Mul atai
kiospyi
cloth that:dat burn.pv
That cloth (got) burned
Similarly, there are two ways to express The girl read that book, depending on the aspectual interpretation
of the clause. The patient that book appears in the realis dative if the girl read the book through from
beginning to end, such that the reading event culminated once the book had been completely consumed.
By contrast, that book appears in the irrealis dative if the girl merely read a portion of the book, with no
intention of finishing it.
(5.49) Moihama halma utai
talyi
girl.erg book that:rdat read.pv
The girl read that book (through)
(5.50) Moihama halma atai
talyi
girl.erg book that:dat read.pv
The girl read (some of) that book
Outside of main clauses, irrealis dative marking occurs in subjunctive dependent and participial clauses
(10.2, 10.3). These include counterfactual conditionals (10.2.3, 10.3.2), embedded yes/no questions
(9.3.2), and restructuring complements (10.2.4). Irrealis dative is required even when the subjunctive verb
is marked for perfect aspect.
(5.51) Itiuha
Sakialma
nilu atai
etok`e
prg.necessary.ipv Sakial.erg net that:dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj.nom
It is necessary for Sakial to fix that net
(5.52) Sakialma
nilu atai
utokai,
kima
ukahuniyipikit
Sakial.nom net that:dat pf.fix.pt:sbj 12erg pf.fish.able.cond.pl
If Sakial had fixed that net, we would have been able to go fishing
(5.53) Ma
untsapa
Sakialma
nilu atai
uta
iotoki
aun
1serg wonder.ipv Sakial.erg net that:dat already sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj if
I wonder if Sakial has fixed that net yet
(5.54) Sakiala
nilu atai
etoki
lehua
Sakial.all net that:dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj should.ipv
Sakial should fix that net

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CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

(5.55) Sakialma
nilu atai
kas
iotoki
toupa
Sakial.erg net that:dat by:now sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj must.ipv
Sakial must have fixed that net by now
Realis dative, by contrast, may occur in indicative dependent and participial clauses. In order for realis
dative to be possible here, the event denoted by the nominalized clause must have already been completed,
with the endpoint having been reached during, or prior to, the time frame established by the main clause.
Examples are given below:
(5.56) Iman iona
Sakialma
nilu utai
utok`
a
1sloc know.ipv Sakial.erg net that:rdat pf.fix.dep.nom
I know that Sakial fixed that net
(5.57) Mo
kilyi
Sakialma
nilu utai
utok`
a
1srdat see.pv Sakial.erg net that:rdat pf.fix.dep.nom
I saw that Sakial (had) fixed that net
(5.58) Mo
kilyi
Sakialma
nilu utai
tok`
a
1srdat see.pv Sakial.erg net that:rdat fix.dep.nom
I saw Sakial fix that net
Note that in (5.58), the speaker must have witnessed the entire fixing event from beginning to end. To
express a situation where the speaker saw some subpart of the fixing event, not necessarily including the
endpoint, the dependent verb takes progressive aspect inflection, with that net in the irrealis dative (Mo
kilyi Sakialma nilu atai itok`
a I saw Sakial fixing that net).

5.4

Clitic pronouns

Nominative, irrealis dative, realis dative, and ergative pronouns each have two distinct forms, a full form
and a clitic form. The clitic forms are so called because they occupy a fixed position in the clause, and
are phonologically lighter than their full counterparts (for instance, monosyllabic clitics lack inherent stress
and generally form a prosodic unit with the following word). The clitic forms are listed in the table below:

1s
13
12
2
3a
3i

nom
me
se
kim
ku
ne
hi

dat
mi
si
kime
kue
ni
ti

rdat
mo
so
kimo
kuo
no
to

erg
ma
sa
kima
ko
na
ta

As this table shows, clitics, unlike full pronouns, do not make a number distinction, but only a person
distinction. The third person animate nominative clitic ne, for example, is used regardless of whether the
referent is singular (he/she) or plural (they). To determine if ne has a singular or plural referent, one
must look at the form of the verb: when ne has a plural referent, the verb carries the appropriate plural
agreement suffix, and when ne has a singular referent, the plural agreement suffix is absent. Likewise for
the second person clitic ku and the third person inanimate clitic hi. See 7.2 for more on plural agreement.2
2 Notice that in the first person there are separate singular, exclusive, and inclusive clitics. Here the presence or absence
of plural agreement on the verb redundantly marks the number of the first person referent. However, I regard the distinction
between these clitics as being fundamentally one of person rather than number: the first person exclusive is basically a combination of first and third person (speaker plus others), while the first person inclusive is a combination of first and second person
(speaker plus addressee, and possibly others).

5.4. CLITIC PRONOUNS

87

The following paradigms illustrate the clitic pronouns. The first paradigm shows the nominative clitics in
combination with the verb toha be big, while the second paradigm shows the ergative clitics in combination
with the verb muelha sleep:
me toha

I am big

ku toha
ne toha
hi toha

you (sg) are big

s/he is big
it is big

ma muelha

I sleep

ko muelha
na muelha
ta muelha

you sleep
s/he sleeps
it sleeps

se tohat
kim tohat
ku tohat
ne tohat
hi tohat

we are big [exclusive]

we are big [inclusive]
you (pl) are big
they are big [animate]
they are big [inanimate]

sa muelhat
kima muelhat
ko muelhat
na muelhat
ta muelhat

we sleep [exclusive]
we sleep [inclusive]
you (pl) sleep
they sleep [animate]
they sleep [inanimate]

The clitic form is typically used when the pronoun functions as the topic of a clause. Clitic pronouns occur
in a fixed position, at the left edge of the clausal nucleus, following any preposed constituents (see 9.2.2
for discussion). In the first example below, the first person singular realis dative clitic mo is sentence-initial.
In the second example, a preposed temporal adverbial, elohka yesterday, precedes the clitic.
(5.59) Mo
Sakialma
kietame
tafyi
1srdat Sakial.erg picture.nom show.pv
Sakial showed me the picture
(5.60) Elohka
mo
Sakialma
kietame
tafyi
yesterday 1srdat Sakial.erg picture.nom show.pv
Yesterday, Sakial showed me the picture
For certain pronoun combinations, a clause may contain two clitics, which merge to form a single phonological
unit called a clitic cluster. Clitic clusters occur in the same position as single clitics, at the left edge of
the clausal nucleus. In the example below, the third person animate ergative clitic combines with the first
person singular realis dative clitic. Notice that the ergative clitic takes a different form when it occurs as
the first element in a cluster: in- instead of na. The full set of clitic clusters is given in 5.4.1.
(5.61) Inmo
kietame
tafyi
3aerg.1srdat picture.nom show.pv
He showed me the picture (lit. he+me picture showed)
Within the clausal nucleus, full noun phrases and other dependents always occur in between the clitic (cluster)
and the verb. Hence, when a verb takes two arguments, one of which is a clitic and the other a non-clitic,
the clitic will always precede the non-clitic, regardless of the semantic roles they play in the clause. Compare
the examples below:
(5.62) Ma
Sakiail
kahtyi
1serg Sakial.dat hit.pv
I hit Sakial
(5.63) Mo
Sakialma
kahtyi
1srdat Sakial.erg hit.pv
Sakial hit me (or I was hit by Sakial)
In these sentences, the order of the clitic and the non-clitic arguments is fixed. To determine who hit whom,
one must look at the case marking. In (5.62), the clitic denotes the agent and takes the ergative form, while

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CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

the non-clitic denotes the patient and appears in the dative. In (5.63) the semantic roles are reversed, and
so the realis dative clitic is used while the non-clitic appears in the ergative.
Since pronouns tend to be highly topical, and since topic pronouns generally take the form of clitics, it is
usual for pronominal arguments to precede full noun phrases. Within a clause, a pronoun can follow a noun
phrase only if the pronoun is a non-topic, typically a contrastively focussed element. In that case, however,
the full form of the pronoun must be used rather than the clitic form (e.g., ergative im`
a instead of ma, and
realis dative umai instead of mo):
(5.64) Sakiail
im`
a
kahtyi
Sakial.dat 1serg hit.pv
Im the one who hit Sakial
(5.65) Sakialma
umai
kahtyi
Sakial.erg 1srdat hit.pv
Sakial hit me (not somebody else)
A clitic pronoun may follow a full noun phrase only if the latter is preposed out of the clausal nucleus
and functions as a contrastive topic (see 9.2.2). But in that case the noun phrase itself will generally be
coindexed by a resumptive clitic, with the two clitics forming a cluster. Compare the following sentences:
In (5.66) the subject Sakial is inside the clausal nucleus (and takes the ergative case ending -ma), and so
it must follow the first person clitic. In (5.67) Sakial (unmarked for case) is a preposed topic, and thus
precedes the first person clitic. But in the latter case, Sakial licenses the resumptive clitic in-, which forms
a cluster with the first person clitic.
(5.66) Mo
Sakialma
kahtyi
1srdat Sakial.erg hit.pv
Sakial hit me (or I was hit by Sakial)
(5.67) Sakial aunme, inmo
kahtyi
Sakial if.inst 3aerg.1srdat hit.pv
As for Sakial, he hit me
Note finally that, besides marking topicalized arguments of clauses, realis dative clitics can occur within a
noun phrase to mark the possessor relation. Examples are given below. A pronominal possessor can take the
form of a realis dative clitic only in cases of body part and kinship possession (see 6.6 for more discussion).
mo temie
so temie
kimo temie
kuo temie
no temie

5.4.1

my hands
our hands
our hands
your hands
his/her/their hands

mo ahte
so ahte
kimo ahte
kuo ahte
no ahte

my father
our father(s)
our father(s)
your father(s)
his/her father, their father(s)

Clitic clusters

Certain combinations of pronominal arguments can take the form of a pair of clitics, which combine together
into a single phonological word called a clitic cluster. Like single clitics, clitic clusters always occur at the left
edge of the clausal nucleus, preceding all elements in the sentence except preposed constituents. Examples
of clitic clusters are given in the sentences below. As these examples show, the first clitic has a distinct form
when it occurs in a cluster. For instance, the third person inanimate nominative clitic is hi in isolation but
i- in clusters: e.g., ima and ikue in the examples below. (In certain cases the second clitic also changes its
form; for instance, the first person inclusive dative clitic kime takes the form -kme when combined with i-.)

5.4. CLITIC PRONOUNS

89

(5.68) Ima
ikpa
3inom.1serg prg.carry.ipv
Im carrying it (lit. it+I am.carrying)
(5.69) Use
elohka
etyia
3irdat.13nom yesterday go.pv.npl
We went there yesterday or We went to it yesterday (lit. to.it+we yesterday went)
(5.70) Ikue
totsat lulna
tlelha
3inom.2sdat table under.loc find.ipv
Youll find it under the table (lit. it+you table under find)
(5.71) Inkimo
halm`
a
uktiyimat
3aerg.12rdat book.nom give.pv.dpl.pl
They gave us the book(s) (lit. they+us book gave)
Only a subset of logically possible pronoun combinations can be expressed as a clitic cluster. Clusters are
subject to the following constraints: (1) at most two clitics may combine to form a cluster; (2) the first clitic
in the cluster must express a third person argument; and (3) the second clitic in the cluster must express a
first or second person argument. Hence, only the person/animacy combinations listed below are permissible
in clitic clusters. In all other cases where a clause contains two or more pronominal arguments, at most one
of those arguments may take the form of a clitic while the remaining pronouns must be in their full forms
(see below for examples and discussion).
3a+1s
3a+13
3a+12
3a+2

3i+1s
3i+13
3i+12
3i+2

The following table gives the full inventory of clitic clusters. These are grouped into columns according to
the person/animacy of the clitics, and into rows according to their respective case roles (e.g., the cluster
nami consists of the third person animate nominative clitic combined with the first person singular dative
clitic, and thus appears in the column marked 3a+1s and the row marked nom-dat).

nom-dat
nom-rdat
nom-erg
dat-nom
dat-erg
rdat-nom
rdat-erg
erg-nom
erg-dat
erg-rdat

3a+1s
nami
namo
nima
anme
anma
unme
unma
inme
inmi
inmo

3a+13
ntsi
ntso
ntsa
antse
antsa
untse
untsa
intse
intsi
intso

3a+12
nkime
nkimo
nkima
ankim
ankima
unkim
unkima
inkim
inkime
inkimo

3a+2
nkue
nkuo
nko
anu
ano
unu
uno
inu
inue
inuo

3i+1s
imi
imo
ima
ame
ama
ume
uma
eme
emi
emo

3i+13
isi
iso
isa
ase
asa
use
usa
ese
esi
eso

3i+12
ikme
ikmo
ikma
akme
akma
ukme
ukma
ekme
ekme
ekmo

3i+2
ikue
ikuo
iko
aku
ako
uku
uko
eku
ekue
ekuo

By way of illustration, the clusters from the nom-dat and dat-nom series are shown in the following
paradigm, in combination with the Class III verb kila see, in the imperfective. Here the nominative clitic
denotes the theme of the event, while the dative clitic denotes the experiencer. Recall that plurality is
marked by affixes on the verb (see 7.2 for discussion): when the first clitic in the cluster denotes a plural
referent, the suffix -t is added to the verb; when the second clitic denotes a dative plural referent, the suffix
-ma is added; and when the second clitic denotes a nominative plural referent, the suffix -ua is added.

90

CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS
nami kila
ntsi kilama
nkime kilama
nkue kila
nkue kilama

I see him/her
we (excl) see him/her
we (incl) see him/her
you (sg) see him/her
you (pl) see him/her

nami kilat
ntsi kilamat
nkime kilamat
nkue kilat
nkue kilamat

I see them
we (excl) see them
we (incl) see them
you (sg) see them
you (pl) see them

imi kila
isi kilama
ikme kilama

I see it
we (excl) see it
we (incl) see it

imi kilat
isi kilamat
ikme kilamat

I see them
we (excl) see them
we (incl) see them

ikue kila
ikue kilama

you (sg) see it

you (pl) see it

ikue kilat
ikue kilamat

you (sg) see them

you (pl) see them

anme kila
antse kilaua
ankim kilaua
anu kila
anu kilaua

s/he
s/he
s/he
s/he
s/he

anme kilat
antse kilauat
ankim kilauat
anu kilat
anu kilauat

they
they
they
they
they

see
see
see
see
see

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

ame kila
ase kilaua
akme kilaua
aku kila
aku kilaua

it
it
it
it
it

ame kilat
ase kilauat
akme kilauat
aku kilat
aku kilauat

they
they
they
they
they

see
see
see
see
see

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

sees
sees
sees
sees
sees

sees
sees
sees
sees
sees

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

As further illustration, the clusters from the erg-rdat and rdat-erg series are given below in combination
with the Class III verb kahta hit (in the perfective aspect). When a erg-rdat cluster is used, the first
clitic represents the actor while the second clitic represents the patient; and when a rdat-erg cluster is
used, the first clitic represents the patient and the second clitic represents the actor. As above, plurality is
marked on the verb: when the first clitic denotes a plural referent, the suffix -t is added; when the second
clitic denotes a plural referent, the suffix -ma is added if the second clitic is dative, while -ne/-ni is added
if the second clitic is ergative.
inmo kahtyi
intso kahtyima
inkimo kahtyima
inuo kahtyi
inuo kahtyima

s/he
s/he
s/he
s/he
s/he

emo kahtyi
eso kahtyima
ekmo kahtyima
ekuo kahtyi
ekuo kahtyima

it
it
it
it
it

inmo kahtyit
intso kahtyimat
inkimo kahtyimat
inuo kahtyit
inuo kahtyimat

they
they
they
they
they

hit
hit
hit
hit
hit

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

emo kahtyit
eso kahtyimat
ekmo kahtyimat
ekuo kahtyit
ekuo kahtyimat

they
they
they
they
they

hit
hit
hit
hit
hit

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

unma kahtyi
untsa kahtyine
unkima kahtyine
uno kahtyi
uno kahtyine

I hit him/her
we (excl) hit him/her
we (incl) hit him/her
you (sg) hit him/her
you (pl) hit him/her

unma kahtyit
untsa kahtyinit
unkima kahtyinit
uno kahtyit
uno kahtyinit

I hit them
we (excl) hit them
we (incl) hit them
you (sg) hit them
you (pl) hit them

uma kahtyi
usa kahtyine
ukma kahtyine

I hit it
we (excl) hit it
we (incl) hit it

uma kahtyit
use kahtyinit
ukma kahtyinit

I hit them
we (excl) hit them
we (incl) hit them

hit
hit
hit
hit
hit

hit
hit
hit
hit
hit

me
us (excl)
us (incl)
you (sg)
you (pl)

5.4. CLITIC PRONOUNS

uko kahtyi
uko kahtyine

you (sg) hit it

you (pl) hit it

91
uko kahtyit
uko kahtyinit

you (sg) hit them

you (pl) hit them

What about pronoun combinations for which there is no clitic cluster? To begin with, certain clusters are
ruled out simply because the relevant pronouns are prohibited from co-occurring as arguments of the same
verb. For example, a verb cannot take two pronominal arguments if they are both first person, or both
second person (I hit me, I hit us, you hit you, etc.). Moreover, a first person inclusive argument may
not co-occur with a second person argument (you hit us [including you]). Instead, these meanings must be
expressed in other ways. To express reflexive relations, for example, a single pronoun is used in combination
with the reflexive nominal element tsan self (see 9.4.3):
ma tsan kahtyi
ko tsan kahtyi
na tsan kahtyi

I hit myself
you hit yourself
s/he hit him/herself

sa tsan kahtyit
ko tsan kahtyit
na tsan kahtyit

we hit ourselves
you hit yourselves
they hit themselves

In other cases where no clitic cluster exists, the relevant pronoun combination may be expressed, but only
by using full pronouns instead of (or in combination with) clitic pronouns. For example, consider the verb
tiyisa pick up, which selects an actor argument and a theme argument. I picked it up may be expressed
using a clitic cluster, because one of the verbs arguments is first person while the other is third person.
This is shown in (5.72) below, where the cluster ima consists of the 3inom clitic i- (hi outside of clusters)
combined with the 1serg clitic ma. However, a clitic cluster may be used to express I picked it up only if
the third person argument it is the topic of the clause. If instead the first person argument is the topic,
then the third person argument must take the form of a full pronoun, as in (5.73).
(5.72) Ima
tiyisyi
3inom.1serg pick:up.pv
I picked it up (or It was picked up by me)
(5.73) Ma
tan
tiyisyi
1serg 3isnom pick:up.pv
I picked it/that up
If we wish to express she picked it up, we cannot use a clitic cluster at all, regardless of which argument
is the topic, since in this case the actor and theme are both third person. In order to convey this meaning,
either the theme (it) or the actor (she) must take the form a full pronoun:
(5.74) Na
tan
tiyisyi
3aerg 3isnom pick:up.pv
She picked it/that up
(5.75) Hi
in`
a
tiyisyi
3inom 3aserg pick:up.pv
She picked it up or It was picked up by her / by that one
The choice between these two ways of saying she picked it up depends on which of the arguments is construed
as the topic of the clause. The clitic pronoun functions as the topic while the full pronoun functions as a
non-topic (or less-topical) argument. In practice, full pronouns tend to be used to refer back to participants
recently introduced by a noun phrase, while clitics tend to be used for participants introduced earlier in the
discourse. Compare the following examples:
(5.76) Moih`
a
lhyuyi;
no
halm`
a
laisne ukile,
na
tan
tiyisyi
girl.nom enter.pv 3ardat book.nom just
pf.see.pt 3aerg 3isnom pick:up.pv
The girl came in; as soon as she saw the book, she picked it up

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CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

(5.77) Halm`
a
utsupanka,
le
temai hi
moihai tlelhyi hi
in`
a
tiyisyi
book.nom pf.lost.ipv:pst but then 3inom girl.dat find.pv 3inom 3aserg pick:up.pv
The book had been lost, but then the girl found it and she picked it up
In these examples two participants are being discussed, the girl and the book. In (5.76), the girl is introduced
in the first clause, and subsequent clauses provide additional information about the girl by describing her
actions. Here the girl is a more topical participant than the book, and so na tan tiyisyi (with the clitic
na referring to the girl) is used to translate she picked it up. In (5.77), on the other hand, the book is
introduced first, and subsequent clauses describe what happened to it. Here the book is the more topical
participant, so in this case hi in`
a tiyisyi (with the clitic hi referring to the book) is the preferred way of
saying she picked it up. Notice that in each example, the full pronoun refers back to the newly introduced
participant, while the clitic pronoun refers to the same participant as the topic of the previous clause.
Another situation in which a full pronoun is required is illustrated below. Recall that at most two clitic
pronouns can combine to form a cluster. Thus, if a verb has three pronominal core arguments, at least
one of those arguments must take the form of a full pronoun. In the following examples, two of the verbs
arguments take the form of clitics, which combine to form a cluster, while the third argument is expressed
using a full pronoun:
(5.78) Iko
umai
uta
uktiyine
3inom.2erg 1srdat already give.pv.epl
You (pl) already gave it to me (lit. It+you to.me already gave)
(5.79) Intso
tan
uta
uktiyimat
3aerg.13rdat 3isnom already give.pv.dpl.pl
They already gave it/that to us (lit. They+us it/that already gave)
(5.80) Me
ihka
sihkunoi ute,
ama
kut
histaua
1snom before river.dat pf.go.pt 3idat.1serg 2pnom lead.ipv.npl
(Since) Ive been to the river before, I will lead you there (lit. ... to.it+I you will.lead)

5.4.2

Clitic versus non-clitic pronouns

In the oblique cases the pronouns have only full forms, whereas in the core cases (nominative, realis and
irrealis dative, ergative) the full forms alternate with clitic forms, as discussed above. All else being equal,
the clitic forms are generally preferred for core arguments. However, in 5.4.1 I noted that full pronouns are
used when a sentence contains two or more pronouns as core arguments but a clitic cluster is disallowed.
Other situations where a full pronoun is required in place of (or in combination with) a clitic pronoun are
summarized below.
As in other languages, clitics and clitic clusters in Okuna cannot receive sentence-level stress. Hence the
full forms must be used when the pronoun is being emphasized. Compare the examples below. In (5.81)
the first person pronoun functions as the topic of the clause, and appears in the clitic form. In (5.82), by
contrast, the pronominal argument is being focused in a contrastive construction. Since focused noun phrases
represent new information, they cannot be topics; hence the full form of the pronoun is required.
(5.81) Me
Sakialma
uila
1snom Sakial.erg love.ipv
Sakial loves me
(5.82) Sakialma
tiefu man
uila,
ntse Elime
Sakial.erg only 1snom love.ipv neg Elim.nom
Sakial only loves me, not Elim

5.4. CLITIC PRONOUNS

93

The full form is also required when the pronoun is dislocated from the main clause and functions as a
switch-reference topicthat is, a topic which is being newly (re)introduced into the discourse. Compare
the sentences below. Note that the switch-reference topic pronoun appears in the nominative case (the
default form for pronouns), and is doubled by a resumptive clitic which agrees with it in person/animacy.
(5.83) Ma
imuelhanka
pyie
amoktit
1serg prg.sleep.ipv:pst child.nom pv.come:home.pt.pl
I was asleep when the children got home
(5.84) Man aunme, ma
imuelhanka
pyie
amoktit
1snom if.inst 1serg prg.sleep.ipv:pst child.nom pv.come:home.pt.npl
As for me, I was asleep when the children got home
Similarly, full pronouns are used in place of clitics in clauses where the verb has been deleted by virtue of
being recoverable from context, as in the contrastive constructions below (notice that the case of the pronoun
matches the case of the noun phrase in the earlier clause that it is being contrasted with). Likewise, the
full form is used when the pronoun appears as an utterance by itselfe.g., in answer to the question Kopoi
miohma tsitspyin? Who broke the pot?, one can answer simply Im`
a I (did).
(5.85) Na
Motlei
kytu
uktiyit, ntse amai
3aerg Motla.dat present give.pv neg 1sdat
They gave presents to Motla, not to me
(5.86) Kopoi
ntse Motlama
tsitspou,
le
tluosna im`
a
pot.dat neg Motla.erg break.pv:neg but instead 1serg
It wasnt Motla who broke the pot, but me
In addition, clitic pronouns cannot be coordinated, so full pronouns are required in coordinated noun phrases,
as in the following examples. In (5.87) and (5.88), Sakial and I functions as the ergative argument of the
clause; while in (5.89), you and me carries instrumental case marking. As these examples show, when a
pronoun is coordinated with a non-pronominal noun phrase, the pronoun occurs second and carries the case
marking for the expression as a whole, while the non-pronominal appears in its unmarked form. When two
pronouns are coordinated, the second one again carries the case marking, while the first one appears in
the nominative (e.g., koi in (5.89)), which is the default form for pronouns. Notice that coordinated noun
phrases trigger plural agreement on the verb.
(5.87) Sakial ka im`
a
so
napehe
tsulyit
Sakial and 1serg 13rdat daughter.nom visit.pv.pl
Sakial and I visited our daughter
(5.88) Ne
Sakial ka im`
a
tsulyine
3anom Sakial and 1serg visit.pv.epl
Sakial and I visited her
(5.89) Sakialna
koi
ka imem etsampuhike
Sakial.loc 2snom and 1sinst speak.want.cond
Sakial would like to speak with you and me
In the examples below, a coordinated noun phrase is dislocated: it functions as a preposed switch-reference
topic in the first sentence and as a postposed argument (added as an afterthought) in the second sentence.
Here, all conjoined pronouns take the nominative form, while full noun phrases again occur in their unmarked
form. Notice how the coordinated noun phrase is doubled by a first person exclusive resumptive clitic in the
first example, and by a first person inclusive resumptive clitic in the second example.

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CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

(5.90) Sakial ka man

aunme, sa
napehe
tsulat
Sakial and 1snom if.inst 13erg daughter.nom visit.ipv.pl
(As for) Sakial and I, we will visit our daughter
(5.91) Nkima
kotsim
elohfoi
etsuli
lehuane,
koi
ka man
3anom.12erg morning tomorrow sbj.visit.dep:sbj should.ipv.epl 2snom and 1snom
We should visit her tomorrow morning, you and I
In complex sentences, the full form of a third person pronoun is sometimes used to emphasize that its referent
is distinct from the topic of the preceding clause. Compare the examples below. Like its English counterpart,
(5.92) is ambiguous: the embedded clitic na could refer to Sakial, or it could refer to some other individual
not mentioned in the sentence (the first reading being the preferred one). By contrast, (5.93), where na has
been replaced by the full form in`
a, strongly favours the reading where Sakial believes that somebody other
than himself will succeed.
(5.92) Sakialna
opa
na
oke
est`
a
Sakial.loc believe.ipv 3aerg going:to succeed.dep.nom
Sakial believes that he will succeed
(5.93) Sakialna
opa
in`
a
oke
est`
a
Sakial.loc believe.ipv 3aserg going:to succeed.dep.nom
Sakial believes that he/she will succeed or ... that that person will succeed
The examples below show a similar contrast, but with the pronouns appearing inside a larger noun phrase
to mark the possessor. In the first sentence, where the possessive pronoun takes the form of a (realis dative)
clitic, it is understood that Sakial believes that his own father will kill the goat; while in the second sentence,
where the possessor is a full pronoun (in the ablative case), it is understood that Sakial believes that the
father of some other individual, not mentioned in the sentence, will kill the goat.
(5.94) Sakialna
opa
no
ahtema
tiakoi
oke
tah`
a
Sakial.loc believe.ipv 3ardat father.erg goat.dat going:to kill.dep.nom
Sakial believes that his (own) father will kill the goat
(5.95) Sakialna
opa
in`
o
ahtema
tiakoi
oke
tah`
a
Sakial.loc believe.ipv 3asabl father.erg goat.dat going:to kill.dep.nom
Sakial believes that his/her father will kill the goat
or Sakial believes that that persons father will kill the goat
Finally, note that clitic pronouns may not occur as arguments of a participant nominal (see 10.6 for discussion). This is because clitics and clitic clusters must appear in the topic position of the clause, and
participant nominal phrases lack such a position. Compare the examples below. The first example is a main
clause in which the first person singular actor is expressed by the ergative clitic ma. The second is a noun
phrase consisting of the participant nominal phrase im`
a aiasal (thing) which I ate; (thing) eaten by me,
which modifies the head noun homa bread. In the latter case the actor must take the form of the non-clitic
pronoun form im`
a, even when it is not interpreted as contrastively focused.
(5.96) Ma
homai
iasyi
1serg bread.dat eat.pv
I ate the bread
(5.97) im`
a
aiasal
homa
1serg pv.eat.dep.dnzr bread
the bread that I ate or the bread eaten by me

5.5. OMISSION OF PRONOUNS

5.5

95

Omission of pronouns

Pronouns in Okuna always have specific referents: there are no pronoun forms corresponding to English
one or impersonal you. To express an indeterminate or generic referent, the pronoun is simply omitted.
Compare the following pairs of sentences:
(5.98) Me
Tenmotlaie
mieme
et`kin?
1snom Tenmotlai.dat where.inst go.cond.qu
How do I get to Tenmotlai?
(5.99) Tenmotlaie
mieme
et`kin?
Tenmotlai.dat where.inst go.cond.qu
How does one get to Tenmotlai?
(5.100) Isena teusu
iona
Sakialna
lianka huetl`
a
13loc very:much know.ipv Sakial.loc snake fear.dep.nom
We know very well that Sakial is afraid of snakes
(5.101) Teusu
iona
Sakialna
lianka huetl`
a
very:much know.ipv Sakial.loc snake fear.dep.nom
One knows very well that Sakial is afraid of snakes or It is well known that...
In complex sentences, it is also possible to omit a third person clitic pronoun if it refers back to the topic of
the immediately preceding clause. For example, the sentences below are both grammatical under a reading
where Sakial said that he himself would fix the roof.
(5.102) Sakialma
etsyi
na
satlai
tok`
a
Sakial.erg say.pv 3aerg roof.dat fix.dep.nom
Sakial said that he would fix the roof
(5.103) Sakialma
etsyi
satlai
tok`
a
Sakial.erg say.pv roof.dat fix.dep.nom
Sakial said that (he) would fix the roof
Sentence (5.103), where ne has been omitted, can also construed to mean Sakial said that someone would
fix the roof or Sakial said that the roof would be fixed, where the identity of the one doing the fixing is
simply left unspecified. The correct interpretation must be inferred from the context. To make the latter
meaning explicit, however, an indefinite actor may be added to the embedded clause:
(5.104) Sakialma
etsyi
satlai
miohma
tok`
a
Sakial.erg say.pv roof.dat someone.erg fix.dep.nom
Sakial said that someone (or other) would fix the roof
Note that although a clitic pronoun may be left out under coreference with the topic of a preceding clause,
the number agreement on the verb may not be omitted. Consider the sentences below. In (5.105), the
embedded verb toka fix carries plural inflection, in agreement with the clitic na, which bears the actor role
and refers back to the plural noun phrase Sakial ka Elimma in the previous clause. In (5.105), the verb
retains its plural inflection even though na has been omitted:
(5.105) Sakial ka Elimma
etsyit
na
satlai
tokat`
a
Sakial and Elim.erg say.pv.pl 3aerg roof.dat fix.dep.pl.nom
Sakial and Elim said that they would fix the roof

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CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

(5.106) Sakial ka Elimma

etsyit
satlai
tokat`
a
Sakial and Elim.erg say.pv.pl roof.dat fix.dep.pl.nom
Sakial and Elim said that (they) would fix the roof
First and second person pronouns (both clitic and non-clitic) can also be left out when the fact that the
speaker or addressee is being referred to can be inferred from context. For example, whereas English speakers
would say I dont know in answer to a question, Okuna speakers will normally just say Miono (lit. not
know), rather than including the first person pronoun: Iman miono. Likewise, when asked Kuo m`
a tsuhkyin?
What happened to you?, an Okuna speaker might answer Sakialma kahtyi (lit. was hit by Sakial), rather
than Mo Sakialma kahtyi (I was hit by Sakial). The first person topic can be omitted here since the context
provided by the question makes it clear that the speaker is talking about him/herself being hit.
One particularly common pattern is for second person clitics to be omitted in questions and commands:
(5.107) Huiloie
muke
eskukeua
window.nom close.cv please.npl
Please close the windows
(5.108) M`
a
is`
ukan?
what prg.do.ipv.qu
What are you doing? (lit. What doing?)
As in other situations where a pronominal topic is dropped, the verb retains its plural agreement. As the
examples below show, a second person plural topic will trigger the plural agreement suffix -t on the verb
even when the pronoun itself is omitted:
(5.109) Huiloie
muke
eskukeuat
window.nom close.cv please.npl.pl
Please close the windows (said to more than one person)
(5.110) M`
a
isukat
ne?
what prg.do.ipv.pl qu
What are you (pl) doing?
Omitting first and second person pronouns is always optional. The following sentences with overt pronouns
are also grammatical:
(5.111) Ko
huiloie
muke
eskukeua
2erg window.nom close.cv please.npl
Please close the windows
(5.112) Ko
m`
a
isukat
ne?
2erg what prg.do.ipv.pl qu
What are you (pl) doing?
Finally, in cases of inalienable possession (e.g., body part possession or kinship relations), the noun phrase
headed by the body part or kin term may include a pronoun denoting the possessor (which typically takes
the form of a realis dative clitic). However, this pronoun is typically omitted when it corefers with the topic
of the clause. Compare the following pairs of sentences:
(5.113) Mikalma mo
ameme
etsampyi
boy.erg 1srdat mother.inst speak.act.pv
The boy spoke to my mother

5.6. UNIVERSAL QUANTIFIERS

97

(5.114) Mikalma ameme

etsampyi
boy.erg mother.inst speak.act.pv
The boy spoke to his (own) mother (lit. The boy spoke to the mother)
(5.115) Mikalma mo
nalhe
lalyi
boy.erg 1srdat arm.nom touch.pv
The boy touched my arm
(5.116) Mikalma nalh lalyi
boy.erg arm touch.pv
The boy touched his (own) arm

5.6

Universal quantifiers

In this section I discuss the universal quantifiers, which resemble (non-clitic) personal pronouns with regard
to how they inflect for case. Universal quantifiers are used to form noun phrases expressing the totality of
some contextually determined set of entities. There are two sets of universal quantifiers: the collective
quantifiers, built from the root -mot, are usually translated all; while the distributive quantifiers, built
from the root -ket, correspond to each or every.
The universal quantifiers do not inflect for case like regular nouns (or other quantifiers), but are instead
morphologically related to the plural pronouns. Also like pronouns, they express the person and animacy
features of the noun phrase. The different person/animacy forms are given below (in the nominative case):
13
12
2
3a
3i

samot
kimot
kumot
nemot
emot

all
all
all
all
all

of
of
of
of
of

us
us
you
them; all of the...
them; all of the...

saket
kiket
kuket
nket
eket

each
each
each
each
each

of
of
of
of
of

us
us
you
them; each of the...
them; each of the...

[exclusive]
[inclusive]
[animate]
[inanimate]

These elements can occur as quantifier phrases by themselves, or they may be preceded by a quantified noun
or noun phrase in the unmarked form. When a third person quantifier takes a quantified noun, the two must
agree in animacy. Examples:
emot
nket
ispaka nket
mo suhpa nket
ispaka samot
palahta eket
sane kotu emot

all, everything; all of them/those

everyone; each person; each of them
each/every student, each of the students
each of my brothers
all of us students
each/every tree, each of the trees
all (of) the red houses

The universal quantifiers are always the final element in the noun phrase. They occupy the same position as
the demonstratives discussed in 5.3.2, and are in fact mutually exclusive with them. Like the demonstratives,
the universal quantifiers can co-occur with the deictic particles mentioned in 5.3.2. These particles precede
the quantified noun, if any: e.g., tsi emot all of these (things), ke halma eket each of these books, olh
palahta emot all of those trees (over there).
As the rightmost element in the noun phrase, it is the universal quantifier which carries the case marking
for that phrase (cf. 4.2). The following tables give the case declensions for the collective and distributive
quantifiers. Notice that, like pronouns, the universal quantifiers distinguish two forms of the dative, realis
and irrealis (see 5.3.3).

98

CHAPTER 5. PRONOUNS

nom
dat
rdat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst

13
samot
asmot
usmot
ismot
ismuna
ismone
ismou
ismume

12
kimot
akimot
ukimot
ikimot
ikimuna
ikimone
ikimou
ikimume

2
kumot
akumot
ukumot
ikumot
ikumuna
ikumone
ikumou
ikumume

nom
dat
rdat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst

13
saket
asket
usket
isket
iskina
iskene
iskeu
iskyime

12
kiket
akiket
ukiket
ikiket
ikikina
ikikene
ikikeu
ikikyime

2
kuket
akuket
ukuket
ikuket
ikukina
ikukene
ikukeu
ikukyime

3a
nemot
anmot
unmot
inmot
inmuna
inmone
inmou
inmume
3a
nket
anket
unket
inket
inkina
inkene
inkeu
inkyime

3i
emot
amot
umot
imot
imuna
imone
imou
imume
3i
eket
aket
uket
iket
ikina
ikene
ikeu
ikyime

Phrases headed by the universal quantifiers are grammatically plural. As the following examples show, they
trigger plural agreement on the verb when functioning as core arguments (nominative, dative, or ergative):
(5.117) Nemot
etskanyit
3a:all:nom arrive.pv.pl
They all arrived or All of them arrived
(5.118) Na
olh
halma uket
utalama
3aerg dist book 3i:each:rdat pf.read.ipv.dpl
She has read each of those books
The collective quantifiers (with -mot) tend to be used when the noun phrase refers to a group of individuals
taken together as a unit; otherwise, the distributive quantifiers (with -ket) are used. For example, Iha
nemot etskanyit All the women arrived strongly implies that the women arrived together, at the same
time, whereas Iha nket etskanyit Each woman arrived tends to imply that the women arrived separately.
Consider also the following examples: (5.119) entails that Sakial saw the houses all at once, that they all
came into view at more or less the same time; whereas (5.120) could be used if Sakial saw the houses one
by one, each in a different place and at a different time.
(5.119) Sakiail
kotu emot
kilyia
Sakial.dat house 3i:all:nom see.pv.npl
Sakial saw all the houses
(5.120) Sakiail
kotu eket
kilyia
Sakial.dat house 3i:each:nom see.pv.npl
Sakial saw each house or Sakial saw each of the houses
The difference between the distributive and collective forms is brought out when the universal quantifier
scopes over another quantified noun phrase. Compare:
(5.121) Olh kotu ikina
koin
ihtahma tsuhpane
dist house 3i:each:loc person six.erg live.ipv.epl
Each of those houses has six people living in it (i.e., there are six people in each house)

5.6. UNIVERSAL QUANTIFIERS

99

(5.122) Olh kotu imuna

koin
ihtahma tsuhpane
dist house 3i:each:loc person six.erg live.ipv.epl
In all those houses there are six people living (i.e., there are a total of six people)
The distributive quantifiers are sometimes accompanied by the particle la in turn, apiece, separately, individually. This particle precedes the verb, or a numeral within the scope of the quantifier, and further
emphasizes the distributivity of the event. Likewise, the collective quantifiers may co-occur with the particle
kele together, a total of.
(5.123) Pyi nket
la
etskanyit
child 3a:each:nom in:turn arrive.pv.pl
The children each arrived in turn
(5.124) Pyi nemot
kele
etskanyit
child 3a:all:nom together arrive.pv.pl
The children all arrived together
(5.125) Pyi inket
halma la
kiain
utalamat
child 3a:each:erg book apiece five.dat pf.read.dpl.pl
The children each read five books or The children read five books each/apiece
(5.126) Pyi inmot
halma kele
kiain
utalamat
child 3a:all:erg book all:together five.dat pf.read.dpl.pl
The children read five books all together or The children (together) read a total of five books
Note that Okuna does not have a dual quantifier equivalent to English both. Instead, a universal quantifier is
used in combination with hen two (e.g., hen kimot both of us, the two of us together). Alternatively, both
may be expressed with the emphatic word tsanie (lit. couple, pair), but only for objects which naturally go
together as a pair, such as body parts (e.g., kus tsanie both feet, both of ones feet). Additional examples:
(5.127) Iha
hen nemot
afyit
woman two 3a:all:nom take:part.pv.pl
Both (of the) women took part (lit. All two women...)
(5.128) Na
kop`
o
etiyiseia
tem tsanie nyipoksanka
3aerg pot.nom sbj.lift.dep:sbj.all hand pair
use.must.ipv:pst
He had to use both hands to lift the pot
more lit. For him to lift the pot, a pair of hands needed to be used
Besides the forms listed above, the element -mot occurs in the modifier tsakamot all kinds (of) (e.g.,
tsakamot iase all kinds of food). The -ket and -mot elements also form the basis for the adverbials listed
below: those formed with e- quantify over separate events or situations, while those formed with ka- quantify
over iterations of a single event.
ekina
emuna

each time, in every case, on every occasion

always, in all cases, on all occasions

kakyime
kamume

each time, at each repetition

invariably, consistently, with every repetition

Adverbials formed with e- can combine with a noun denoting the period of time being quantified over: e.g.,
kotsim ekina every morning, kotsim emuna always in the morning.

Chapter 6

The Noun Phrase

6.1

Introduction

In chapter 4 I discussed the structure and distribution of noun phrases with regard to case marking and
argument structure, while in chapter 5 I considered a particular subclass of noun phrases, namely pronouns.
In this chapter, turn to other aspects of the structure of noun phrases.
I begin in 6.2 and 6.3 by considering how number and definiteness are expressed in Okuna, since
these features are associated with noun phrases in many languages. Then in 6.4 I discuss the formation of
noun compounds. 6.5 deals with a special class of compounds, headed by so-called relational nouns,
which correspond in certain respects to prepositions and postpositions in other languages. In 6.6 I show how
possession is marked in noun phrases. 6.7 deals with a particular class of quantificational and demonstrative
elements called correlatives. Quantification is discussed further in 6.8. Finally, in 6.9 I give an overview
of word order within noun phrases.

6.2

Expressing number features

As noted elsewhere, nouns in Okuna do not inflect for singular or plural: pyi means either child or children,
and kotu means either house or houses, depending on the situation in which it is used. Nevertheless, there
are various grammatical means whereby the number features of a noun are expressed indirectly. I review
some of these below.
In some cases the noun will co-occur with some other element in the noun phrase which specifies its
number, such as a quantifier: e.g., es kotu a house, one house, kotu ehte three houses, kotu emot all the
houses. Also, as discussed in 5.3.2, a noun may be followed by a third person pronoun which agrees with
it in gender (animate vs. inanimate) and functions much like a demonstrative determiner. Since (non-clitic)
pronouns have distinct singular and plural forms, the choice of pronoun will specify whether the noun phrase
as a whole is singular or plural, even though the noun itself is not marked for number. Number marking also
appears on a handful of other modifiers, discussed in 6.8.5, when they occur at the right edge of the noun
phrase; these include the words for other or else (singular iap, plural iahte) and specific or particular
(singular koipe, plural koihte):
ike nan
ike nin

that dog
those dogs

kotu itan
kotu itena

in that house
in those houses

kotu iap
es kotu iap
es kotu koipe

the other house

another house
a particular house

kotu iahte
kotu mian iahte
kotu koihte

(the) other houses

some other houses
particular houses

100

6.2. EXPRESSING NUMBER FEATURES

101

When the noun phrase does not contain one of these number-specifying elements, and appears in one of the
oblique cases (locative, allative, ablative, instrumental) or is unmarked for case, its number must usually be
inferred from context. Consider the nouns halma and kamala in the following examples:
(6.1) Ma
halma itala
1serg book prg.read.ipv
I am reading a book or I am reading books
(6.2) Ma
kamala
ikpiha
1serg knife.all prg.look:for.ipv
I am looking for a knife or I am looking for (some) knives
If it is necessary to disambiguate number in these contexts, a quantifier such as es one, miante a number
of, ante many, or sepyi some, a few may be added to an oblique noun phrase, as shown below (this
cannot be done with unmarked noun phrases, which express non-referential or unquantified arguments):
(6.3) Ma
es kamala
ikpiha
1serg one knife.all prg.look:for.ipv
I am looking for a knife
(6.4) Ma
kamal sepyia
ikpiha
1serg knife some.all prg.look:for.ipv
I am looking for some knives
When a noun phrase functions as a core argument of a verb (nominative, dative, or ergative), whether it is
singular or plural can usually be determined by looking at the form of the verb. If the argument is singular
the verb is unmarked, and if it is plural the verb carries the appropriate plural agreement suffix. This is
illustrated below, where the nominative plural suffix -a in (6.6) indicates that kot`
o has a plural referent,
while the absence of an agreement suffix indicates that kot`
o is singular. Plural agreement is discussed in
detail in 7.2.
(6.5) Mo
kot`
o
kilyi
1srdat house.nom see.pv
I saw a/the house
(6.6) Mo
kot`
o
kilyia
1srdat house.nom see.pv.npl
I saw (the) houses
Although plurality is not marked on nouns in Okuna, there is morphology for forming collective nouns,
used to refer to a collection of similar individuals taken together. Most collective nouns are formed by
adding the suffix -mit, discussed in 11.2.2 (e.g., iha woman > ihamit group of women). There are
also two underived collective nouns: ten`
u group of people and lhati group of children (notice these are
morphologically unrelated to the corresponding non-collective nouns, koin person, human being and pyi
child, which can be interpreted as either singular or plural). Note that, although collective nouns are not
genuine plurals, collective nouns referring to people, such as ten`
u and lhati, take the plural form of the
demonstrative: e.g., koin nan that person versus ten`
u nin those people, that group of people. Humandenoting collective nouns also trigger plural agreement on verbs. Compare:
(6.7) Pyie
etskanyi
child.nom arrive.pv
The child arrived

102

CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.8) Pyie
etskanyit
child.nom arrive.pv.pl
The children arrived
(6.9) Lhat`e
etskanyit
children.nom arrive.pv.pl
The children arrived (together) or The group of children arrived
A limited number of nouns (mostly denoting body parts) also have dual collective forms, used to indicate
a pair of objects taken together. These dual forms, listed below, are characterized by the endings -(i)al and
-ie. The latter ending also occurs on the nouns mosie shoulders, upper back and kamie parents, mother
and father, which lack a corresponding non-dual form.
ahkame
hunka
inna
kala
kus
monen
nalh
nol
sial
tem
tsan

sibling
lung
eye
leg
foot
wing; fin
arm
ear
breast
hand
body, object

ahkamie
hunkie
inie
kalial
kustial
monie
nalhal
nolal
sialie
temie
tsanie

pair of twins
pair of lungs
pair of eyes
pair of legs
pair of feet
pair of wings/fins
pair of arms
pair of ears
pair of breasts
pair of hands
pair, couple, twosome

Dual collective nouns trigger singular agreement when referring to a single pair of objects, and plural agreement when referring to more than one pair: e.g., tlok tsanie tan that pair of shoes versus tlok tsanie tin
those pairs of shoes. (The exceptions to this rule are the animate nouns ahkamie and kamie, which trigger
plural agreement whether they refer to one set of twins/parents, or more than one.) Compare the examples
below, showing that no inie triggers singular agreement on the verb when it refers to the eyes of a single
individual (his/her eyes), and plural agreement when it refers to the eyes of two or more individuals (their
eyes).
(6.10) Ma
no
ini`e
ksonyi
1serg 3ardat eyes.nom look:at.pv
I looked into his/her eyes
(6.11) Ma
no
ini`e
ksonyia
1serg 3ardat eyes.nom look:at.pv.npl
I looked into their eyes
The dual collective form tsanie is generally used in combination with a preceding noun. Normally it corresponds to English pair or couple, as in tlok tsanie a pair of shoes. However, when it is used with a
non-dual noun which has a dual collective counterpart (i.e., one of the nouns from the first column in the
table above), it has the sense of English both: e.g., tem tsanie both hands, kus tsanie both feet.
A final note on number: In English, generic expressions typically take the form of a bare plural. In
Okuna, by contrast, generics are grammatically singular. This is shown in the example below by the fact
that the generic noun phrase ike dog fails to trigger agreement on the verb (the singular form iasa is used
instead of the plural form iasat).
(6.12) Ikema
maka iasa
dog.erg meat eat.ipv
Dogs eat meat

6.3. EXPRESSING DEFINITENESS AND SPECIFICITY

6.3

103

Expressing definiteness and specificity

There are no definite or indefinite articles in Okuna, or any other obligatory means for marking the definiteness or specificity of a noun phrase: tohmi kotu may mean a big house or the big house (or big houses,
or the big houses), depending on context. Nevertheless, as with singular versus plural, the definiteness of
the noun phrase is often indicated in other ways. For example, certain elements may occur within the noun
phrase which force a definite or indefinite interpretatione.g., a noun phrase ending in a demonstrative (cf.
5.3.2) or a universal quantifier (5.6) will always be definite, while a noun phrase containing the numeral
es one is necessarily indefinite. Compare:
kotu
es kotu
kotu tan
kotu eket

a house, houses, the house(s)

a house, one house
this/that house
every house

[definite or indefinite]
[indefinite only]
[definite only]
[definite only]

In addition, the definiteness/specificity of a noun phrase is often reflected through word order and case
marking. Noun phrases interpreted as indefinite tend to be adjacent to the verb, while those interpreted
as definite can scramble away from the verb. Moreover, as discussed in 4.6, a noun phrase denoting the
patient or theme of an event is normally marked for case only if it is referential; otherwise it appears in the
unmarked form.
For instance, compare the examples below with regard to the interpretation of the noun iase food.
In (6.13) iase is marked for nominative case and is not adjacent to the verb. Here it is likely to refer to
some previously-mentioned quantity of food, identifiable by the addressee. In (6.14) iase is again casemarked, but occurs in immediate preverbal position. The most likely interpretation here is that it refers to
a specific quantity of food which has not been mentioned previously, but likely to be salient in the following
discourse. Finally, in (6.15) iase appears without any case marking. Here, either the speaker does not have
any particular food in mind, or the identity of the food is not important in the given context.
(6.13) Na
ias`e
ikei
uktiyi
3aerg food.nom dog.dat give.pv
She gave the food to a/the dog
(6.14) Na
ikei
ias`e
uktiyi
3aerg dog.dat food.nom give.pv
She gave the dog some food
(6.15) Na
ikei
iase uktiyi
3aerg dog.dat food give.pv
She gave the dog food or She fed the dog
Finally, note that even if an argument refers to a specific, known or identifiable entity, it will sometimes be
coded as non-specifici.e., it will fail to trigger agreement or take case marking when functioning as a core
argument. For example, when an agent acts on a part of his/her own body, the body part term will normally
appear as an unmarked noun phrase, even though a particular body part is being referred to (see 4.6 for
discussion):
(6.16) Sakialma
inie mukyi
Sakial.erg eyes close.pv
Sakial closed his eyes (lit. Sakial closed eyes)
In addition, a participant which is incidental to the discourse will often be encoded by an unmarked noun
phrase even if that participant is readily identifiable. In the example below, aho sun is semantically
definite/specific (the sun is a unique entity, known to both the speaker and the addressee) but nevertheless

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

grammatically non-specific (it functions as a core argument but does not take case marking). This is because
the entity named by the noun plays only a peripheral role in the event being described: the setting of the
sun provides a reference time for the action, but the sun, as an entity, is not otherwise important to the
narrative.
(6.17) Uta
aho ikahpanka
se
paloi
anioktit
already sun prg.go:down.ipv:pst 13nom village.dat pv.return.pt.pl
The sun was already setting by the time we returned to the village

6.4

Compounding and modification

Okuna has productive noun compounding. Subject to semantic appropriateness, any two or more nouns may
be concatenated to form a single complex noun. As in English, compounds in Okuna are head-final: the
modifying noun precedes the noun it modifies. Examples: ilme lai moonlight (< ilme moon + lai light);
tilas huiloi glass window, huiloi tilas window glass, windowpane (< tilas glass + huiloi window). Notice
that the elements of the compound are written as separate words, indicating that they behave independently
of one another with regard to stress assignment (3.4). Compounds can contain more than two nouns as
well:
(6.18) tuhsa mohkauat uhin
winter hearth:fire song
winter hearth song
When a noun compound is inflected for case, the case ending appears on the head, while the modifying noun
occurs in the unmarked form:
(6.19) ilme laina
moon light.loc
in the moonlight
Compounding is one of the principal means of modifying a noun in Okuna, which lacks a morpho-syntactically
distinct class of adjectives. States and properties are instead expressed using verbs (e.g., pata be tall, eka
be empty). Such verbs may be converted into nouns, which can then enter into compounds as modifiers of
other nouns. For example, the verb pata be tall can be converted into the noun pate, meaning tall one or
thing which is tall. This nominal can then be placed in front of another noun to modify it: e.g., pate kotu
tall house. For more discussion on the formation of nouns from verbs, and the use of deverbal nouns to
modify other nouns, see 10.6 on participant nominalization.
A handful of elements routinely occur as the modifier in a noun compound. These include colour terms
such as sane red, red thing (sane esip red flower); as well as modifiers formed with tsaka kind, type,
sorte.g., mitsaka what kind of, some kind of, tlotsaka that kind of, such a, antsaka many kinds of,
various, and tsakamot all kinds of:
mitsaka tlama
tlotsaka tlama
antsaka tlama
tsakamot tlama

what kind of animal?, some kind of animal

that kind of animal, such an animal, an animal like that
various animals, many kinds of animals
all kinds of animals, animals of every sort

Compounds involving relational nouns are discussed in the following section.

6.5

Relational nouns

In English, spatial and temporal relationships between objects or events are generally encoded by prepositions. In Okuna, these same relationships are expressed by case endings, by motion verbs (11.4.3), or by

6.5. RELATIONAL NOUNS

105

one or both of these in combination with a class of elements called relational nouns. Relational nouns
indicate a location, direction, or position, and combine with a preceding noun or noun phrase (the complement) to form a kind of compound. Relational nouns normally inflect for dative case or one of the oblique
cases. For example, equivalents of English in(to) the room, out of the room, and through the room may
all be conveyed by the expression halu him, literally room interior, with the relational noun him interior
carrying the appropriate case ending:
halu
halu
halu
halu

heim
himna
himu
himme

(room
(room
(room
(room

interior.dat)
interior.loc)
interior.abl)
interior.inst)

into the room

in the room
out of the room, from inside the room
through the room

Concerning the last form: as discussed in 4.5.4, instrumental case is used to mark noun phrases denoting
an object or location which lies along a path. Hence halu himme might be translated more literally as via
the inside of the room or by way of the rooms interior.
Compare also the following four sentences, featuring the relational expression im`e kotu lul under my
house in various case forms. Here the relational noun is lul underside, space beneath, which takes im`e kotu
my house as its complement.
(6.20) Ikema
im`e
kotu lulna
imuelha
dog.erg 1sall house under.loc prg.sleep.ipv
The dog is sleeping under my house (lit. at my house underside)
(6.21) Ik`e
im`e
kotu loil
etyi
dog.nom 1sall house under.dat go.pv
The dog went under my house [and stayed there] (lit. to my house underside)
(6.22) Ik`e
im`e
kotu lulme
klohyi
dog.nom 1sall house under.inst go:through.pv
The dog went under my house [and came out the other side] (lit. through my house underside)
(6.23) Ik`e
im`e
kotu lulu
sehtyi
dog.nom 1sall house under.abl emerge.pv
The dog came out from under my house (lit. from my house underside)
In the examples above, the complement (e.g., halu, im`e kotu) appears in the unmarked form. This is the
usual pattern, although it is also possible for the complement to be marked for ablative case. Ablative case
marking is required when the complement does not have an unmarked case formi.e., when it is a pronoun,
a noun phrase ending in a pronoun used as a demonstrative (see 5.3.2), or a noun phrase ending in a
universal quantifier (5.6).
halou himna
halu imou himna
halu it`
o himna
it`
o himna

(room.abl interior.loc)
(room all.abl interior.loc)
(room that:abl interior.loc)
(it:abl interior.loc)

Some common relational nouns are listed below:

ampio
elhko
epam
heku
hilul
him
himpi`
a
ihfo

area around/surrounding, perimeter

purpose, benefit
horizontal surface, top [non-permeable]
cause, account
bottom [of an enclosed space], floor, bed
inside, interior; indoors
top [of an enclosed space], ceiling, roof
other side, area behind/obscured by

inside
inside
inside
inside

(of) the room

all the rooms
that room
it/that, in there

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

iontsu
is
kam
kasu
kufu
kuma
kumuten
kus
kutsmu
lama
lul
minap
nyhui
ohpe
pahai
palul
piau
talhko
tiumen
us
uslaut
ute
yhma
ynal
ypi`
a

centre, middle, midst

time/place after, time/place following
time/place before, time/place preceding
side, vertical or sloping surface; area beside
area between/among, midst
front, area in front
opposite side, area facing, area across (from)
foot, base, bottom
back, area behind
area far away, (at a) distance
area below/under
deep interior, centre, midst [of an enclosed space]
horizontal surface [permeable, as of a body of water]
cause, reason
area beyond
underside, bottom [exterior]
top, summit, pinnacle, zenith, highest point
cause, reason
bottom, depths, nadir, lowest point
place, seat, stead
edge, boundary, horizon, starting or ending point
area nearby/close, vicinity, immediate environs
outside, exterior; outdoors
area in front of, this side of
area above/over

Some relational nouns also denote parts of the body: e.g., kuma face, kus foot, kutsmu back, spine,
minap bone marrow. Whether these nouns are being used literally, as body part terms, or figuratively, as
relational nouns, can usually be determined by the form of the complement. When a body part noun takes a
pronominal possessor, the latter normally takes the form of a realis dative clitic; by contrast, the pronominal
complement of a relational noun must be in the ablative case (cf. mo kumana on my face versus im`
o
kumana in front of me). When a body part noun takes a non-pronominal possessor, the possessor appears
in the locative case, whereas non-pronominal complements of relational nouns are normally unmarked for
case (Sakialna kutsmuna on Sakials back/spine versus Sakial kutsmuna behind Sakial).
Additional examples of noun phrases containing relational nouns are given below (note also the expression
nyhui lulna under water, under the surface, where the relational noun lul area underneath takes another
relational noun nyhui surface [of a body of water] as its complement):
ikimu kumana
im`
o kasuna
kotu kutsmou
kotu yhmau
loka minapa
mo huan himpiahna
moin tiumenna
mok lamana
olh tonaka it`
o utena
palu iontsuna
tokunu nyhuina
tokunu nyhueia

in front of us
next to me, at my side
from behind the house
from outside the house
towards the heart of the forest
on the roof of my mouth
in the depths of the ocean
far from home
near that boulder
in the middle of the village
on the surface of the lake
towards the surface of the lake

Relational nouns are further illustrated in the following sentences:

6.5. RELATIONAL NOUNS

107

(6.24) Halma tin

totsat epamna itimat
book
those:nom table top.loc prg.lie.ipv.pl
Those books are lying on (top of) the table
(6.25) Mo
kilyi
es hanima palahta kusna
imuelh`
a
1srdat see.pv one fox.erg tree
foot.loc prg.sleep.dep.nom
I saw a fox sleeping at the foot of the tree
(6.26) Palu
ampiona
siyhu ante he
village around.loc field many be:ipv
There are many fields surrounding the village
(6.27) Isane pal`
o
tene ka sihkunu kufuna
tima
13all village.nom hill and river
between.loc lie.ipv
Our village lies between the hills and the river
(6.28) Ne
loka
pahaie
puite
etyit
3anom forest beyond.dat ride.cv go.pv.pl
They rode beyond the forest
(6.29) Pil`
a
palahta ypiahme
uaste tlisyi
bird.nom tree
above.inst fly.cv traverse.pv
The bird flew over the tree (lit. via the area above the tree)
Note that in addition to expressing a relation of spatial inclusion, him interior can take a complement
denoting a period of time to express a relation of temporal inclusion (while, during): e.g., tuhsa himna
during the winter. When denoting a temporal relation, him can also take as its complement a dependent
clause denoting an event (see 10.2 on dependent verbs):
(6.30) Sakialma
imuelha
himna
Sakial.erg prg.sleep.dep inside.loc
while Sakial is/was sleeping
Although most relational nouns express spatial or temporal relations, a few express more abstract relations.
The noun elhko purpose, benefit can take allative case marking to express for the benefit/purpose of.
Both ohpe and talhko, meaning cause or reason, take ablative case inflection to express because of, on
account of. Heku takes locative case to express given or on account of. Finally, us place, seat, stead
inflects for locative case to express instead of.
(6.31) Na
tiefu im`
o
elhkoua
sukyi
3aerg only 1sabl benefit.all do.pv
He did (it) just for me (lit. only for my benefit)
(6.32) Me
mokna
muohfe
s`
u
hekuna
tehyi
1snom home.loc heavy.tnzr rain account.loc stay.pv
I stayed home on account of the heavy rain
(6.33) Ikimme Sakiale
iafa
Elim usna
12inst Sakial.nom prg.come:along.ipv Elim stead.loc
Sakial will be coming with us instead of Elim
Note also pahai area beyond, which, when inflected for locative case, can either express a spatial relation
(e.g., tomla pahaina beyond the mountains) or be used in a more abstract sense, equivalent to besides,
apart from, other than, except for:

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.34) Sakial pahaina

ntsemi`
o
afou
Sakial beyond.loc nobody:nom come:along.pv:neg
Nobody except Sakial came along
(6.35) Sakial pahaina
las
hen
afyia
Sakial beyond.loc only two:nom come:along.pv.npl
Besides Sakial, only two (people) came along
Elhkoua, ohpeu, talhkou, hekuna, usna, and pahaina can also take dependent clause complements (10.2).
Elhkoua and usna take subjunctive dependent clauses as their complements, while ohpeu, talhkou, and hekuna
normally take indicative complements. Pahaina can take either an indicative or a subjunctive complement.
Note that in combination with a dependent clause complement, hekuna expresses a presupposed event: this
event can provide a temporal reference point for some other event, in which case hekuna is equivalent to
when; or it can provide the cause or rationale for another event, in which case hekuna corresponds to since,
given that, inasmuch as, on account of the fact that.
(6.36) imi
etlelhi
elhkoua
3inom.1sdat sbj.find.dep:sbj purpose.all
in order for me to find it
(6.37) me
hial`
o suke
tsuo amouta
talhkou
1snom today work.cv too rel.sick.dep cause.abl
because Im too sick to work today
(6.38) s`
u
ikahpa
hekuna
rain prg.fall.dep account.loc
on account of the fact that its raining or when its raining
(6.39) satlai
etoki
usna
roof.dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj stead.loc
instead of fixing the roof
(6.40) Sakialma
satlai
etoki
usna,
na
lakiyi
Sakial.erg roof.dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj stead.loc 3aerg hunt.pv
Instead of fixing the roof, Sakial went hunting
more lit. Instead of Sakial fixing the roof, he went hunting
(6.41) Sakialma
satlai
toka
pahaina,
na
lakiyi
Sakial.erg roof.dat fix.dep beyond.loc 3aerg hunt.pv
Besides fixing the roof, Sakial went hunting
Also included among the relational nouns are the terms for the cardinal directions, and sets of terms denoting
directions relative to some deictic reference point (viz., the speaker, or some prominent topographical feature
near the speaker):1
heut
iseut
kotsimot
ahopiaut
kosetot
sukuot

north
northeast
east / southeast
south
west / southwest
northwest

(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.
(lit.

snow direction)
morning direction)
sun zenith direction)
evening direction)
wind direction)

eklion
etlen

left
right

1 Notice that the Okuna recognize six cardinal directions, rather than the four familiar from our compass. The English
equivalents given for iseut, kotsimot, kosetot, and sukuot are only approximate.

6.5. RELATIONAL NOUNS

sihafaut
sihkasout
sihitaut
usihot
ilalot
uelalot

109

upstream
downstream
towards the river
away from the river
towards the shore
away from shore

Examples:
(6.42) Sa
tiesatu
heuta
puniakyit
13erg town.abl north.all travel.pv.pl
We travelled north from the village
(6.43) Na
tene kosetotna ekau
sihkasoutna
tsuhpat
3aerg hill west.loc here.abl upstream.loc live.ipv.pl
They live to the west of the hills (and) upstream from here
To indicate spatio-temporal proximity or immediacy (corresponding to English right, just, directly, immediately), the diminutive prefix ki- (or kih- before a vowel) may be added to the relational noun:
iseu kihypiahna
kotu kikasuna
hitol kiheklionna
tuhsa kikamna
na uslata kihisna

right above us
right next to the house
just to the left of the door
immediately before winter
just after they finish(ed)

Likewise, to indicate spatio-temporal distance, the relational noun may carry the augmentative prefix to(toh- before a vowel):
iseu tohypiahna
ekau tolamana
tuhsa tokamna
ne nkilha tohisna

far above us
very far away from here
long before winter
long after she left

Note finally that relational nouns sometimes occur alone, without a noun phrase complement. For instance,
himna and yhmana may be used by themselves to mean inside, indoors and outside, outdoors, respectively.
Without a complement, kufuna between/among has the sense of all over the place or here and there:
(6.44) Kufuna
toilhe
koin
ante ikanka
among.loc stand:res.tnzr person many prg.be:here.ipv:pst
There were a lot of people here standing all around
The following fixed expressions feature repetition of a relational noun, with the second copy marked for case:
heku hekuna
kasu kasume
kufu kufuna
kuma kumana

from time to time, now and then

side by side, abreast, in tandem
all around, here and there
face to face, facing one another

Notes on certain relational noun contrasts

There are two pairs of relational nouns in Okuna which correspond to English top and bottom. The nouns
epam top and palul bottom, underside are used to refer to the exterior surfaces of an object, while himpi`
a
top, ceiling and hilul bottom, floor refer to the inside surfaces of an object or areas of an enclosed space
(such as a room or cave). Note the following contrast:

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

akot lulna
akot palulna
akot hilulna

under the box

on the bottom/underside of the box
in/at the bottom of the box

Note also that there are three pairs of relational nouns which correspond to English before and after, or
in front (of) and behind, each with a slightly different sense. First, the terms kuma and kutsmu are used
when the complement is an object with an inherent front and back, such as a person or a house: kumana
indicates a position facing towards the front of the object, and kutsmuna indicates a position at the back
of the object: e.g., talo kumana in front of the chief, before the chief, in the chiefs presence, versus talo
kutsmuna behind the chief, in back of the chief.
The terms kam and is may also be used of an object that has an identifiable front and back: kamna
indicates a position in front of and facing away from the object, while isna indicates a position behind
(and usually facing in the same direction as) the object, as when two or more objects are arranged in a
line, all facing the same direction: e.g., iha kamna in front of [and facing away from] the woman, iha isna
behind/after the woman. More often, kamna and isna are used of objects, time periods, or events occurring
in a sequence to indicate relative positions in that sequence: e.g., halai kamna before the summer, halai isna
after the summer. Additional examples are given below (note the use of kamna and isna with dependent
clauses denoting events; cf. 10.2):
(6.45) Kale
im`
o
kamna
etskanyi
man.nom 1sabl before.loc arrive.pv
The man arrived before me
(6.46) Kale
etskanyi me
ankilha
kamna
man.nom arrive.pv 1snom pv.leave.dep before.loc
The man arrived before I left
(6.47) Kale
etskanyi me
laisne unkilha
isna
man.nom arrive.pv 1snom just
pf.leave.dep after.loc
The man arrived just after I had left
Lastly, the terms ynal and ihfo are used of objects, such as trees and rocks, which do not have an identifiable
front and back: ynalna means before, in front of in the sense of on the same side as (occluding), while
ihfona means behind in the sense of on the other side of (occluded by): e.g., tonaka ynalna in front of
the boulder, tonaka ihfona behind the boulder.
(6.48) Ne
olh
palahta iteu
ihfou
sehtyi
3anom dist tree
those:abl behind.abl emerge.pv
She came out from behind those trees

6.6

Possessive constructions

A noun phrase denoting some entity can contain within it a smaller noun phrase which identifies the possessor
of that entity. I will refer to this smaller noun phrase as a possessive noun phrase. As in most head-final
languages, the possessive noun phrase precedes the possessed noun: e.g., suhpa brother, mo suhpa my
brother, Sakialu suhpa Sakials brother. In 6.6.1 I discuss how the possessive noun phrase is case-marked,
while 6.6.2 includes some remarks on the distribution of possessive pronouns.

6.6.1

Case marking the possessor

In certain situations, a possessive pronoun may take the form of a realis dative clitic (see 5.4). Elsewhere,
possessive noun phrases are marked with one of the oblique cases (locative, allative, ablative, or instrumental),
according to the type of possession relation involved.

6.6. POSSESSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS

111

Realis dative clitics are used to express inalienable possession. In particular, they are used when the
possessed noun denotes a part of the body (kuma face, kala leg, tsanmok heart, etc.), an inherent aspect
or characteristic of the possessor (esian name, hasu life, alioin age, etc.), or a kinship or other a personal
relationship (ahte father, pyi child, lihpa sister, kuna friend, ahkunan companion, comrade, etc.).
Sample paradigms are given below. As discussed in 5.4, clitic pronouns distinguish person but not number;
hence the second and third person clitic possessors may be interpreted as singular (e.g., his/her) or plural
(e.g., their), depending on context.
mo inie
so inie
kimo inie
kuo inie
no inie

my eyes
our (excl) eyes
our (incl) eyes
your eyes
his/her/their eyes

mo ame
so ame
kimo ame
kuo ame
no ame

my mother
our (excl) mother(s)
our (incl) mother(s)
your mother(s)
his/her mother; their mothers

When the possessor takes the form of a stressed (non-clitic) pronoun or a non-pronominal noun phrase,
it appears in one of the oblique cases, where the choice of case depends on the nature of the relationship
between the possessor and the possessed noun. When the possessed noun is a kinship term or other term
denoting a personal relationship, the possessive noun phrase appears in the ablative case:
im`
o ame
iseu es ahkunan
Sakialu hotu

(1sabl mother)
(12abl one companion)
(Sakial.abl maternal:uncle)

my mother (as opposed to someone elses)

a companion of ours
Sakials maternal uncle

Ablative case is also used when the possessee is a depictive noun like kietam picture and the possessive
noun phrase denotes the individual or object being depicted. In addition, ablative case is used when the
possessed noun names a scalar property (e.g., atoihe size, alhoit weight, akuiset length of time, duration,
etc.) and the possessive noun phrase denotes the object possessing that property.
talou kietam
kotou atoihe
hynukialu akuiset

(chief.abl picture)
(house.abl size)
(play.abl duration)

the picture of the chief

the size of the house
the duration of the play

Ablative case may also be used when the possessive noun phrase denotes the creator of the object expressed
by the possessed noun, or the initiator of the action expressed by the possessed noun, as illustrated below.
Note that Sakialu sliahte specifically denotes a story invented or told by Sakial; to refer to a story about
Sakial or otherwise associated with him, the allative case would be used in place of the ablative (Sakiala
sliahte). Likewise, ihau kytu refers to a gift given by the woman; allative case would be used if the woman
was the (intended) recipient of the gift (ihaua kytu).
Elimu suklut
lhateu aleut
Sakialu sliahte
ihau kytu

(Elim.abl work)
(children.abl help)
(Sakial.abl story)
(woman.abl gift)

Elims work
the help of/from the children
Sakials story
the womans gift

Finally, the possessor takes the ablative case in partitive constructionsthat is, when the possessed noun
is a quantifier or an expression denoting a subpart of an individual, a subset of a set of individuals, or a
portion or measurement of some substance:
(6.49) Amai ueho it`
o
es nauot hite
eskuke
1sdat wine that:abl one cup
bring:here.cv please
Please bring me a cup of that wine
(6.50) Mo
kunau
ante afyia
1srdat friend.abl many come:along.pv.npl
Many of my friends joined (me)

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

In the case of body part possession, as well as for other instances where the possessed noun represents an
inseparable subpart or an inherent property or characteristic, a stressed pronoun or noun phrase possessor
appears in the locative case.
Sakialna inie
Sakialna es kala
Motlana hasou muohe
ihana esian

(Sakial.loc eyes)
(Sakial.loc one leg)
(Motla.loc life.abl whole)
(woman.loc name)

Sakials eyes
one of Sakials legs
Motlas entire life
the womans name

Similarly, locative case is used to express part-whole relations with an inanimate possessor. The possessive
noun phrase also takes the locative when it denotes an experiencer and the possessed noun expresses an
emotion or mental state:
paluna kotu
kotuna satla
Sakialna hotsem

(village.loc house)
(house.loc roof)
(Sakial.loc anger)

the houses of/in the village

the roof of the house
Sakials anger

When the possessed noun denotes an object being carried by the possessor, or otherwise accompanying the
possessor or in his/her immediate control, the instrumental case may be used, e.g., ihame halma (woman.inst
book) the womans book. This may be used to refer to the book which the woman has with her, whether
or not it belongs to her.
For all types of possession not covered above, the possessive noun phrase appears in the allative case.
This is the case typically used when the possessed noun denotes (transferable) personal property, a domestic
animal, or some other entity with which the possessor is associated. Examples:
in`
e iase
mikala ike
Elima palu

(3asall food)
(boy.all dog)
(Elim.all village)

his/her food
the boys dog
Elims village

(6.51) Se
Sakiala
kotoi
etyit
13nom Sakial.all house.dat go.pv.pl
We went to Sakials house

6.6.2

Expressing possession

The overt marking of inalienable possession is not as pervasive in Okuna as it is in English. In particular,
a realis dative clitic possessor is often omitted from the noun phrase in situations where the corresponding
English sentence would require an overt possessor. Examples of this are given below.
Recall that a realis dative clitic may be used to mark the possessor in a kinship relation. However, the
possessor may be left out when its referent can be inferred from context, especially when it corefers with
the topic of the clause in which the kinship term occurs. Consider the sentences in (6.52) and (6.53) below:
In (6.52), where ahte father takes the ablative pronominal possessor in`
o, it is understood that Elim is
visiting the father of some individual not mentioned in the sentence; whereas in (6.53), where the possessor
is expressed by a realis dative clitic, it is understood that Elim is visiting his own father. In the latter case,
it is more common to simply leave out the pronoun, yielding the sentence in (6.54) (literally Elim is visiting
the father).
(6.52) Elimma
in`
o
aht`e
itsula
Elim.erg 3aabl father.nom prg.visit.ipv
Elim is visiting his/her father
(6.53) Elimma
no
aht`e
itsula
Elim.erg 3ardat father.nom prg.visit.ipv
Elim is visiting his (own) father

6.6. POSSESSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS

113

(6.54) Elimma
aht`e
itsula
Elim.erg father.nom prg.visit.ipv
Elim is visiting his (own) father
Overt clitic possessors are even less common when the possessed noun is a body part. Okuna seems to favour
constructions in which the possessor of the body part is implicit, or realized externally to the noun phrase
that contains the body part term. For example, to express an event whereby an agent manipulates a part
of his or her own body, the body part term will generally appear as an unmarked argument of the verb,
interpreted either as a patient or as an instrument (see 4.6.4). As shown below, this unmarked argument
does not include a possessor, it being understood that the body part belongs to the participant carrying out
the action: (6.55) might be more literally translated Motla opened eyes (or Motla eye-opened); likewise
(6.56) is literally The children touched fingers to the tree bark (or The children finger-touched the tree
bark).
(6.55) Motlama
inie limyi
Motla.erg eyes open.pv
Motla opened his eyes
(6.56) Lhatima
palahta sem`
o
silh
lalyit
children.erg tree
skin.nom finger touch.pv.pl
The children touched the bark of the tree with their fingers
If an overt possessive pronoun is included with the body part term, it is normally understood that the actor
is manipulating someone elses body, not his/her own. Compare the following sentences: in the first example
it is understood that Sakial lifted his own arm, while in the second example he lifted the arm of someone
else not mentioned in the sentence.2
(6.57) Sakialma
nalh kelhyi
Sakial.erg arm lift.pv
Sakial lifted his arm
(6.58) Sakialma
inan
nalhe
tiyisyi
Sakial.erg 3asloc arm.nom lift.pv
Sakial lifted his/her arm
A similar construction is used when attributing a property to a part of someones body. In the examples
below, a stative verb takes an unmarked noun phrase denoting the body part and a nominative, dative, or
locative noun phrase denoting the possessor of the body part.
(6.59) Sakiale
kalial liakna
Sakial.nom legs
long.ipv
Sakial has long legs or Sakial is long-legged
(6.60) Sakiail
nalh takiyi
Sakial.dat arm break.pv
Sakials arm got broken or Sakial broke his arm
(6.61) Sakialna
nalh itakeia
Sakial.loc arm prg.break:res.ipv
Sakials arm is broken or Sakial has a broken arm
(6.62) Iman temie inuha
1sloc hands prg.cold.ipv
My hands are cold (more lit. I feel hands-cold)
2 Note also that a different verb is used for lift in the two examples: kelha (lit. go up, ascend) is generally used when an
entity raises all or part of itself under its own power, while tiyisa is used otherwise.

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6.7

CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

Correlatives

Okuna has two parallel sets of pronominal and adverbial elements which I refer to as correlatives. The
first set of correlatives function either as interrogative operators (equivalent to who, what, where, how
much, etc.) or as indefinite quantifiers (someone, something, somewhere, some amount of, etc.). They
can also combine with the negative marker ntse to function as negative quantifiers (no-one, nothing,
nowhere, no amount of, etc.). The second set of correlatives act as demonstratives (there, then, that
amount of, etc.), and are also used in forming exclamatives (such a, so much, etc.).
The correlatives are so called because they occur in corresponding pairs in correlative constructions
(see 10.2.3 for discussion). In the example below, for instance, the indefinite/interrogative correlative mi`e
where, somewhere is paired with the demonstrative correlative ti`e there:
(6.63) Ku
miei
eti
aunme, tiei
husu man
eta
2nom where.dat sbj.go.dep:sbj if.inst there.dat also 1snom go.ipv
Wherever you go, I will go too or If you go somewhere, I will go there too
I present the correlatives and discuss their basic distribution in 6.7.1 and 6.7.2, while 6.7.3 includes some
remarks on the functions of particular correlative elements.

6.7.1

Indefinite/interrogative correlatives

The indefinite/interrogative correlatives are listed below, along with their closest English equivalents. Notice
that these elements all contain the formative mi- (or ma-).
interrogative

indefinite

m`
a
mi`
o
mi`e
mitsaka
emalh
mian
miante

what, which
who, which
where
what kind of
when, what time
how much
how many

some, something [inanimate]

some, someone [animate]
somewhere
some kind of
sometime, some point
some, a certain amount (of)
some, a certain number (of)

emi
emihka
emifoi
ymiohpa
milhkoua
mitunke
emiantena
kamianteme
miai, miampi
emiampi
lau miampi

when, at what time

when [in the past]
when [in the future]
why, how come, for what reason
why, what for, for what purpose
how, in what way
how often
how many times
how, to what degree
(for) how long
how far, to what extent

sometime, at some point, ever

at some point, ever [in the past]
at some point, ever [in the future]
for some reason
for some purpose
somehow, in some way
in certain cases/situations
a certain number of times [in succession]
somehow; somewhat, to some degree
for a certain length of time
a certain amount, some way, to some extent

I have presented the correlatives in two sets. Those in the first set are nouns which inflect for case, while
those in the second set (some of them derived from nouns in the first group through the addition of case
endings and other affixes) are adverbials, and thus do not carry (additional) case inflection. The declensions
for m`
a, mi`
o, and mi`e, which are slightly irregular, are given below. As this table shows, the stems for these
nouns are mah-, mioh- and mie-, respectively. They inflect like regular nouns, except that they do not take
the ending -e in the nominative (mi`e, since it refers to a place, never occurs in the ergative, and rarely
appears in the nominative):

6.7. CORRELATIVES
nom
dat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst

m`
a
mai
mahma
mahna
maha
mahu
mahme

115
mi`
o
mioi
miohma
miohna
mioha
miohu
miohme

mi`e
miei

miena
mieia
mieu
mieme

The correlatives listed above have two major functions: as indefinite quantifiers in statements and commands,
and as interrogative operators in questions. I discuss these functions in turn.
Correlatives as indefinites
In statements and commands, the correlatives listed above act as indefinite quantifiers and quantificational
adverbs. They can usually be translated using English expressions containing some or (a) certain. To
emphasize a singular indefinite reading, the correlative is sometimes preceded by the numeral es one: e.g.,
es mi`
o someone, es halma m`
a some book, a certain book. Example sentences:
(6.64) Sakiail
m`
a
tlelhyi
Sakial.dat something:nom find.pv
Sakial found something
(6.65) Na
es halma mai
itala
3aerg one book some.dat prg.read.ipv
She is reading a certain book
(6.66) Im`e
talake
miohma
uskohat
1sall coin.nom someone.erg pf.steal.ipv.pl
Someone stole my money
(6.67) Iha
nin
miei
itat
woman those:nom somewhere.dat prg.go.ipv.pl
Those women are going somewhere
(6.68) Ne
emifoi
nkilha
3anom sometime:fut leave.ipv
She will leave at some point
Indefinite correlatives can also occur in negated clauses, appearing between the negative marker ntse and the
verb. The combination of ntse plus an indefinite correlative often corresponds to English no or not much
(many, etc.): e.g., ntse halma m`
a no book(s), ntse pyi mi`
o no child(ren), ntse kuna miante not many
friends, ntse ueho mian not much wine. In other cases, an indefinite correlative in the scope of negation is
most naturally translated using an expression with any or (very) much (many, etc.):
(6.69) Im`e
ntse pyi
mi`
o
ikulo
1sall neg child some:nom prg.see:res.ipv:neg
I dont see any children
(6.70) Im`
o
ntse kuna miante
ialo
1sabl neg friend many:nom have.ipv:neg
I dont have (very) many friends
(6.71) Me
Tenmotlaie
ntse emiantena eto
iahok
1snom Tenmotlai.dat neg often
go.ipv:neg at:all
I dont often go to Tenmotlai or Its not often that I go to Tenmotlai

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

When ntse immediately precedes certain indefinite correlatives, the two fuse into a single word, equivalent to
a negative or other downwardly entailing quantifier in English. These negated correlatives are listed below:
ntsam`
a
ntsemi`
o
ntsemi`e
ntsamalh
ntsemi
ntsemihka
ntsemifoi
ntsymiohpa
ntsemilhkoua
ntsemitunke
ntsemiai

none, not any, nothing [inanimate]

none, not any, no-one [animate]
nowhere
no time, no point, never
never, at no time
never (before) [in the past]
never (again) [in the future]
for no reason (theres no reason why...)
for no purpose, to no avail (theres no purpose for...)
nohow, in no way (theres no way to...)
not so, not very; nohow

Negated correlatives tend to occupy the focus position in the clause, immediately preceding the verb (and
any unmarked noun phrases in the clause). Like ntse, a negated correlative triggers negative inflection on
the verb (see 7.3, 7.4). Examples:
(6.72) Ntsemi`
o
etskanou
no-one:nom arrive.pv:neg
No-one showed up
(6.73) Na
ntsam`
a
etsou
3aerg nothing:nom say.pv:neg
She didnt say anything or She said nothing
(6.74) Im`e
halm`
a
ntsemiena
itleilho
1sall book.nom nowhere.loc prg.find:res.ipv:neg
My book is nowhere to be found (lit. My book is found nowhere)
(6.75) Na
ntsemi maka iaso
3aerg never meat eat.ipv:neg
He never eats meat
(6.76) Ti
ntsemitunke tokyipo
3idat in:no:way
fix.able.ipv:neg
Theres no way to fix it (lit. It is in no way fixable)
(6.77) Ti
ntsemilhkoua tokoike
3idat for:no:purpose fix.cond:neg
Theres no point in fixing it (lit. For no purpose would it be fixed)
When a negated correlative takes another indefinite correlative in its scope, the latter is usually translated
using any rather than some. When the indefinite correlative occurs in a yes/no question, both translations
are possible. Compare how m`
a is translated in the following examples ((6.81) can also be interpreted to mean
What did Sakial say?, depending on the context in which the question is uttered; see below for discussion):
(6.78) Sakialma
m`
a
etsyi
Sakial.erg something:nom say.pv
Sakial said something
(6.79) Sakialma
ntsemi m`
a
utso
Sakial.erg never something:nom pf.say.ipv:neg
Sakial never said anything

6.7. CORRELATIVES

117

(6.80) Ntsemiohma m`
a
etsou
nobody.erg something:nom say.pv:neg
Nobody said anything
(6.81) Sakialma
m`
a
etsyin?
Sakial.erg something:nom say.pv.qu
Did Sakial say something/anything?
To express so-called free choice anyi.e., any in the sense of it doesnt matter whatthe indefinite
correlative is preceded by the adverbial ela in each/any case, anyhow, anyway. The verb is typically in the
conditional mood.
(6.82) Ma
ela
m`
a
sukike
ikoi
1serg anyhow something:nom do.cond 2sall
I would do anything for you
(6.83) Efos
tan
ela
miohna
lahyipike
problem that:nom anyhow someone.loc solve.able.cond
Anyone could solve that problem
Correlatives as interrogatives
In questions, indefinite correlatives normally function as interrogative operators, corresponding to whexpressions in English (who, what, where, etc.). As discussed in 9.3.2, main clause questions are
formed by placing the particle ne immediately after the verb (ne contracts to -n and attaches to the verb
when the latter ends in a vowel; however, attaching -n does not affect stress placement on the verb). Unlike
wh-expressions in English, the interrogative correlatives do not move to the front of the clause, but instead
appear in the same positions as the corresponding indefinite phrases. Consider the following examples:
(6.84) Sakiail
m`
a
tlelhyin?
Sakial.dat what:nom find.pv.qu
What did Sakial find?
(6.85) Na
halma mai
it`
alan?
3aerg book what.dat prg.read.ipv.qu
Which book(s) is she reading?
(6.86) Im`e
talake
miohma uskohat
ne?
1sall coin.nom who.erg pf.steal.ipv.pl qu
Who stole my money?
(6.87) Iha
nin
miei
itat
ne?
woman those:nom where.dat prg.go.ipv.pl qu
Where are those women going?
(6.88) Ne
emifoi
nk`lhan?
3anom when:fut leave.ipv.qu
When will she leave?
When interpreted as interrogative operators, correlatives almost always appear in the focus position in the
clause, preceding the verb but following any definite (non-contrastive) noun phrases (see 9.2.1 and 8.2.1
for more on constituent focus). Usually the interrogative comes immediately before the verb, unless the verb
is preceded by a non-case-marked noun phrase, in which case the interrogative precedes that noun phrase.

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

Compare the word order in the following examples. In (6.89) the theme argument kytu present is marked
for nominative case and interpreted as definite, and the interrogative delimiter mioi to whom? follows it.
In (6.90) kytu is indefinite and non-referential, occurring in the bare form, and mioi precedes it.
(6.89) Na
kyt`
o
mioi
uktiyin?
3aerg present.nom who.dat give.pv.qu
Who did she give the present to?
(6.90) Na
mioi
kytu
uktiyin?
3aerg who.dat present give.pv.qu
Who did she give presents to?
Note that questions containing correlatives are potentially ambiguous, at least in writing. A sentence like
(6.86) could be construed as a constituent question with the correlative functioning as a wh-element (Who
stole my money?), or as a yes/no question with the correlative interpreted as an indefinite quantifier (Did
someone steal my money?). Note that the postverbal particle does not distinguish these interpretations:
the presence of ne merely indicates that the sentence is a question, without specifying whether it is a yes/no
question or a constituent question. However, in speech these two interpretations are distinguished through
intonation, with regard to the pitch following the final stressed syllable in the sentence: yes/no questions
end with a level or slightly rising pitch, while constituent questions end in a falling pitch. Moreover, the
correct interpretation can usually be inferred from context: Who stole my money? presupposes that the
speakers money was stolen, while Did someone steal my money? does not. Hence, if (6.86) is uttered in a
context where it is already known (or can reasonably be inferred) that the speakers money was definitely
stolen, then the addressee will know that the speaker is asking for the identity of the thief, and will interpret
the sentence as a constituent question.
The indefinite/interrogative correlatives also occur in indirect (i.e, embedded) questions. As discussed in
9.3.2, indirect questions are formed using the clause-final particle aun (usually glossed if), preceded by a
verb in the dependent form (10.2):
(6.91) Ma
untsapa
im`e
talake
miohma uskohata
aun
1serg wonder.ipv 1sall coin.nom who.erg pf.steal.dep.pl if
I wonder who stole my money
Consider also the following pairs of examples, where the second example in each pair contains an indirect
question corresponding to the direct question in the first example:
(6.92) Elime
mieu
ehk`
anan?
Elim.nom where.abl originate.ipv.qu
Where does Elim come from?
(6.93) Unma
nesapyit Elime
mieu
ehkana
aun
3ardat.1serg ask.pv.pl Elim.nom where.abl originate.dep if
I asked them where Elim comes from
(6.94) Na
im`
o
aleute
ymiohpa ukys`
ulhtan?
3aerg 1sabl help.nom why
pf.refuse.ipv.qu
Why has he refused my help?
(6.95) Iman miono
na
im`
o
aleute
ymiohpa ukysulhta
aun
1sloc neg.know.ipv:neg 3aerg 1sabl help.nom why
pf.refuse.dep if
I dont know why he refused my help

6.7. CORRELATIVES

119

Unlike direct questions, indirect questions are not ambiguous between a constituent question reading and
a yes/no question reading. In indirect constituent questions, the verb appears in the dependent indicative
form, while in indirect yes/no questions, it appears in the dependent subjunctive. (Dependent indicative
clauses presuppose the event that they refer to, while dependent subjunctive clauses do not.) This contrast
is illustrated by the following pair of examples:
(6.96) Ma
untsapa
im`e
talake
miohma uskohata
aun
1serg wonder.ipv 1sall coin.nom who.erg pf.steal.dep.pl if
I wonder who stole my money
(6.97) Ma
untsapa
im`e
talake
miohma ioskohita
aun
1serg wonder.ipv 1sall coin.nom who.erg sbj:pf.steal.dep:sbj.pl if
I wonder if/whether someone stole my money

6.7.2

Demonstrative correlatives

Many of the indefinite/interrogative correlatives discussed above have a demonstrative counterpart. These
are listed in the table below, and glossed with their closest English equivalents. The correlatives in the first
group are nouns, which inflect for case, while those in the second group are non-inflecting adverbial elements.
Notice that most of the demonstrative correlatives begin with the formative ta- or tl(o)-.
demonstrative

exclamative

ti`e (tie-)
tlotsaka
talh
tlan
tlante

there, that place (thats where...)

that kind of, of that sort; like that
then, at that time (thats when...)
that much (thats how much...)
that many (thats how many...)

so/how much
so/how many

tlohpa
tlotunke
etlantena
katlanteme
tlai, tlampi
etlampi
lau tlampi

therefore, for that reason (thats why...)

thus, in that way (thats how...)
that often (thats how often...)
that many times
thus, that much, to that degree (thats how...)
(for) that long (thats how long...)
that far, to that extent (thats how far...)

so/how often
so many times [in succession]
so, such; how
for so long
so/how far, such a long way

These elements can function either deictically or anaphorically. That is, they indicate a place, time, reason,
manner, etc., which was either referred to earlier in the discourse, or which is identifiable from the discourse
context. Consider the following sample dialogue:
(6.98) Ku
Tenmotlaie
u
`tan?
2nom Tenmotlai.dat pf.go.ipv.qu
Have you (ever) been to Tenmotlai?
(6.99) Hi`
o, ma
tiena
tsuhpanka
ha
yes 1serg there.loc live.ipv:pst in:fact
Yes, in fact I used to live there
In the second sentence, ti`e there refers back to the place mentioned in the previous sentence. Additional
examples are given below. Note that when the demonstrative correlative is (part of) a focused phrase, it
serves to draw attention to a particular referent. Sentences with focused demonstrative correlatives are
usually translated as Thats where..., Thats when..., Thats how..., etc.

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.100) Iase tlain

iasuha
kalh?
food that:much.dat eat.want.ipv emph:qu
Do you really want to eat that much food?
(6.101) Sakiale
tlai
apata
Sakial.nom that:much rel.tall.ipv
Sakial is that tall or Thats how tall Sakial is
(6.102) Ku
tlohpa
tlampi
auohka
im`e
2nom for:that:reason to:that:extent rel.loved.ipv 1sall
Thats why I love you so much
When used deictically, the demonstrative correlatives can combine with the particles tsi, ke and olh, as
appropriate, in order to indicate discourse status and/or relative distance from the speaker and addressee
(see 5.3.2 for discussion of these particles):
tsi tlotsaka koin
ke tlotsaka koin
olh tlotsaka koin

this kind of person, a person like this

this/that kind of person, a person like this/that
that kind of person, a person like that

[near me]
[near you/us]
[away from us]

tsi iase tlan

ke iase tlan
olh iase tlan

this much food

this/that much food
that much food

[newly mentioned]
[under discussion]
[mentioned earlier]

Demonstrative correlatives can also be preceded by the emphatic reflexive element tsan. The resulting
expressions are variously translated that very..., the/that same..., or just that.... E.g.:
tsan
tsan
tsan
tsan

tlai
tlotunke
tlohpa
tlotsaka koin

just so, just as

in just that way, in that very way
for that very reason, for just that reason
just that kind of person, the same kind of person.

Demonstrative correlatives commonly occur in appositive relatives. Appositive relatives take the form of a
participial clause (10.3) introduced by the coordinator ka, and are used to provide additional information
about a previously mentioned referent or event:
(6.103) Me
Uilumai
etyi, ka tiena
ahtema
kas
ulhmo antei
tsuhpe
1snom Uiluma.dat go.pv and there.loc father.erg so:far year
many.dat live.pt
I went to Uiluma, where my father have been living for many years
more lit. I went to Uiluma, and there (my) father (have been) living for many years
(6.104) Sakiale
lamuta uhualta,
ka tlohpa
tulats
han
uoite
iman
Sakial.nom finally pf.well.tinc.ipv and for:that:reason kindness much feel.pt 1sloc
Sakial has finally recovered, for which (reason) Im very grateful
Finally, demonstrative correlatives can have exclamatory force, in which case they are often translated using
so or how. Exclamatory clauses typically include the particle hok, which immediately follows the verb:
(6.105) Tomla
tin
tlai
apatat
hok!
mountain those:nom that:much rel.tall.ipv.pl excl
Those mountains are so tall! or (Look) how tall those mountains are!
(6.106) Koin
tlante
ik`
a
hok!
person that:many prg.be:here.ipv excl
There are so many people here! or Look how many people are here!

6.7. CORRELATIVES

6.7.3

121

Remarks on the functions of correlatives

The correlatives m`
a what and mi`
o who function as indefinite/interrogative counterparts to the third person
pronouns. Like the personal pronouns, they can occur as noun phrases by themselves, or as determiners
within a larger noun phrase, in which case they follow the head noun. When combined with a noun, m`
a and
mi`
o are equivalent to English which or some (or, in combination with the negative particle ntse, no or
not any). M`
a is used with inanimate nouns: e.g., halma m`
a which book(s)?, ntse halma m`
a no book(s).
Mi`
o is used with animate nouns: e.g., pyi mi`
o which child(ren)?, ntse pyi mi`
o no child(ren); ike mi`
o
which dog(s)?, ntse ike mi`
o no dog(s).
Correlative time adverbials (equivalent to when/sometime, never, and then) make a threefold tense
distinction: Emihka, ntsemihka, and tahka indicate times in the past; and emifoi, ntsemifoi, and tahoi
indicate times in the future; while emi, ntsemi, and tai are neutral as to tense. Compare the sentences
below. Note that the use of the tense-marked forms is optional: it is always grammatical to substitute the
neutral forms, e.g., using emi in place of emihka or emifoi.
(6.107) Emi i`
asan?
when eat.ipv.qu
When do/will you eat?
(6.108) Emifoi
i`
asan?
when:fut eat.ipv.qu
When will you eat?
(6.109) Emihka
iasyin?
when:pst eat.pv.qu
When did you eat?
Besides emi, there is another word for when/sometime, namely emalh. Note that emalh patterns as a
noun, and thus inflects for case, while emi is an adverbial and has an invariant form. Normally emalh will
appear with the locative case ending -na: e.g., Emalhna iasyin? When did you eat?. However, it can
also inflect for dative, ablative, or instrumental case, or appear in the unmarked form in combination with
a case-marked relational noun such as kamna before, as shown below. The same holds for the negative
correlative ntsemalh never and the demonstrative correlative talh then.
emailh sik`
a
emalhu su
emalh kamna

until when?, for how long?

since when?, for how long?
before when?

The correlatives mitsaka what kind, some kind (ntse mitsaka no kind) and tlotsaka that kind almost
always occur in combination with a noun denoting the kind in question. The correlative precedes the noun:
e.g., tlotsaka palahta that kind of tree, a tree like that, such a tree. Additional examples:
(6.110) Mitsaka
iase h`enkan?
what:kind food enjoyable.ipv.qu
What kind of food do you like?
(6.111) Im`e
tlotsaka
iase henka
1sall that:kind food enjoyable.ipv
I like that kind of food or Thats the kind of food I like
The indefinite correlatives mitunke, miai, and miampi, when used as interrogatives, all translate English
how. Mitunke means how in the sense of in what way, in what manner, by what means. By contrast,
miai and miampi (which can be used more or less interchangeably) mean how in the sense of how much
or to what degree/extent.

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.112) Efos
tan
mitunke ul`
ahan?
problem that:nom how
pf.solve.ipv.qu
How did (you) solve that problem?
(6.113) Kot`
o
miai ap`
atan?
house.nom how rel.tall.ipv.qu
How tall is the house?
When how has the sense of by what route, it is translated using mi`e where in the instrumental case,
as in (6.114). In addition, emalh when inflected for instrumental case can denote how in the sense of
under what circumstances, as in (6.115). The latter can also be used to mean for how long (referring to
an approximate duration) or during what period of time, as in (6.116).
(6.114) Tiesat auotiohtei
mieme
et`kin?
town rel.near.comp.tnzr.dat where.inst go.cond.qu
How would one get to the nearest town?
(6.115) Hen kuo
emalhme
tsokuyiot
ne?
two 2rdat when.inst first:meet.recip.pv.pl qu
How did you two meet for the first time?
(6.116) Ne
emalhme
Tenmotlaina
tehyin?
3anom when.inst Tenmotlai.loc stay.pv.qu
How long did she stay in Tenmotlai?
Paralleling the distinction between mitunke and miai/miampi, the negative correlative ntsemitunke means
theres no way, while ntsemiai and ntse miampi mean not so or not at all. Likewise, demonstrative
tlotunke mean thats how in the sense of thus, in that way, while tlai and tlampi mean that much, so,
or to that degree/extent:
(6.117) Efos
tan
ntsemitunke lahyipo
problem that:nom in:no:way
solve.able.ipv:neg
Theres no way to solve that problem
(6.118) Ma
efos
tan
tlotunke
lahyi
1serg problem that:nom in:that:way solve.pv
Thats how I solved that problem
(6.119) Kot`
o
ntsemiai apato
house.nom not:so
rel.tall.ipv:neg
The house isnt so tall
(6.120) Kot`
o
tlai
apata
house.nom that/so rel.tall.ipv
The house is that/so tall or Thats how tall the house is
Miai, ntsemiai, and tlai are also be used with the verb taksa be called to ask about or refer to a name:
(6.121) Miai t`
aksan?
how be:called.ipv.qu
What is your name? or What are you called?
(6.122) Me
tlai
ntakso
iahok
1snom that/so neg.be:called.ipv:neg at:all
Thats not what Im called or Thats not my name

6.8. QUANTIFIERS AND RELATED ELEMENTS

123

Tlai can also be used to mean like, as, when it appears in a participial clause introduced by ka (see 8.3.1,
10.3). If the verb in the participial clause is the same as the verb in the main clause, the latter is sometimes
omitted, as in the second example below.
(6.123) Sakiale
im`e
ohka
ka tlai tsan im`
o
tiene
ohke
Sakial.nom 1sall beloved.ipv and thus own 1sabl son.nom beloved.pt
I love Sakial as I love my own son
more lit. Sakial is beloved to me, and my own son being beloved to that degree
(6.124) Sakiale
im`e
ohka
ka tlai tsan im`
o
tiene
Sakial.nom 1sall beloved.ipv and thus own 1sabl son.nom
I love Sakial like my own son
Finally, there are two correlatives equivalent to English why: ymiohpa and milhkoua. The difference between
them is subtle, and they can often be used interchangeably. Roughly, ymiohpa focuses on the cause of an
event, and has the sense of for what reason (or how come); whereas milhkoua focuses on the intended
effect of an event, and has the sense of for what purpose (or what for, or to what end). Compare the
sentences below, both of which can be used to translate the sentence Why did Elim smash the pot?. The
first asks what may have led Elim to smash the pot; while the latter asks what motivation Elim may have
had for carrying out the action, or what he hoped to accomplish.
(6.125) Elimma
ymiohpa
kopoi
tsitspyin?
Elim.erg for:what:reason pot.dat smash.pv.qu
How come Elim smashed the pot?
(6.126) Elimma
milhkoua
kopoi
tsitspyin?
Elim.erg for:what:purpose pot.dat smash.pv.qu
What did Elim smash the pot for?

6.8

Quantifiers and related elements

In this section I discuss quantifiers and formally related elements. A quantificational phrase consists of a
quantifier, usually preceded by a noun or noun phrase which expresses the domain of quantification. This
is illustrated in (6.127), where the quantificational phrase luhme iha tosepyi several old women consists
of the quantifier tosepyi several and the quantified noun phrase luhme iha old woman. Notice that the
quantifier follows the quantified noun phrase, rather than preceding as it does in English. A quantificational
phrase can also consist of a quantifier by itself with the domain of quantification implicit, as in (6.128).
(6.127) Luhme iha
tosepyi
ketyia
old:one woman several:nom come:here.pv.npl
Several old women came here
(6.128) Tosepyi
ketyia
several:nom come:here.pv.npl
Several (of them) came here
Morphologically and syntactically, quantifiers pattern as nouns in Okuna, in that they inflect for case and
can function (alone, or within a larger quantificational phrase) as an argument of a verb. Recall that case
inflection occurs at the right edge of the phrase in Okuna (cf. 4.2). Therefore, since the quantifier comes
after the quantified noun, it is normally the quantifier that will bear the case ending, if any, while the
quantified noun (phrase) occurs in its unmarked form. However, if the quantifier is in turn followed by a
demonstrative, it is the demonstrative that carries the case marking while the quantifier remains unmarked.
Note the position of the instrumental ending -me in the examples below:

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

luhme ihame
luhme iha tosepyime
luhme iha tosepyi inime

with (the) old woman/women

with several old women
with these several old women

Importantly, when a quantificational phrase is in the nominative case role, as in (6.127) and (6.128) above,
the quantifier appears in its unmarked form: the case ending -e, which attaches to regular nouns in the
nominative, does not occur on quantifiers or other postnominal modifiers.
Quantificational phrases almost always precede the verb (i.e., they rarely if ever undergo postposition;
cf. 9.2.3). Moreover, Okuna is a language in which word order directly reflects quantifier scope: when a
clause contains two quantificational phrases, the first quantificational phrase takes scope over the second
one. Compare the sentences below. In (6.129), pyi inket scopes over halma hein, and the meaning is For
every child, there exist two (possibly different) books that that child read. In (6.130), the relative scope of
the quantifiers is reversed, and the meaning is There exist two (specific) books which every child read.
(6.129) Pyi inket
halma hein
talyimat
child every:erg book two.dat read.pv.dpl.pl
Every child read two books
(6.130) Halma hein
pyi
inket
talyinit
book
two.dat child every:erg read.pv.epl.pl
Two books were read by every child
As in many languages, Okuna has separate quantifiers for mass nouns like n`
a water and count nouns like
halma book: e.g., n`
a sipe some water vs. halma sepyi some books; n`
a tsomo most of the water vs.
halma tsomote most of the books. I discuss mass noun quantifiers in 6.8.1 and count noun quantifiers in
6.8.2, with additional remarks on the usage of certain quantifiers in 6.8.3. Numerals are treated in 6.8.4.
Finally, in 6.8.5 I discuss other postnominal elements which share formal properties with quantifiers.
Note that there is a special class of quantificational elements not considered in this section, namely
the universal quantifiers (equivalent to each, every, and all). These inflect differently from the other
quantifiers, patterning more like pronouns than nouns, and are thus discussed in chapter 5 (5.6). See also
chapter 8 (8.4.3), where I discuss various types of adverbs formed from quantifier stems.

6.8.1

Mass noun quantifiers

Mass noun quantifiers quantify over nouns denoting masses or substances which cannot be divided nonarbitrarily into countable units. These include n`
a water, hos sand, ahim air, breath, etc. The basic
mass noun quantifiers are given below. Note that some of these are derived from verbs (e.g., muhe < muha
suffice, be adequate; muohe < muoha be whole/complete; tehe < teha stay, remain behind).
han
ife
mian
muhe
muohe
ohe
sipe
tehe
tlan
tsomo
tsuon
tsyin
tuhe

much, a lot (of)

as much, an equal amount (of)
how much?; some, a certain amount (of)
enough, a sufficient amount (of)
all, the whole (thing)
more; the most
some, a bit (of)
the rest (of), what remains (of)
so much; that much
most (of)
too much
not enough, too little
less, not as much

6.8. QUANTIFIERS AND RELATED ELEMENTS

125

Some mass noun quantifiers can combine with the diminutive prefix ki(h)- or the augmentative prefix to(h)to express finer distinctions:
kihohe
kisipe
kituhe

a bit more, slightly more

very little, just a little, a tiny bit (of)
a bit less, somewhat less

tohan
tohohe
tomuhe
tosipe
totuhe

quite a lot, a great deal (of)

much more, a lot more
plenty (of), more than enough
a fair bit, quite a bit (of)
much less, a lot less, not nearly as much

Examples of mass noun phrases containing quantifiers include:

hos han
ise tsuon
n`
a sipe
iase tomuhe
ueho mian

a lot of sand
too much snow
some water, a little water
plenty of food, more than enough food
how much wine?; some wine

As these examples show, the quantified noun phrase normally appears in its unmarked form. However, it can
also appear in the ablative case (marked with the ending -u) when the domain of quantification is definite.
The result is a kind of partitive construction (note that the quantifiers muohe all and tehe the rest require
this construction). Compare the examples below with those above:
hosu han
iseu tsuon
nahu sipe
iaseu tomuhe
uehou mian

a lot of the sand

too much of the snow
some of the water
plenty of the food, more than enough of the food
how much of the wine?; some of the wine

uehou tehe
ueho it`
o muohe

the rest of the wine

all of that wine

Mass noun quantifiers can also take a count noun phrase in the ablative, in which case they indicate a
portion of the (singular) object denoted by that noun phrase. In combination with a count noun, muohe is
equivalent to English the whole, while sipe means part of (similarly for quantifiers formed from sipe):
kotou tsomo
lohu han
lohu tehe
sliahteu muohe
sliahteu sipe
sliahteu kisipe

most of the house

much of the day
the rest of the day
all of the story; the whole story
some of the story; part of the story
a small part of the story

When marked with ablative case, the quantified noun phrase may scramble away from the quantifier, in
which case the two no longer form a constituent. This is shown by the fact that the ablative noun phrase
and the quantifier can be separated by intervening material: e.g., the ergative argument Sakialma in the
example below. (Note that when the quantified noun phrase is unmarked for case, it cannot scramble away
from the quantifier.)
(6.131) Ueho it`
o
Sakialma
tsuoin
sepyi
wine that:abl Sakial.erg too:much.dat drink.pv
Sakial drank too much of that wine (lit. Of that wine, Sakial drank too much)

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6.8.2

CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

Count noun quantifiers

Count noun quantifiers are those which quantify over nouns denoting discrete countable entities, as opposed
to masses or substances. Apart from the universal quantifiers discussed in 5.6, the major count noun
quantifiers are listed below in their basic forms. Numerals such as hen two, which also quantify over count
nouns, are considered in 6.8.4. Notice that most of the count noun quantifiers listed here are transparently
related to the corresponding mass noun quantifiers, but end in the suffix -te (see below).
anihte
anohte
ante
miante
muhte
sepyi
tehte
tlante
tsomote
tsuonte
tsyinte
tuhte

as many, equally many

more; the most, the greatest number of
many, a lot of
how many?; some, a certain number of
enough, sufficiently many
some, a few
the rest (of), the remaining
so many; that many
most, the majority of
too many
not enough, too few
fewer, not as many

Like their mass noun counterparts, many count noun quantifiers can combine with the diminutive prefix
ki(h)- and/or the augmentative prefix to(h)- to express finer distinctions:
kihanohte
kisepyi
kituhte

a few more
a very few
somewhat fewer

tohanohte
tohante
tomuhte
tosepyi
totuhte

many more, a lot more

very many, a great many, numerous
plenty of, more than enough
several, a number of
a lot fewer, not nearly as many

Examples of quantificational phrases containing these elements are given below. Like other quantifiers, they
follow the noun or noun phrase (if any) that they quantify over, and carry the case marking for the phrase
as a whole (unless they are in turn followed by a demonstrative).
efos ante
iha miante
koin tohante
kopo sepyi
nesap muhte

many problems
how many women?
a great many people
some pots, a few pots
enough questions

Normally the quantified noun occurs in its unmarked form, as in the examples above. However, when the
quantified noun phrase is definite, the quantified noun may appear in the ablative case (suffixed with -u),
resulting in a partitive interpretation:
efosu ante
ihau miante
koin ineu tohante
im`e kopou sepyi
ineu nesapu muhte

many of the problems

how many of the women?
a great many of those people
some of my pots
enough of their questions

When marked with ablative case, the quantified noun phrase need not form a constituent with the quantifier,
but can scramble away from it. This is shown in the example below by the fact that the quantified noun
phrase is separated from the quantifier by another noun phrase (viz., the ergative argument Sakialma):

6.8. QUANTIFIERS AND RELATED ELEMENTS

127

(6.132) Halma iteu

Sakialma
antei
utala
book
those:abl Sakial.erg many.dat pf.read.ipv
Sakial has read many of those books (lit. Of those books, Sakial has read many)
To form expressions indicating an upper limit, count noun quantifiers combine with the particle hulne at
most, no more/later than, up to. Likewise, to express a lower limit, fene at least, no fewer than, no
sooner/earlier than is used. These particles come immediately before the quantifier and after the quantified
noun phrase (if any). Other particles which can appear in the same position include laisne exactly, lhua
about, approximately, and lhi almost, nearly.3
halma fene anihte
halma lhua anihte
halma hulne sepyi

at least as many books

about as many books
no more than a few books

Finally, note an unusual complication in the formation of quantifier phrases. I mentioned above that most of
the count noun quantifiers end in -te, which seems to be a marker of plurality (see 6.8.5 below). It appears
that there is a restriction on the expression of plurality, such that a quantifier containing -te may not precede
another element in the same noun phrase which also expresses plurality, namely a plural demonstrative
(5.3.2) or other postnominal element like iahte others (6.8.5). In order to avoid such cases, a mass noun
quantifier is used where the corresponding count noun quantifier might be expectede.g., han much is
used in place of ante many, tsomo most in place of tsomote, etc. Compare the following:
halma ante
halma han tin
halma han iahte

many books
those many books
many other books

halma miante
halma mian iahte

how many books?

how many other books?

ntse halma miante

ntse halma mian iahte

not many books

not many other books

This rule does not apply to sepyi some, a few, or other quantifiers formed from it, which remain unchanged
when a demonstrative or other plural element follows: e.g., halma sepyi tin those few books, halma tosepyi
iahte several other books, another several books.

6.8.3

Remarks on the functions of certain quantifiers

The count noun quantifier miante does double duty both as an interrogative element, equivalent to how
many, and as an indefinite plural marker, equivalent to some or a number of. The interrogative interpretation is signaled by the presence of the question particle ne (or aun in embedded clauses). Miante can
also occur in the scope of the negative particle ntse, in which case it is translated manye.g., ntse halma
miante not many books. (Notice from the examples below that miante can fail to trigger plural agreement
on the verb in negative and interrogative contexts.) Tlante is the demonstrative counterpart of miante, and
has deictic or anaphoric force, equivalent to this/that many (or thats how many...). Tlante can also be
used in exclamations, meaning so many.
(6.133) Halma miantei
ut`
alan?
book
how:many.dat pf.read.ipv.qu
How many books have (you) read?
3 These same particles can also be used with adverbials formed from count noun quantifiers, discussed in 8.4.3: e.g., hulne
kasepyime no more than a few times, lhi ianihtena nearly as often.

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.134) Ma
elohka
halma miantei
talyima
1serg yesterday book how:many.dat read.pv.dpl
Yesterday I read a (certain) number of books
(6.135) Ma
ntse halma miantei
talou
1serg neg book how:many.dat read.pv:neg
I didnt read (very) many books
(6.136) Ma
elohka
halma tlantei
talyima
1serg yesterday book that:many.dat read.pv.dpl
Thats how many books I read yesterday or I read so many books yesterday!
Parallel to miante, the indefinite mass noun quantifier mian usually means how much when it occurs
in questions, and some or a certain amount in non-questions. In the scope of negation, mian may be
translated much (ntse iase mian not much food). The definite/demonstrative counterpart of mian is tlan,
meaning that much, thats how much or so much.
(6.137) Iase mian
ketyit
ne?
food how:much bring:here.pv.pl qu
How much food did you (pl) bring?
(6.138) Na
iase mian
ketyit
3aerg food how:much bring:here.pv.pl
They brought some food
(6.139) Na
ntse iase mian
ketout
3aerg neg food how:much bring:here.pv:neg.pl
They didnt bring much food
(6.140) Na
iase tlan
ketyit
3aerg food that:much bring:here.pv.pl
Thats how much food they brought or They brought so much food!
Quantified phrases containing the equative quantifiers ife as much and anihte as many, or the comparative
quantifiers ohe more, anohte more, tuhe less, and tuhte fewer are often accompanied by a participant
nominal in the ablative case which expresses the standard of comparison. (On participant nominalization,
see 10.6.)
(6.141) Ma
akut
ikune moituheu
halma anihte
uktiama
1serg 2pdat 2pall get.want.tnzr.abl book as:many give.ipv.dpl
Ill give you as many books as you want (lit. ... as what you want to get)
(6.142) Imem ekpyipeu
halma anohte he
1sinst carry.able.tnzr.abl book more
be:ipv
I have more books than (I) can carry (lit. With me are more books than [what is] carryable)
(6.143) Na
ueho ifei
sepyit
ikima asepanilu
3aerg wine as:much.dat drink.pv.pl 12erg pv.drink.epl.dnzr.abl
They drank as much wine as we did (lit. ... as what had been drunk by us)
Alternatively, the standard of comparison can be expressed using a clause headed by aun if/whether
preceded by a verb in the dependent form (see 10.2), and containing the quantifier mian how much
or miante how many, depending on whether a mass noun or count noun is being quantified. Since it marks

6.8. QUANTIFIERS AND RELATED ELEMENTS

129

the standard of comparison, the correlative clause inflects for ablative case: i.e., aun carries the ablative
ending -u. The following examples are equivalent to those above. Notice that the verb drink is omitted
from the correlative clause in the third example, and aun replaced by tiaun (including the verb would also
be acceptable: ikima miain asepata aunu, lit. as how much we drank).
(6.144) Ma
akut
halma anihte
uktiama
ikune miante
moituha
aunu
1serg 2pdat book as:many give.ipv.dpl 2pall how:many get.want.dep if.abl
Ill give you as many books as you want (lit. ... as how many you want to get)
(6.145) Imem halma anohte he
miante
ekpyipa
aunu
1sinst book more
be:ipv how:many carry.able.dep if.abl
I have more books than I can carry (lit. ... than how many [one] can carry)
(6.146) Na
ueho ifei
sepyit
ikima miain
tiaunu
3aerg wine as:much.dat drink.pv.pl 12erg how:much.dat if:so.abl
They drank as much wine as we did (lit. ... as how much we [drank])

6.8.4

Numerals

In addition to the elements discussed in 6.8.2, the count noun quantifiers include numerals such as hen two
and ehte three. Like other quantifiers, numerals can occur by themselves as noun phrases (6.147), or they
can co-occur with a preceding noun expressing the domain of quantification (6.148):
(6.147) Mo
ehte
kilyi
1srdat three:nom see.pv
I saw three (of them)
(6.148) Mo
kotu ehte
kilyi
1srdat house three:nom see.pv
I saw three houses
Like other quantifiers, numerals follow the noun they quantify over. This means that the numeral carries
the case marking for the noun phrase, unless it is in turn followed by a demonstrative or one of the elements
discussed in 6.8.5, in which case the latter carries case marking and the numeral appears in its unmarked
form. Also as with other quantifiers, the unmarked form of the numeral is used when the noun phrase is in
the nominative case role; numerals do not take the nominative case ending (-e) found on regular nouns.
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu

ehte
ehtei
ehtena
ehte itena
ehte mpehisna

(house
(house
(house
(house
(house

three)
three.dat)
three.loc)
three those.loc)
three next.loc)

(the) three houses

to (the) three houses
in (the) three houses
in those three houses
in the next three houses

In the examples above, the quantified noun (kotu house) appears in the unmarked form. The quantified
noun can also appear in the ablative case, in which case the noun phrase receives a partitive interpretation:
e.g., kotou ehte three of the houses, kotu iteu ehte three of these houses.
The one numeral word which doesnt follow the normal pattern is es one. This element precedes the
noun it quantifies (es kotu one house, a house), and consequently never gets marked for case. In complex
noun phrases, es precedes all the elements in a noun compound (including adjective-like stative nouns such
as luhme old one) but follows relative clauses, as well as possessors and other case-marked noun phrases
acting as modifiers:

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.149) Sakialu
es kuna
Sakial.abl one friend
a friend of Sakials
(6.150) isane paluna
es luhme kotu
13all village.loc one old:one house
an old house in our village
Alternatively, one may be expressed using the strong form ehtsan, which differs from es in its distribution.
Whereas es precedes the noun, ehtsan follows the noun, like other numerals. In addition, es can only be used
if the noun phrase is interpreted as indefinite, and often corresponds most closely to the English indefinite
article a/an. By contrast, ehtsan can be used whether the noun phrase is definite or indefinite, and is more
emphatic, reminiscent of English a single. Note also that es can never be used in the partitive construction;
instead, ehtsan is required.
es kotu
kotu ehtsan
kotou ehtsan

one house, a house

(the) one house; a single house
one of the houses

Finally, whereas es must combine with a noun, ehtsan is used when the numeral functions as a noun phrase
by itself:
(6.151) Mo
ehtsan
kilyi
1srdat one:nom see.pv
I saw (just) one
The Okuna count according to a base-ten system, but with special terms for eleven and twelve, and for 110
(eleventy) and 120 (twelfty). The basic number terms are given in the first column of the following table.
Each of the units from one to twelve has a corresponding tens form, listed in the second column. The forms
in the third column are discussed below.
basic terms
es, ehtsan
hen
ehte
kun
kian
iht`
a (ihtah-)
kelu
ni`
o (nioh-)
teiek
tam
elhu
huoi
kiunma
tolok

tens
one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
eleven
twelve
hundred
ten thousand

tam
tahen
tauehte
takun
takian
taieht`
a
takelu
tani`
o
tateiek
kiunma
tauelhu
tahuoi

combining forms
ten
twenty
thirty
forty
fifty
sixty
seventy
eighty
ninety
hundred
eleventy (110)
twelfty (120)

eshenehtenkunkianihtaunkelunniohteiek-

plus
plus
plus
plus
plus
plus
plus
plus
plus

one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine

Iht`
a six takes the form ihtah- when suffixed with a case ending, but ihtau- when suffixed with other elements,
such as the ordinal ending -ka (ihtauka sixth). Note also that vowel-initial terms change their form when
a vowel-final prefix is attached, in accordance with the hiatus rules discussed in 3.5.3: e.g., ka.elhu.me >
kaielhume eleven times, ka.ihtah.me > kaiehtahme six times.
The numbers from 13 to 19, listed below, are formed by combining the elements from the units column
above with the ending -patam. Notice that in the case of 16, the ihtau- form is used; while the terms for 14
and 15 show nasal assimilation to the following consonant:

6.8. QUANTIFIERS AND RELATED ELEMENTS

ehtepatam
kumpatam
kiampatam
ihtaupatam
kelupatam
niohpatam
teiekpatam

131

thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen

Terms for the numbers from 21 through 29, 31 through 39, etc., up to 129, are formed by taking the terms
from the tens column in the table above and prefixing them with the combining forms of the units, listed in
the third column. Notice that this is the opposite of the order found in English: e.g., estahen twenty-one
is literally one-twenty. Examples are given below:
estahen
hentahen
ehtentahen
kuntahen
kiantahen
ihtauntahen
keluntahen
niohtahen
teiektahen

twenty-one
twenty-two
twenty-three
twenty-four
twenty-five
twenty-six
twenty-seven
twenty-eight
twenty-nine

keluntakian
niohtaieht`
a
teiektateiek

fifty-seven
sixty-eight
ninety-nine

eskiunma
ehtenkiunma
estauelhu
ihtauntauelhu
niohtahuoi
teiektahuoi

estauehte
hentauehte
ehtentauehte
kuntauehte

thirty-one
thirty-two
thirty-three
thirty-four

ihtauntakun
keluntakun
niohtakun
teiektakun

forty-six
forty-seven
forty-eight
forty-nine

one hundred and one

one hundred and three
one hundred and eleven (lit. eleventy-one)
one hundred and sixteen (lit. eleventy-six)
one hundred and twenty-eight (lit. twelfty-eight)
one hundred and twenty-nine (lit. twelfty-nine)

Multiples of 100 are expressed by taking kiunma hundred or tolok ten thousand and quantifying them
with a following numeral. Note that there is no word for thousand: the Okuna count by tens of hundreds
instead. Examples:
kiunma
kiunma
kiunma
kiunma
kiunma
kiunma
tolok
tolok
tolok
tolok
tolok

hen
ehte
tam
takun
estakun
niohtahuoi

hen
tani`
o
kuntani`
o
kiunma
ihtauntauelhu

two hundred
three hundred
one thousand (lit. ten hundreds)
four thousand (lit. forty hundreds)
forty-one hundred
twelve thousand eight hundred (lit. twelfty-eight hundreds)
twenty thousand (lit. two ten-thousands)
eight hundred thousand (lit. eighty ten-thousands)
eight hundred and forty thousand (lit. 84 ten-thousands)
one million (lit. one hundred ten-thousands)
1,160,000 (lit. eleventy-six ten-thousands)

To form complex numerals from the terms above, tens, hundreds, and ten-thousands may be combined.
All but the last term in a complex numeral is suffixed with the instrumental case marker -me. In such
constructions, tens precede hundreds and hundreds precede ten-thousands, the opposite of the order in
English. Examples:

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.152) kuntakunme
kiunma
four.forty.inst hundred
one hundred (and) forty-four
(6.153) kiunma taniohme
tolok
hundred eighty.inst ten:thousand
eighteen thousand [18,000]
lit. ten thousand with eighty hundreds
(6.154) kiunma ihtaupatamme tolok
hen
hundred sixteen.inst
ten:thousand two
twenty-one thousand six hundred [21,600]
lit. two ten-thousands with sixteen hundreds
(6.155) estaiehtahme kiunma kiantahenme
tolok
kelupatam
one.sixty.inst hundred five.twenty.inst ten:thousand seventeen
one hundred seventy-two thousand, five hundred and sixty-one [172,561]
lit. seventeen ten-thousands with twenty-five hundreds with sixty-one
As with simple numerals, complex numerals follow the quantified noun, and host the case ending when noun
phrase-final. This case ending attaches to the final element in the numeral.
(6.156) Es ulhmona l`
o
kiantaiehtahme kiunma ehte he
one year.loc day five.sixty.inst hundred three be:ipv
There are three hundred and sixty-five days in a year
(6.157) Na
kahu tauehteme kiunmai
tiku
tahyit
3aerg fish thirty.inst hundred.dat harpoon kill.pv.pl
They speared a hundred and thirty fish
Phrases containing numerals can include one of a number of particles, which immediately precede the numeral
and follow the noun being quantified (if any). The particles lhua about, around and lhi almost, nearly are
used to express an approximate number, while laisne exactly expresses a precise number. Fene at least, no
fewer than and hulne at most, no more than combine with numerals to indicate a lower limit and an upper
limit, respectively; while eima still, more combines with numerals to express an additional amount. Finally,
la each, apiece and kele all together, a total of are often found in distributive and collective constructions,
respectively (see 5.6).
koin
koin
koin
koin
koin
koin
koin
koin

lhua huoi
lhi huoi
laisne huoi
fene huoi
hulne huoi
eima huoi
la huoi
kele huoi

about twelve people

almost twelve people
exactly twelve people
at least twelve people
at most twelve people
twelve more people
twelve people each/apiece
twelve people all together, a total of twelve people

Two form expressions meaning N at a time or N by N, one of two constructions may be used. In the
first construction the numeral is repeated, with the two copies linked by the particle la and the second copy
taking the instrumental case ending: e.g., hen la henme two by two, two at a time; kun la kunme four by
four, four at a time, in fours. In the second construction, the particle ela each time, any time combines
with a numeral in the instrumental case: e.g., ela henme two by two, two at a time, etc. Only the latter
construction is used with the numeral ehtsan: ela ehtsanme one by one, one at a time.

6.8. QUANTIFIERS AND RELATED ELEMENTS

133

(6.158) Lhat`e
ela
henme
nkilhyit
children.nom each:time two:inst leave.pv.pl
The children left two at a time
Various constructions may be used to indicate a numerical range. To express an exact range, two numbers
are juxtaposed, with the first number (representing the lower limit of the range) preceded by fene and the
second number (representing the upper limit) preceded by hulne. To express an approximate range, the
numbers are conjoined using su or; from, with lhua optionally preceding the first number. More commonly,
su is absent and lhua is placed between the two numbers.
kahu fene tahen hulne kiantahen
kahu (lhua) tahen su kiantahen
koin tahen lhua kiantahen

between twenty and twenty-five fish

(about) twenty or twenty-five fish
twenty to twenty-five fish

Ordinal numbers
The cardinal numbers combine with the suffix -ka to form ordinal numbers, with nasal assimilation as
necessary: e.g., tam.ka > tanka tenth, kiampatam.ka > kiampatanka fifteenth. Note also the changes in
teiek.ka > teiehka ninth and tolok.ka > tolohka ten-thousandth, due to the degemination rule discussed
in 3.5.1. Examples of ordinal numbers:
henka
ehteka
kunka
kianka
ihtauka
keluka

second
third
fourth
fifth
sixth
seventh

niohka
teiehka
elhuka
tahenka
kiunmaka
tolohka

eighth
ninth
eleventh
twentieth
hundredth
ten-thousandth

Ordinals are formed from complex numerals in the same way: e.g., estahenka twenty-first, ihtauntakunka
forty-sixth. When ordinals are formed from compound numerals, -ka attaches just to the final element:
e.g., kiunma henka two hundredth, keluntahenme kiunmaka one hundred and twenty-seventh.
Note that es/ehtsan one has the irregular ordinal form mpehkai first. This forms a class with three
other words denoting positions in a sequence, all characterized by the prefix mpe-. The other elements are
listed below. Like numerals, they follow the noun and appear in their unsuffixed form when the noun phrase
is nominative (rather than taking the case ending -e).
mpehis
mpekam
mpekunte

the next (one)

the last, previous, preceding (one)
the last, final (one)

The correlatives mianka which (lit. the how many-th) and tlanka that (lit. the so many-th) also occur,
and may be used to ask about and identify members of a sequence. Like cardinal numerals, ordinal numerals
and related elements follow the noun they modify:
koin mpehkai
koin henka
koin huoika
koin hentakeluka
koin takunme kiunmaka
koin mpekunte
lolhampeu l`
o miankana
l`
o ihtaunkana
l`
o tlankana

the first person

the second person
the twelfth person
the seventy-second person
the hundred and fortieth person
the last person
on which day of the week?
on the sixth day
on that day

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

Fractions
Terms denoting specific fractions of a whole are formed by adding the suffix -tla, with nasal assimilation as
appropriate: e.g., tam.tla > tantla (one) tenth, kiampatam.tla > kiampatantla (one) fifteenth. Additional
examples:
hentla
ehtetla
kuntla
kiantla
ihtautla
kelutla

(one)
(one)
(one)
(one)
(one)
(one)

half
third
fourth, quarter
fifth
sixth
seventh

niohtla
teiektla
elhutla
tahentla
kiunmatla
toloktla

(one)
(one)
(one)
(one)
(one)
(one)

eighth
ninth
eleventh
twentieth
hundredth, percent
ten-thousandth

Like the ordinal suffix -ka, -tla attaches only to the final element in complex numbers: e.g., kiantahentla
one twenty-fifth, niohtauelhutla one 108th, takunme kiunmatla one 140th.
Terms for fractions can in turn be combined with a following cardinal numeral to yield expressions like
ehtetla hen two thirds, kuntla ehte three quarters, kiunmatla taieht`
a sixty percent, etc. Fractions occur
with a noun phrase in the ablative, as in homau hentla half a loaf of bread, kitsou ehtetla hen two thirds of
an onion, lhateu kiunmatla taieht`
a sixty percent of the children. Note also expressions like the following,
in which a fraction takes instrumental case marking to express an incremental amount:
(6.159) Kop`
o
hentlame iatsatsa
jug.nom half.inst prg.rel.full.ipv
The jug is half full
(6.160) Kop`
o
kuntla ehteme
iatsatsa
jug.nom quarter three.inst prg.rel.full.ipv
The jug is three quarters full
N-tuples
Numerals can also take the prefix ka- (with glide insertion and vowel lowering as necessary) to form collective
nouns. A collective noun formed from a numeral N refers to a group of N entities, or to an object or concept
divisible into N parts. Examples:
kahen
kaiehte
kakun
kakian
kaieht`
a

couple, pair, duo, twosome; double, twice, twofold

threesome, trio, triplet, group of three; triple, three parts, threefold
quadruple, foursome, quartet, group of four; four parts, fourfold
quintuple, group of five; five parts, fivefold
sextuple, group of six; six parts, sixfold

A numeral prefixed with ka- often takes the instrumental ending -me and acts as a verb modifier. When
modifying an eventive verb, the instrumental form quantifies the number of times (in a row) that the event
occurs. When used with stative verbs, especially in comparative constructions, it expresses a proportion or
number of multiples, and is equivalent to N-fold, by a factor of N.
(6.161) Inmo
kaiehteme kahtyi
3anom.1srdat triple.inst hit.pv
He hit me three times (in a row)
(6.162) Olh palahta tan
im`e
kotou
kahenme
apatohta
dist tree
that:nom 1sall house.abl double.inst rel.tall.comp.ipv
That tree over there is twice as tall as my house
more lit. That tree over there is taller than my house by a factor of two

6.8. QUANTIFIERS AND RELATED ELEMENTS

135

Numerals with ka- also appear in the dative case, functioning as delimiting measure phrases. Here they
indicate the proportional difference between the initial state and the final state:
(6.163) Hi
kaiehtei
atohimyi
3inom triple.dat rel.big.ainc.pv
It became three times as large (as before) or It tripled in size
more lit. It grew to triple (its original size)
These forms, along with other adverbial elements formed from numerals, are discussed further in 8.4.3.

6.8.5

Other postnominal modifiers

In 6.8.2 I noted that most count noun quantifiers end in the suffix -te, which appears to mark plurality.
This suffix also occurs on the elements listed below, making these the only other elements in the noun phrase
(apart from pronouns and demonstratives) to mark a distinction between singular and plural. For want of
a better name for these elements, I will refer to them as pseudo-quantifiers. Noun phrases containing a
pseudo-quantifier tend to be definite, and tend to function to pick out a unique member or subset of some
larger set or sequence of individuals.4
singular

plural

eupe
iap
koipe
tsan

euhte
iahte
koihte
tsante

the only one(s), the sole one(s)

other one(s), else
(the) specific one(s), (the) particular one(s)
oneself; the same one(s), the very one(s) (emphatic)

Like quantifiers, pseudo-quantifiers can occur as noun phrases on their own, or can follow a noun, often
combined with a participant nominal (10.6) or other modifier. The forms in the first column are used when
the noun phrase is singular, while those in the second column are used when the noun phrase is plural (except
under the conditions noted below). Examples include:
koin iap
koin iahte

the other person

the other people

ma elohka atsal koin eupe

ma elohka atsal koin euhte

the only person I spoke to yesterday

the only people I spoke to yesterday

Besides quantifiers and pseudo-quantifiers, the following modifiers can also follow the noun. Noun phrases
containing these modifiers share the property that they pick out a unique individual or set of individuals.
ahkene
eihte
kaupihe
mpehis
mpehkai
mpekam
mpekunte
ufatl

the
the
the
the
the
the
the
the

main/chief one(s), the principal/primary one(s)

right one(s), the correct one(s)
next one(s), the following one(s)
next one(s), the following one(s)
first one(s)
last one(s), the previous/preceding one(s)
last one(s), the final one(s)
wrong one(s)

Unlike the pseudo-quantifiers, these modifiers do not have distinct singular and plural forms. Normally a
noun phrase containing one of these modifiers has a singular interpretation. To force a plural interpretation,
the modifier is preceded by a numeral or quantifier, as shown below. Simple plurality is usually expressed
by the quantifier mian (lit. some number/amount):
4 Note that koipe can also precede the noun, but with a different meaning: known, familiar (e.g., es koipe hepalau a familiar
path). Likewise, eupe can precede the noun, with the meaning lone, by oneself (e.g., es eupe puniakaka a lone traveler). As
prenominal modifiers, koipe and eupe do not inflect for number, so the forms koihte and euhte only occur as pseudo-quantifiers.

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

nioksot eihte
nioksot mian eihte

the right answer

the right answers

eun ufatl
eun mian ufatlna

the wrong place

in the wrong places

l`
o
l`
o
l`
o
l`
o

during
during
during
during

mpehisme
mian mpehisme
ehte mpehisme
tosepyi mpehisme

the
the
the
the

following
following
following
following

day
(few) days
three days
several days

In general, when a pseudo-quantifier or other postnominal modifier co-occurs with a non-universal quantifier,
the latter precedes (e.g., halma sepyi iahte another few books, halma ehte iahte three other books). As
noted in 6.8.2, count noun quantifiers ending in -te are not used before a pseudo-quantifier; instead the
corresponding mass noun quantifier (6.8.1) is used, and -te appears on the pseudo-quantifier if it is the final
element in the noun phrase. Compare the following examples, where han is used in place of ante many and
tsomo is used in place of tsomote most:
halma ante
halma han iahte

many books
many other books

halma tsomote
halma tsomo iahte

most of the books

most of the other books

A pseudo-quantifier or other postnominal modifier can in turn be followed by a demonstrative (5.3.2) or a

universal quantifier (5.6), in which case it is the demonstrative or universal quantifier which carries the case
marking for the noun phrase. In addition, the singular form of the pseudo-quantifier is used even when the
noun phrase is plural, since the number marker -te can only appear on the final element in the noun phrase.
Compare the following examples, where the noun phrase inflects for locative case:
l`
o
l`
o
l`
o
l`
o

mpehisme
mpehis item
mpehis itime
mpehis ikyime

halma
halma
halma
halma
halma
halma
halma
halma

iapna
iahtena
iap itan
iap itena
ehte iap itena
han iap itena
iap imuna
iap ikina

during
during
during
during
in
in
in
in
in
in
in
in

the following day

that following day
those following days
each following day, during every other day

the other book

the other books
that other book
those other books
those three other books
those many other books
all the other books
every other book

Notes on the use of certain modifiers

Kaupihe and mpehis can be used more-or-less interchangeably to mean next, following. However, mpehis
is preferred for things that occur in a temporal sequence (e.g., l`
o mpehis the next day), while kaupihe is
generally used for objects that lie along a path of movement (e.g., palu kaupihe the next village [that one
comes to]).
The pseudo-quantifier iap (plural iahte) is equivalent to English other, or else when used in combination
with an indefinite/interrogative correlative. Examples are given below. Notice that another is expressed
by combining iap with the indefinite numeral es one, a(n).5
5 Note that halma iap eket means every other book in the sense of every book not previously considered or every additional
book. To refer to alternating members in a sequence of books, Okuna speakers would say halma mpehis eket every next book
or halma henka eket every second book (likewise halma ehteka eket every third book, and so on).

6.9. WORD ORDER WITHIN THE NOUN PHRASE

halma iap
es iap
es halma iap
m`
a iap
ntsemi`
o iap
ntse halma m`
a iap

the other book

another (one)
another book
something else; what else?
no-one else
no other book

halma iahte
halma hen iahte
m`
a iahte
ntse halma m`
a iahte
halma iap eket

(the) other books

two other books, two more books
some other things; what else? (pl)
no other books
every other book

137

The pseudo-quantifier koipe (plural koihte) emphasizes that the noun phrase in which it occurs has a specific
intended referent. It tends to co-occur with es or an indefinite/interrogative correlative when the noun
phrase is indefinite, and with a demonstrative when the noun phrase is definite.
es halma koipe
halma koihte
halma mian koihte
mi`
o koipe
mi`
o koihte
halma koipe tan
halma koipe tin

a certain book, a specific book

certain books
a certain number of books
a certain someone, someone in particular
certain individuals
that particular book
those particular books

Finally, the pseudo-quantifier tsan functions as an emphatic modifier. It usually corresponds to English the
same, or a juxtaposed reflexive. In combination with a following demonstrative, tsan may be translated
that very or thats the same... (see 9.4.3 for more on the uses of tsan):
Sakial tsan
talo tsan
talo tsante
tsan nin
kotu tsan itan
kotu tsan itena

Sakial himself
the chief him/herself, the same chief
the chiefs themselves, the same chiefs
they themselves, those same ones
in that very house, in that same house
in those very houses, in those same houses

(6.164) Me
talo tsanma tsulyi
1snom chief self.erg visit.pv
The chief himself visited me
(6.165) Me
koin
tsan in`
a
tsulyi
1snom person self that:erg visit.pv
I was visited by that very (same) person
(6.166) Koin
tsan in`
a
man
tsulyi
person self that:erg 1snom visit.pv
Thats the same person who visited me

6.9

Word order within the noun phrase

A noun phrase is a phrase headed by a noun (N). Noun phrases can be replaced by a pronoun, and act
as arguments or modifiers of verbs, though a noun phrase can also modify another noun or function as a
predicate. A noun phrase consists minimally of a noun or noun compound (cf. 6.4), usually suffixed with a

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CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

case ending. Noun phrases can also include dependents of various types: demonstratives, numerals and other
quantifiers, deictic particles, and possessors, along with other case-marked nominal arguments and modifiers
(often formed from clauses and corresponding to relative clauses in English).
The following template summarizes the relative order of elments within the noun phrase. Parentheses
indicate optional elements, while an asterisk (*) indicates that multiple elements of the same type can occur
together.
(NP-CM*/PN*) (PT) N (Q) (DEF) (DEM) -CM
Here, N stands for a noun or noun compound, and CM stands for a case marker (see 4.2). The DEM slot
may be filled by a pronoun used as a demonstrative (5.3.2), or by one of the universal quantifiers or words
meaning other, which pattern morphologically with the demonstratives (5.6). The Q slot is occupied by
quantifiers other than those which occur in the DEM slot, including numerals (see 6.8). The indefinite
correlatives m`
a and mi`
o, when used to mean some/any or which, may occur in either the DEM slot or
the Q slot. As the template shows, both types of dependents follow the head noun, with elements from the
DEM class following elements from the Q class when both are present.
Case markers attach phonologically to the final element in the noun phrase, whatever that element may
be. Consider the examples below, showing the placement of the locative case ending -na relative to the head
noun, the numeral ehte three, the third person plural inanimate demonstrative, the correlative m`
a, and the
universal quantifier -mot all (elements in the DEM class combine with case endings in a slightly irregular
fashion; complete paradigms are given in 5.3.1 and 5.6):
kotuna
kotu ehtena
kotu itena
kotu mahna
kotu imuna
kotu ehte itena
kotu ehte mahna
kotu ehte imuna

in
in
in
in
in
in
in
in

the house(s)
(the) three houses
those houses
which house(s)?, in some/any house(s)
all the/those houses
those three houses
which three houses?, in any three houses
all three houses

(N-CM)
(N Q-CM)
(N DEM-CM)
(N DEM-CM)
(N DEM-CM)
(N Q DEM-CM)
(N Q DEM-CM)
(N Q DEM-CM)

The abbreviation DEF stands for definite modifier. This is a cover term for a set of elements which form
noun phrases that pick out a unique individual (or plurality of individuals) from a set. Definite modifiers
include the pseudo-quantifiers and other post-nominal modifiers discussed in 6.8.5, as well as the ordinal
numerals, formed from the cardinal numerals using the suffix -ka (e.g., ehte three > ehteka third). In
addition, superlatives such as etohohte the biggest (one) optionally appear in the DEF slot (they can also
precede the noun). Examples:
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu
kotu

ehtekana
eihtena
eupena
tsanna
etohohtena
sepyi mpehkaina
ehteka ikina
koipe itena
tsan itena
ehte iap itena

in
in
in
in
in
in
in
in
in
in

the third house

the right house
the only house
the house itself
the biggest house
the first few houses
every third house
those particular houses
those very houses
those other three houses

(N
(N
(N
(N
(N
(N
(N
(N
(N
(N

DEF-CM)
DEF-CM)
DEF-CM)
DEF-CM)
DEF-CM)
Q DEF-CM)
DEF DEM-CM)
DEF DEM-CM)
DEF DEM-CM)
Q DEF DEM-CM)

Turning to elements which precede the noun: In the template above, PT stands for deictic particle. The
deictic particles are proximal tsi (for objects near speaker), medial ke (for objects near addressee, or speaker
and addressee together), and distal olh (for objects not near the speaker or addressee). The particle precedes
the noun (or noun compound), and generally follows other pre-nominal modifiers. As discussed in 5.3.2,
deictic particles obligatorily co-occur with a demonstrative, which expresses the number and animacy of the

6.9. WORD ORDER WITHIN THE NOUN PHRASE

139

noun phrase. Another element which occurs in the same position as the deictic particles is the numeral es
one, which behaves differently in this respect from all the other numerals (including the nearly synonymous
ehtsan one, which occurs in the Q position; cf. 6.8.4).
es kotuna
tsi kotu itan
ke kotu itan
olh kotu itan

in
in
in
in

a/one house
this house (near me)
this/that house (near you/us)
that house (over there)

(PT
(PT
(PT
(PT

N-CM)
N DEM-CM)
N DEM-CM)
N DEM-CM)

(6.167) tenena es kulhe kotuna

hill.loc one green house.loc
in a green house on the hill
(6.168) tenena olh kulhe kotu itena
hill.loc dist green house those:loc
in those green houses (over there) on the hill
NP-CM refers to case-marked noun phrases, which can occur as modifiers within a larger noun phrase. The
locative noun phrase tenena on the hill fulfills this function in (6.167) and (6.168) above. Oblique noun
phrases expressing the possessor relation (cf. 6.6) also fill the NP-CM slot in the noun phrase template:
(6.169) Sakiala
kotuna
Sakial.all house.loc
in Sakials house
(6.170) Sakiala
es kotuna
Sakial.all one house.loc
in a house of Sakials / in one of Sakials houses
(6.171) Sakiala
olh
kulhe kotu itan
Sakial.all dist green house that:loc
in that green house of Sakials
Finally, PN in the noun phrase template stands for a participant nominal used to modify another noun. A
participant nominal is a clause which has been converted into an individual-denoting expression by adding
nominalizing morphology to the verb (see 10.6 for discussion). When used to modify the head noun in a
noun phrase, analogous to a relative clause in English, the participant nominal precedes the noun. In the
following examples, ihama mikail akile (thing shown to the boy by the woman) and Sakialma tsuhpanen
(time/place/circumstances associated with Sakials living) are participant nominals modifying the head
noun kotu house. (Note that participant nominal modifiersat least those longer than a single word
almost never co-occur with case-marked modifiers, which is why PN and NP-CM are treated as competing
for the same slot in the noun phrase template.)
(6.172) ihama
mikail
akile
kotuna
woman.erg boy.dat pv.see.tnzr house.loc
in the house that the woman showed to the boy
(6.173) Sakialma
tsuhpanen
olh
kulhe kotu itan
Sakial.erg live.dep.cnzr dist green house that:loc
in that green house where Sakial lives
Word order within the noun phrase is generally fixed. The only dependents which seem to have a variable
position are single-word participant nominals like pate tall one. These can occupy the PN slot in the
template, in which case they will precede a deictic particle such as ke, or they can be treated as the first
element in a noun compound, in which case they will follow the deictic particle:

140

CHAPTER 6. THE NOUN PHRASE

(6.174) pate
ke
kotu itan
tall.tnzr med house that:loc
in this tall house
(6.175) ke
pate
kotu itan
med tall.tnzr house that:loc
in this tall house
This flexibility is possible only if the participant nominal consists of a single word. If the participant
nominal is complex, it must occupy the PN slot. Hence, if pate tall one is replaced by the multi-word
modifier palahtau epatohte thing (which is) taller than a tree, the latter must precede the deictic particle:
(6.176) palahtau apatohte
ke
kotu itan
tree.abl rel.tall.comp.tnzr med house that:loc
in this house (which is) taller than a tree

Chapter 7

Verb Morphology
7.1

Introduction

In chapter 4 (4.4) I discussed the classification of verbs according to their argument structure. In this
chapter I discuss the rather complex morphology found on verbs in Okuna. As noted in chapter 2, verbs
inflect for tense, aspect, and mood, and also mark negation, as well as agreeing in number (singular versus
plural) with their subjects and objects. Verbs also take morphology for expressing modality, and those
denoting scalar properties inflect for equative and comparative/superlative degree.
In 7.2 I discuss number agreement, while in 7.3 I consider how negation is marked. 7.4 gives an
overview of tense, aspect, and mood morphology. In 7.5 I discuss various infixes and suffixes which are used
for deriving verbs of one class from verbs of other classes. 7.6 deals with the expression of degree and the
formation of comparative constructions. Finally, in 7.7 I discuss modal inflection, along with other ways of
expressing modality.
Note that verbs in Okuna are generally cited with the ending -a, which marks the non-past imperfect
aspect in main clauses (cf. 7.4.2), as well as the indicative mood in dependent clauses (cf. 10.2). To derive
the stem for most verbs, the ending -a is simply removed. For instance, the verb sleep, usually cited as
muelha, has the stem muelh-; while the verb wash, usually cited as paua, has the stem pau-. As these
examples show, verb stems in Okuna may end in a consonant or a glide.

7.2

Number agreement

Verbs agree in number (singular versus plural) with their core argumentsthat is, with noun phrases that
are selected by the verb and appear in the nominative, dative, or ergative case. When a verb has one or
more core arguments that are plural, this fact is registered by means of suffixes, which attach to the verb
following any inflection for tense, aspect, mood, and polarity (see 7.3). For example, the verb eta go
normally takes the suffix -t when its nominative argument is plural: e.g., me eta I go, versus se etat we
go. The agreement suffix is often the only indication that the argument in question is plural, since nouns,
as well as (second and third person) clitic pronouns, do not themselves express number. Compare:
ku eta
ku etat

you (sg) go
you (pl) go

pyie eta
pyie etat

the child goes

the children go

ne eta
ne etat

s/he goes
they go

hi eta
hi etat

it goes
they go

(7.1) Tsokoimp`
a
elohka
etskanyi
stranger.nom yesterday arrive.pv
The stranger arrived yesterday
141

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.2) Tsokoimp`
a
elohka
etskanyit
stranger.nom yesterday arrive.pv.pl
The strangers arrived yesterday
Noun phrases that are unmarked for case (4.6) do not agree in number with the verb, and so their number
must usually be inferred from context (since unmarked noun phrases are normally interpreted as nonreferential, number is usually irrelevant in any case). Oblique case-marked noun phrases likewise do not
agree with the verb. Consider the examples below, where the unmarked noun phrase halma and the allative
case-marked noun phrase kamala are vague or ambiguous as to number. When it is important to the context
to specify whether an oblique or unmarked noun phrase has a singular or plural referent, one must resort to
other means to express number besides verb agreement (see 6.2).
(7.3) Ma
halma italanka
1serg book prg.read.ipv:pst
I was reading a book or I was reading books (more lit. I was book-reading)
(7.4) Ma
kamala
ikpihanka
1serg knife.all prg.look:for.ipv:pst
I was looking for a/the knife or I was looking for (the) knives
Different agreement suffixes are used depending on the topicality and case role of the noun phrase being
agreed with. There are five agreement suffixes, listed in the following table. The reciprocal suffix is discussed
in 9.4.4, while the other suffixes are discussed and illustrated below.
plural topic
nominative plural
dative plural
ergative plural
reciprocal

(pl)
(npl)
(dpl)
(epl)
(recip)

-t/-ta
-ua/-a
-ma
-ne/-ni
-uo/-o

Except for the dative plural marker, each suffix has two forms. For plural topics, the form of the suffix is
grammatically determined: -t appears on verbs in main clauses and in participial clauses (10.3), while -ta is
used for verbs in the dependent form (10.2). For the other suffixes, the form is phonologically conditioned.
The nominative plural and reciprocal suffixes take the forms -a and -o after a glide, and -ua and -uo
elsewhere. This is illustrated below for nominative plural agreement: in (7.5) the agreement suffix follows
the imperfective suffix -a, while in (7.6) it follows the perfective suffix -yi, which ends in a glide.
(7.5) Elimma
pyie
itsulaua
Elim.erg child.nom prg.visit.ipv.npl
Elim is visiting the children
(7.6) Elimma
pyie
tsulyia
Elim.erg child.nom visit.pv.npl
Elim visited the children
The ergative plural suffix takes the form -ni when followed by another suffix beginning with a consonant
(typically the plural topic marker -t, but also the enclitic question marker -n), and -ne elsewhere. Compare
the following examples, where -ne/-ni marks agreement with pyima the children, while -t in (7.9) marks
agreement with Elim ka Sakiale:
(7.7) Elime
pyima
tsulyine
Elim.nom child.erg visit.pv.epl
Elim was visited by the children

7.2. NUMBER AGREEMENT

143

(7.8) Elime
pyima
tsul`yinin?
Elim.nom child.erg visit.pv.epl.qu
Was Elim visited by the children?
(7.9) Elim ka Sakiale
pyima
tsulyinit
Elim and Sakial.nom child.erg visit.pv.epl.pl
Elim and Sakial were visited by the children
A verb can take up to two plural agreement suffixes. When two suffixes are present, the second suffix must
be the plural topic marker -t, while the first suffix is either the nominative, dative, or ergative agreement
marker, or the reciprocal marker. The verbs in the following sentences illustrate the permissible two-suffix
combinations (for non-reciprocal verbs):
(7.10) Lhatima
pil`
a
iksonauat
children.erg bird.nom prg.look:at.ipv.npl.pl
The children are looking at the birds
(7.11) Ikema
sekeit
tahyimat
dog.erg rat.dat kill.pv.dpl.pl
The dogs killed the/some rats
(7.12) Sekeit
ikema
tahyinit
rat.nom dog.erg kill.pv.epl.pl
The rats were killed by (the) dogs
The rules governing the use of the agreement suffixes are as follows:
1. If the clause contains a topic in one of the core cases (4.3), and if that topic has a plural referent, then
the verb is marked with the suffix -t. The topic is typically the first noun phrase or clitic pronoun in
the clause, is interpreted as definite, and identifies the participant about which the rest of the clause
is predicated (see 9.2.1 for more on the topic role).
2. If the clause contains a plural non-topic noun phrase marked with one of the core cases, then one of
the other agreement suffixes in the above table is added to the verb. The choice of suffix depends on
the case role of the non-topic noun phrase: if it is nominative, the verb takes -(u)a; if it is dative, the
verb takes -ma; and if it is ergative, the verb takes -ne/-ni.
3. If the clause contains multiple non-topic noun phrases with core case marking, only one of which has a
plural referent, then the verb will agree with that noun phrase (choice of agreement suffix is as in (2)
above).
4. If the clause contains two or more non-topic noun phrases with plural referents, the verb can agree
with at most one of them. In such cases, speakers have an option as to which noun phrase will trigger
agreement, though animacy and definiteness are important factors. If one of the noun phrases is definite
and the other is indefinite, the verb will tend to agree with the definite one. If both noun phrases are
(in)definite but one of them has an animate referent and the other an inanimate referent, the verb will
generally agree with the animate one.
These rules are illustrated by the examples below. The first set of examples involves verbs taking a single
argument. In (7.13) a plural ergative argument functions as the topic, while in (7.14) the same argument
acts as a non-topic. (In the latter case, as the glosses indicate, pyima is interpreted contrastively, or taken to
be introducing a previously unmentioned referent into the discourse.) The second pair of sentences feature
a verb taking a nominative argument, which acts as the topic in (7.15) and as a non-topic in (7.16).

144

CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.13) Pyima
tsulna
imuelhat
child.erg bed.loc prg.sleep.ipv.pl
The children are sleeping on the bed
(7.14) Tsulna pyima
imuelhane
bed.loc child.erg prg.sleep.ipv.epl
There are some children sleeping on the bed
or Its (the) children who are sleeping on the bed
(7.15) Yhkun`
a
etskanyit
guest.nom arrive.pv.pl
The guests arrived
(7.16) Yhkuna sepyi
etskanyia
guest
some:nom arrive.pv.npl
Some guests arrived or There arrived some guests
The examples below feature a verb taking an ergative argument and a nominative argument, and show the
various possible agreement options. In the sentences in (7.17) the ergative argument is the topic, while in
the sentences in (7.18) it is the nominative argument which functions as the topic:
(7.17) Kalma
palaht`
a
take
itiausa
man.erg tree.nom cut.cv prg.fell.ipv
The man is cutting down a/the tree
Kalma palaht`
a take itiausat
Kalma palaht`
a take itiausaua
Kalma palaht`
a take itiausauat

The men are cutting down a/the tree

The man is cutting down some/the trees
The men are cutting down some/the trees

(7.18) Palaht`
a kalma
take
itiausa
tree.nom man.erg cut.cv prg.fell.ipv
The tree is being cut down by a/the man
Palaht`
a kalma take itiausat
Palaht`
a kalma take itiausane
Palaht`
a kalma take itiausanit

The trees are being cut down by a/the man

The tree is being cut down by some/the men
The trees are being cut down by some/the men

Additional examples of plural marking:

(7.19) Elimu
pyima
hantampat
Elim.abl child.erg proper.act.ipv.pl
Elims children are well-behaved
(7.20) Motlama
ntsuta halma amot
utaloma
Motla.erg not:yet book all:dat pf.read.ipv:neg.dpl
Motla hasnt read all the books yet
(7.21) Sa
kahu iasyit
13erg fish eat.pv.pl
We ate (some) fish
(7.22) No
tsokoimp`
a
Tenmotlaia
tulona
sasyiat
3ardat stranger.nom Tenmotlai.all road.loc meet.pv.npl.pl
They met the strangers on the road to Tenmotlai

7.2. NUMBER AGREEMENT

145

(7.23) Amema
pyie
sihkunoi histyia
mother.erg child.nom river.dat take.pv.npl
The mother took (her) children to the river(s)
(7.24) Sa
ispakai
hafe
halm`
a
tafyimat
13erg student.dat new.tnzr book.nom show.pv.dpl.pl
We showed the/some new book(s) to the students
In (7.24) the nominative argument hafe halma new book(s) is ambiguous between a singular and a plural
interpretation, as the translation shows. This is because the slot on the verb devoted to non-topic agreement
has been filled by the dative plural suffix -ma, preventing the nominative argument from triggering agreement
on the verb. Likewise the dative argument sihkunoi river(s) in (7.23) is ambiguous between a singular and
a plural reading (although the former is more pragmatically plausible) because the verb is already agreeing
in plurality with the nominative argument. Notice that in both cases, it is the animate argument which
triggers agreement while the inanimate argument is blocked from agreeing.
Normally a verb will show plural agreement with a core argument only if that argument is overtly present
in the clause. However, there are certain exceptions to this, discussed in 5.5. For example, topicalized second
person pronouns are often omitted in questions and imperatives. These missing pronouns nevertheless trigger
agreement when plural, causing the appropriate suffix to appear on the verb. Consider the examples below.
In the second pair of examples, Mekule eutaua would be used when addressing a single individual, while
Mekule eutauat would be used when addressing two or more individuals.
(7.25) Okuna sulme
k`
oman?
Okuna language.inst speak.ipv.qu
Do you (sg) speak Okuna?
(7.26) Okuna sulme
komat
ne?
Okuna language.inst speak.ipv.pl qu
Do you (pl) speak Okuna?
(7.27) Mekule
eutaua
dish.nom clean.ipv.npl
Clean the dishes!
(7.28) Mekule
eutauat
dish.nom clean.ipv.npl.pl
Clean the dishes!
Consider also the examples below. In both cases the topic of the participial clause (looking at me) is
omitted under coreference with the topic of the main clause (see 10.3). Nevertheless, the participle agrees
with this missing topic when it has a plural referent, just as the main clause verb agrees with the antecedent
of the missing topic:
(7.29) Sakiale
euolhna
itoilhanka
man
iksone
Sakial.nom there.loc prg.stand:res.ipv:pst 1snom prg.look:at.pt
Sakial stood there looking at me
(7.30) Sakial ka Elime
euolhna
itoilhankat
man
iksonit
Sakial and Elim.nom there.loc prg.stand:res.ipv:pst.pl 1snom prg.look:at.pt.pl
Sakial and Elim stood there looking at me

146

7.3

CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

Negation

Negation in Okuna is marked by a combination of morphemes. All negative sentences contain the negative
particle ntse (glossed neg in the examples), or some element incorporating this particle: e.g., ntsemi never,
ntsilas not only, etc. These elements occur immediately before the portion of the clause that is being
negated (see below). In addition, negation is marked on the verb: every verb carries a suffix which expresses
some combination of tense/aspect/mood features (perfective, non-past imperfective, past imperfective, or
conditional) and polarity (positive versus negative). A complete list of these suffixes is given in 7.4 below.
This two-part negation construction is illustrated using the pairs of examples below. In the first pair of
sentences, the verb is marked for perfective aspect. In (7.31) the verb takes the suffix -yi, while in (7.32) the
suffix changes to -ou. In the second pair of sentences the verb is marked for imperfective aspect (non-past
tense). Here, the suffix is -a in the positive sentence and -o in its counterpart with negation.
(7.31) Elohka
s`
u
kahpyi
yesterday rain fall.pv
It rained yesterday
(7.32) Elohka
ntse s`
u
kahpou
yesterday neg rain fall.pv:neg
It didnt rain yesterday
(7.33) Lhatima
halmai
italamat
children.nom book.dat prg.read.ipv.dpl.pl
The children are reading (the) books
(7.34) Lhatima
ntse halmai
italomat
children.nom neg book.dat prg.read.ipv:neg.dpl.pl
The children are not reading (the) books
Quite often the negative particle ntse will immediately precede the verb, in which case it attaches to the
verb as a prefix. In its prefixal form, the negative particle is underlying m-, but regular phonological changes
affect its surface realization as follows:
1. If the stem begins with a vowel, the negative prefix surfaces as m-: e.g., afa accompany, mafo not
accompany; iona know, miono not know.
2. If the stem begins with a sonorant or a consonant cluster, the negative prefix takes the form ma-: e.g.,
lima open, malimo not open; mutla understand, mamutlo not understand; nyipa use, manyipo
not use; ksiama sneeze, maksiamo not sneeze; stoka destroy, mastoko not destroy.
3. Finally, if the stem begins with a single obstruent consonant, the negative prefix takes the form of
a nasal which agrees in place of articulation with the obstruent. If the obstruent is a continuant, it
changes into the closest corresponding non-continuant: e.g., fona praise, mpono not praise; huata
like, nkuato not like; kahta hit, nkahto not hit; lhyua enter, ntlyuo not enter; pata be tall,
mpato not be tall; siehpa write, ntsiehpo not write; tlelha find, ntlelho not find; tolha stand
up, ntolho not stand up; tsupa be lost, ntsupo not be lost.
The following example sentences include verbs to which the negative particle has been prefixed:
(7.35) Yhmana
manuho
hial`
o
outside.loc neg.cold.ipv:neg today
Its not cold out today

7.3. NEGATION

147

(7.36) Ounana kahoi

miasuhunka
le
bear.loc fish.dat neg.eat.want.ipv:pst:neg it:seems
The bear didnt want to eat the fish, it seems
Note that when m- immediately precedes the progressive aspect prefix i-, the latter lowers to become e-,
unless it is followed by a non-glide vowel. The perfect aspect prefix u- lowers to become o- under the same
conditions. Compare:
siehpa
isiehpa
usiehpa

writes, will write

is writing
has written

ntsiehpo
mesiehpo
mosiehpo

doesnt write, wont write

isnt writing
hasnt written

When some other constituent besides the verb is in the scope of negation, that constituent appears between
the negative particle and the verb, with the particle occurring in its unbound form ntse rather than as
a prefix. For instance, when some dependent of the verb is focused in the scope of negation, it follows
ntse. This is illustrated in (7.37), where Elimma is being contrasted with another participant. Ntse also
precedes unmarked noun phrases, which must be immediately adjacent to the verb, as discussed in 4.6. An
example is given in (7.38), where the noun maka, interpreted as a generic or non-referential object, intervenes
between negation and the verb. Finally, (7.39) gives an example where the negative particle and the verb
are separated by an adverbial and a dative noun phrase, both interpreted within the scope of negation.
(7.37) Kohui umot
ntse Elimma
iasout,
tluosna Sakialma
berry all.rdat neg Elim.erg eat.pv:neg.pl but
Sakial.erg
Its not Elim who ate all the berries, but Sakial
(7.38) Elimma
ntse maka iaso
Elim.erg neg meat eat.ipv:neg
Elim doesnt eat meat
(7.39) Ne
ntse emiantena Tenmotlaie
etot
3anom neg how:often Tenmotlai.dat go.ipv:neg.pl
They dont go to Tenmotlai very often
The following examples provide minimal pairs illustrating the effect of word order on the interpretation of
negative sentences. In (7.40) the negative marker attaches to the verb, whereas in (7.41) it precedes kihoin
letter. Although the two sentences are translated in more or less the same way, they differ semantically.
The first sentence would tend to receive a focus-neutral interpretation, paraphrasable as It is not the case
that the student is writing a letter. In the second example a portion of the sentence following ntse is being
focused. There are two possibilities: If the focus is on kihoin, then the meaning of the sentence is Its not
a letter that the student is writing (but something else); here we say that negation scopes over kihoin.
Alternatively, the whole phrase kihoin isiehpo can act as the focus and scope for negation, in which case the
meaning is Its not writing a letter that the student is engaged in (but some other activity).
(7.40) Ispakama
kihoin
mesiehpo
student.erg letter.dat neg.prg.write.ipv:neg
The student is not writing a letter
(7.41) Ispakama
ntse kihoin
isiehpo
student.erg neg letter.dat prg.write.ipv:neg
The student is not writing a letter
Consider also the pair of examples below. In (7.42) the quantificational phrase tsokoimpa miante a number
of strangers follows the negative marker ntse, and is interpretated inside the scope of negation, yielding
the reading It is not the case that Elim met a number of strangers. In (7.43) the quantificational phrase

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

precedes the negative marker (here realized as the prefix n-), and is thus outside the scope of negation. This
results in a subtly different interpretation, roughly paraphrasable as A number of strangers are such that
Elim didnt meet them.
(7.42) Eleim
ntse tsokoimpa miante
tsokuou
Elim.dat neg stranger
many:nom meet.pv:neg
Elim didnt meet very many strangers
(7.43) Eleim
tsokoimpa miante
ntsokuou
Elim.dat stranger
many:nom neg.meet.pv:neg
There are a number of strangers who Elim didnt meet
A final pair of examples illustrating the scope of negation is given below. Notice how the placement of the
negative marker is reflected in the English translations.
(7.44) Inkime
ntse oite
m`
a
utso
3aerg:12dat neg important.tnzr something pf.say.ipv:neg
She hasnt told us anything of importance
(7.45) Inkime
oite
m`
a
motso
3aerg:12dat important.tnzr something neg.pf.say.ipv:neg
Theres something important that she hasnt told us
Attachment of the negative marker to other word classes
Besides appearing on the verb, the negative marker also attaches to certain preverbal elements. Examples
include the focus operators ntsilas not only and ntsohkina not even (see 8.2.1); and the aspectual elements
ntseima no longer, ntsuta not yet, and ntsoke not going to (8.4.2). Various negative quantifiers and
quantificational adverbials can also be formed by adding the negative particle to a correlative element. These
include the following (see 6.7.1 for a complete list):
ntsam`
a
ntsemi`
o
ntsemi`e
ntsemi

none, nothing, not any [inanimate]

none, no-one, not any [animate]
nowhere
never

Note that when one of these elements combines with a noun, the negative element detaches from the
correlative and precedes the noun as ntse. Compare:
ntsam`
a
ntsemi`
o

nothing
no-one

ntse iase m`
a
ntse pyi mi`
o

no food
no children

Negative operators, quantifiers, and adverbials all precede the verb, to the left of any noun phrases inside
the scope of negation and to the right of noun phrases which are outside the scope of negation. As with
ntse, the verb is suffixed with the negative form of the appropriate tense/aspect/mood suffix. Examples:
(7.46) Ma
ntsam`
a etsou
1serg nothing say.pv:neg
I said nothing or I didnt say anything
(7.47) Ntsemiohma m`
a
etsou
nobody.erg something say.pv:neg
Nobody said anything

7.3. NEGATION

149

(7.48) Ma
ntse talak
m`
a
ikpunka
1serg neg money some prg.carry.ipv:pst:neg
I was not carrying any money
(7.49) Im`e
halm`
a
ntsemiena
itleilho
1sall book.nom nowhere.loc prg.find:res.ipv:neg
My book is nowhere to be found (lit. My book is found nowhere)
(7.50) Ne
ntsemi Tenmotlaie
uto
3anom never Tenmotlai.dat pf.go.ipv:neg
She has never been/gone to Tenmotlai
Other particles indicating polarity
In negative clauses the verb is sometimes followed by the emphatic particle iahok, which highlights the
negation (see 8.2.2). Negative imperatives (prohibitives) feature the particle iak, while emphatic negative
questions may be marked with the particle iakin. Examples include:
(7.51) It`e
mekesto
iahok
iman
3iall neg.prg.happy.ipv:neg neg:emph 1sloc
Im not at all happy about this
(7.52) Ku
mankilho
iak
2nom neg.leave.ipv:neg neg:imp
Dont leave!
(7.53) Sakiale
motsokuo
iakin?
Sakial.nom neg.pf.meet.ipv:neg neg:emph:qu
Havent you ever met Sakial before? or Have you really never met Sakial?
Note finally that ntse and m- alternate with two other preverbal negative particles, namely ntsu and ntsune.
The former expresses negated coordination, and appears in a construction where it is repeated before each
conjunct (ntsu ... ntsu ... is equivalent to English neither ... nor ...). Note that only the second conjunct
is marked for case, while the first conjunct appears in the unmarked form. Notice also that in the example
below the verb takes the negative form of the tense/aspect suffix, but does not carry plural agreement with
the ergative argument (ntsu Sakial ntsu im`
a ).
(7.54) Halma atai
eima ntsu
Sakial ntsu im`
a
utalo
book
that:dat still neither Sakial nor
1serg pf.read.ipv:neg
Neither Sakial nor I have read that book yet
Ntsune is used in place of ntse or m- to put emphatic focus on the negation, as when the speaker wishes to
contradict a previous assertion or implication. For example, (7.55) below would be used to make a simple
statement, while (7.56) would be used if the speaker wishes to disagree with an earlier claim that the water
was hot. The positive counterpart of ntsune is hi`
o, which may be used to contradict a previous negative
statement, as in (7.57). (Note the presence of the emphatic particle ha, used when the sentence conveys
information which the speaker believes will be unexpected or surprising to the addressee; see 8.2.2.)
(7.55) Nahe
mekailo
water.nom neg.prg.hot.ipv:neg
The water isnt hot

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.56) Nahe
ntsune ikailo
ha
water.nom neg
prg.hot.ipv:neg in:fact
No, in fact the water is not hot
(7.57) Nahe
hi`
o ikaila
ha
water.nom pos prg.hot.ipv in:fact
On the contrary, the water is hot
The particles hi`
o and ntsune can also be used as utterances by themselves, equivalent to English yes
and no: Hi`
o is used to answer a yes/no question in the affirmative, to signal agreement with a previous
positive assertion or implication, or to contradict a previous negative assertion or implication. Ntsune is
used to answer a yes/no question in the negative, to signal agreement with a previous negative assertion or
implication, or to contradict a positive assertion or implication.
Hi`
o and ntsune can also stand in for a predicate phrase which has been elided. Hi`
o (like English
do/does/did) replaces a positive predicate, while ntsune (like dont/doesnt/didnt) replaces a negative
predicate:
(7.58) Sakiale
sihkunoi etyi, le
Elime
ntsune
Sakial.nom river.dat go.pv but Elim.nom neg
Sakial went to the river, but Elim didnt
(7.59) Sakiale
sihkunoi metou,
le
Elime
hi`
o
Sakial.nom river.dat neg.go.pv:neg but Elim.nom pos
Sakial didnt go to the river, but Elim did
These particles are not used in the so-called stripping construction, where two clauses containing contrasting
focused noun phrases are conjoined with one another, and everything except the focused phrase is omitted
from the second conjunct (see 8.2.1 for more examples). In this construction, if the second conjunct is
negated, the focused phrase is preceded by the regular negative particle ntse, just as it is when the first
conjunct is negated:
(7.60) Ias`e
te
Sakialma
ketyi,
ntse Elimma
food.nom foc Sakial.erg bring:here.pv neg Elim.erg
Its Sakial who brought the food, not Elim
(7.61) Ias`e
ntse Sakialma
ketou,
tluosna Elimma
food.nom neg Sakial.erg bring:here.pv:neg instead Elim.erg
Its not Sakial who brought the food, but Elim

7.4

Tense, aspect, and mood

In addition to number agreement (7.2), verbs in Okuna inflect for tense, aspect, mood, and polarity. The
type of inflection differs for verbs in main clauses versus verbs in dependent clauses. In this section I focus
on main clause verbs. For discussion of aspect, mood, and polarity inflection in dependent clauses, see 10.2.
Tense, aspect, mood, and polarity are marked on the verb by a combination of suffixes and prefixes. I
briefly consider these in turn before presenting some sample verb conjugations in 7.4.1.
Suffixal morphology
Verbs in main clauses mark the following features by means of suffixation:

7.4. TENSE, ASPECT, AND MOOD

151

1. Two mood categories are distinguished. The indicative mood is used when the clause denotes an
actual or possible state of affairs, while the conditional mood is used when it denotes a contingent
or hypothetical state of affairs. E.g., ma uhna I sing, I will sing (indicative), versus ma uhnike I
would sing (conditional).
2. For verbs in the indicative mood, a two-way tense distinction is made: non-past tense is used for
states and events which overlap or follow the moment of speaking, and for generic or timeless states
and events; while past tense is used for states and events which precede the moment of speaking. E.g.,
ma uhna I sing, I will sing, I habitually sing (non-past), versus ma uhnyi I sang (past).
3. A two-way aspect distinction is made in the past tense: perfective aspect is used for single events
when viewed as complete(d); while imperfective aspect is used for ongoing, habitual, or otherwise
unbounded states of affairs. E.g., ma uhnyi I sang (perfective), versus ma uhnanka I used to sing
(imperfective). Note that conditional and non-past indicative verbs always pattern as imperfective.
4. Finally, for each combination of tense, aspect, and mood features, a different ending is used depending
on the polarity of the clause: one set of endings is used on verbs in positive clauses, while another
set is used for verbs in negative clauses. E.g., ma hoti uhna I always sing, versus ma ntsemi uhno
I never sing.
The table below gives the complete set of tense, aspect, mood, and polarity endings found in main clauses.
The abbreviations used in the glosses are given in parentheses after each suffix, while their functions are
discussed in 7.4.27.4.6. Note that when the past imperfective negative suffix -unka is added to a stem
ending in a glide, the u lowers to o in accordance with the rules of vowel hiatus summarized in 3.5.3: e.g,
laki- hunt + -unka > lakionka. Likewise, when the conditional suffix -ike is added to a glide-final stem,
the i lowers to e: e.g., tsoku- meet + -ike > tsokueke.
non-past imperfective
past imperfective
(past) perfective
conditional

positive
-a
(ipv)
-anka (ipv:pst)
-yi
(pv)
-ike
(cond)

-o
-unka
-ou
-oike

negative
(ipv:neg)
(ipv:pst:neg)
(pv:neg)
(cond:neg)

The tense/aspect/mood/polarity suffixes immediately precede any number agreement suffixes attached to
the verb (cf. 7.2). For reference, the following table presents all of the permissible combinations of these
suffixes found on main clause verbs. These are grouped into rows according to tense/aspect/mood/polarity,
and into columns according to number agreement.
ipv
ipv:neg
ipv:pst
ipv:pst:neg
pv
pv:neg
cond
cond:neg

sg
-a
-o
-anka
-unka
-yi
-ou
-ike
-oike

pl
-at
-ot
-ankat
-unkat
-yit
-out
-ikit
-oikit

npl
-aua
-oua
-ankaua
-unkaua
-yia
-oua
-ikeua
-oikeua

npl+pl
-auat
-ouat
-ankauat
-unkauat
-yiat
-ouat
-ikeuat
-oikeuat

dpl
-ama
-oma
-ankama
-unkama
-yima
-ouma
-ikima
-oikima

dpl+pl
-amat
-omat
-ankamat
-unkamat
-yimat
-oumat
-ikimat
-oikimat

epl
-ane
-one
-ankane
-unkane
-yine
-oune
-ikine
-oikine

epl+pl
-anit
-onit
-ankanit
-unkanit
-yinit
-ounit
-ikinit
-oikinit

Notice that the conditional suffixes -ike and -oike become -iki and -oiki, respectively, when followed by a
number agreement suffix beginning with a consonant. The conditional suffixes also have raising of final e to
i before the bound question marker -n (discussed in 9.3.2):
Na uhnike
Na muhnoike

She would sing

She wouldnt sing

Na uhn`kin?
Na muhn`
oikin?

Would she sing?

Wouldnt she sing?

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

Prefixal morphology
Besides the suffixes discussed above, verbs in the past and non-past imperfective, as well as the conditional,
may take one of two prefixes to mark a further set of aspectual distinctions. The prefix i- or e- marks the
progressive (prg) aspect, while the prefix u- or o- marks the perfect (pf) aspect. When an imperfective
or conditional verb does not carry one of these prefixes, it is said to be in the imperfect aspect. Roughly
speaking, the progressive is used for states of affairs viewed as current or ongoing; the perfect for states and
events viewed after the fact; and the imperfect for generic, habitual, and future states of affairs:
imperfect
progressive
perfect

ma hosta
ma ihosta
ma uhosta

I dance; I will dance

I am dancing
I have danced

The progressive and perfect prefixes each have two allomorphs, whose distribution is governed by both
phonological and morphological factors. The e- and o- variants are used when the prefix attaches to a stem
beginning with a glide vowel (such as iona know or uohta sit), in accordance with the vowel hiatus rules
discussed in 3.5.3. In addition, e- and o- are used when the prefix attaches to a stem beginning with a
consonant, just in case the prefix is in turn preceded by the bound negative marker m- (see 7.3). The iand u- variants appear elsewhere. Compare the following partial paradigms for kahta hit, aktapa help,
and iasa eat:
pos

neg

imperfect
progressive
perfect

kahta
ikahta
ukahta

nkahto
mekahto
mokahto

hits, will hit

is hitting
has hit

imperfect
progressive
perfect

aktapa
iaktapa
uaktapa

maktapo
miaktapo
muaktapo

helps, will help

is helping
has helped

imperfect
progressive
perfect

iasa
eiasa
oiasa

miaso
meiaso
moiaso

eats, will eat

is eating
has eaten

In addition, when the aspectual prefixes are added to a stem beginning with a non-glide high vowel, that
vowel lowers to become the corresponding mid vowel (again due to the vowel hiatus rules discussed in 3.5.3).
For instance, adding i- to ikla scratch yields iekla is scratching (negative mieklo is not scratching), while
adding u- gives uekla has scratched (mueklo has not scratched). Likewise, adding i- and u- to uhna sing
yields iohna is singing (miohno is not singing) and uohna has sung (muohno has not sung), respectively.

7.4.1

Verb conjugations

In the discussion which follows, I will use abbreviated names for certain tense-aspect combinations. These
are noted in the following table:
tense
non-past
non-past
non-past
past
past
past
past

aspect
(suffixal)
imperfective
imperfective
imperfective
imperfective
imperfective
imperfective
perfective

aspect
(prefixal)
imperfect
progressive
perfect
imperfect
progressive
perfect

abbreviated
name
imperfect
progressive
perfect
past imperfect
past progressive
past perfect
perfective

7.4. TENSE, ASPECT, AND MOOD

153

The paradigms below illustrate the permissible tense/aspect/mood forms found in main clauses, using the
verbs siehpa write (with the consonant-final stem siehp-) and paua wash (with the glide-final stem pau-).
The positive forms are given in the first column, and their negative counterparts in the second column. The
latter are shown with the bound negative particle m- attached (see 7.3; note that m- + siehp- becomes
ntsiehp- due to the regular assimilation rules discussed in 3.5.2). The third column gives approximate
English equivalents for each tense/aspect/mood form.
pos

neg

imperfect
progressive
perfect

siehpa
isiehpa
usiehpa

ntsiehpo
mesiehpo
mosiehpo

write(s), will write

is writing, has been writing
wrote, has written

past imperfect
past progressive
past perfect

siehpanka
isiehpanka
usiehpanka

ntsiehpunka
mesiehpunka
mosiehpunka

wrote, would write, used to write

was writing, had been writing
had written

imperfect conditional
progressive conditional
perfect conditional

siehpike
isiehpike
usiehpike

ntsiehpoike
mesiehpoike
mosiehpoike

would write
would be writing
would have written

perfective

siehpyi

ntsiehpou

wrote

pos

neg

imperfect
progressive
perfect

paua
ipaua
upaua

mpauo
mepauo
mopauo

wash(es), will wash

is washing, has been washing
washed, has washed

past imperfect
past progressive
past perfect

pauanka
ipauanka
upauanka

mpauonke
mepauonke
mopauonke

washed, would wash, used to wash

was washing, had been washing
had washed

imperfect conditional
progressive conditional
perfect conditional

paueke
ipaueke
upaueke

mpauoike
mepauoike
mopauoike

would wash
would be washing
would have washed

perfective

pauyi

mpauou

washed

Irregular verbs
A handful of verbs show certain irregularities in how they inflect for tense, aspect, mood, and polarity. For
instance, the following eight verbs, whose stems all begin with e, mark prefixal aspect by replacing the e
with i in the progressive and u in the perfect (or e in the progressive and o in the perfect when the negative
prefix m- is added):

ekpeskestetetsetskanetskastetskop-

prg

pf

ikpiskistititsitskanitskastitskop-

ukpuskustututsutskanutskastutskop-

carry, bring/take, hold

ask, request
reach, succeed
go, come
say, tell
arrive, appear
summon, call, produce
realize

That these verbs are genuinely irregular is shown by the fact that all other verbs whose stems begin with e
form the progressive and perfect aspects according to the normal rules for vowel-initial verbs: e.g., eka be

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

empty, progressive ieka is empty, perfect ueka has been empty.

To illustrate this irregularity, I give the paradigm for eta:
pos

neg

imperfect
progressive
perfect

eta
ita
uta

meto
meto
moto

go(es), will go
is going, has been going
went, has gone

past imperfect
past progressive
past perfect

etanka
itanka
utanka

metunka
metunka
motunka

went, would go, used to go

was going, had been going
had gone

imperfect conditional
progressive conditional
perfect conditional

etike
itike
utike

metoike
metoike
motoike

would go
would be going
would have gone

perfective

etyi

metou

went

Only three other verbs show irregularities in their conjugations: the copula he (discussed in 9.3.1), and the
deictic verbs ts`
a be over here [near me] and k`
a be here/there [near you/us] (discussed briefly in 5.3.2).
The paradigm for he is given below. Notice that he is not only highly irregular but also morphologically
deficient, in that it fails to inflect for the full range of tense and aspect distinctions: there are no progressive
forms, and, since he is a stative verb, there are no perfective forms either. (The negative forms are given
here without the bound negative marker m-, since this element never attaches directly to the copula, but
always precedes the complement of the copula; cf. 9.3.1.)
pos

neg

imperfect
perfect

he
heu

ho
hou

is/am/are, will be
has been

past imperfect
past perfect

nka
heunka

hunka
hounka

was/were
had been

imperfect conditional
perfect conditional

heike
heuke

hoike
heuoike

would be
would have been

The paradigms for ts`

a and k`
a are given below. The slight irregularities found here are due to the fact that
these are the only two verbs in the language whose stems end in a non-glide vowel (tla- and ka-, respectively).
pos

neg

imperfect
progressive
perfect

ts`
a
its`
a
uts`
a

ntsau
metsau
motsau

is here, will be here

is here, has been here
was here, has been here

past imperfect
past progressive
past perfect

tsanka
itsanka
utsanka

ntsaunka
metsaunka
motsaunka

was here, used to be here

was here, had been here
had been here

imperfect conditional
progressive conditional
perfect conditional

tsaike
itsaike
utsaike

ntsauoike
metsauoike
motsauoike

would be here
would be here
would have been here

7.4. TENSE, ASPECT, AND MOOD

155

pos

neg

imperfect
progressive
perfect

k`
a
ik`
a
uk`
a

nkau
mekau
mokau

is there, will be there

is there, has been there
was there, has been there

past imperfect
past progressive
past perfect

kanka
ikanka
ukanka

nkaunka
mekaunka
mokaunka

was there, used to be there

was there, had been there
had been there

imperfect conditional
progressive conditional
perfect conditional

kaike
ikaike
ukaike

nkauoike
mekauoike
mokauoike

would be there
would be there
would have been there

The functions of the different tense, aspect, and mood forms are discussed and illustrated in the following
subsections: 7.4.2 deals with the past and non-past imperfect, 7.4.3 with the past and non-past progressive,
and 7.4.4 with the past and non-past perfect. In 7.4.5 I discuss the perfective and illustrate the differences
between the perfective and the perfect, while in 7.4.6 I discuss the conditional mood.

7.4.2

Imperfect

As noted above, the non-past imperfective is marked on the verb by the suffix -a in positive clauses, and -o in
negative clauses (these suffixes are glossed ipv and ipv:neg, respectively). The past imperfective is marked
by the suffix -anka in positive clauses, and -unka in negative clauses (glossed ipv:pst and ipv:pst:neg,
respectively). When these suffixes are used without the progressive or perfect aspectual prefix, the verb is
said to be in the imperfect aspect.
The non-past imperfect tends to be used in contexts where English would use the simple present tense,
while the past imperfect corresponds to the simple past. With Class I verbs denoting an inherent or nontransitory property predicated of some individual (or group of individuals), the non-past imperfect form is
used when the individual holds the property at the time when the sentence is uttered. The past imperfect
is used when the individual held the property at some point in the past, but perhaps no longer does so.
(7.62) Mo
tiaht`e
pata
1srdat grandfather.nom tall.ipv
My grandfather is tall
(7.63) Mo
tiaht`e
patanka
1srdat grandfather.nom tall.ipv:pst
My grandfather was tall
(7.64) Pal`
o
sihkunu utena
tima
village.nom river
near.loc lie.ipv
The village lies near a river
(7.65) Sakiale
ameia
akiel
ohtlanka
Sakial.nom mother.all appearance resemble.ipv:pst
Sakial looked like his mother
Class I verbs also take the imperfect in generic sentencesthat is, when the property in question is predicated
of an entire class of entities rather than a particular individual or group of individuals. The non-past imperfect
is used when the clause expresses a generalization that holds at the present moment, while the past imperfect
is used for generalizations that applied at some point in the past (but may or may not apply at the present
moment).

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.66) Kotiem`e
inie ampiohna
kote pekme
yla
raccoon.nom eyes around.loc black patch.inst have.ipv
Raccoons have black patches around their eyes
(7.67) Palu
itan
koinma
es sul
iapme
komankat
village that:loc person.erg one language other.inst speak.ipv:pst.pl
People in that village used to speak a different language
Similarly with Class II and Class III verbs denoting events, the imperfect form is used in generic and
habitual clauses. To express current generalizations or habitual actions (those overlapping with the moment
of speaking), the non-past imperfect is used; while the past imperfect is used for habitual actions which are
no longer being carried out and generalizations which no longer hold.
(7.68) Kitoleuma
kepehots iasa
squirrel.erg acorn
eat.ipv
Squirrels eat acorns
(7.69) Sakialma
kahu pala
Sakial.erg fish catch.ipv
Sakial catches fish or Sakial is a fisherman
(7.70) Sakialma
ekan
tsuhpa
Sakial.erg here:loc live.ipv
Sakial lives here
(7.71) Sakialma
ekan
tsuhpanka
Sakial.erg here:loc live.ipv:pst
Sakial lived here or Sakial used to live here
(7.72) Sa
kotsim
ekina
sihkununa sihpat
13erg morning every:time river.loc swim.ipv.pl
We go swimming in the river every morning
(7.73) Halai
iolhmohka, sa
kotsim
ekina
sihkununa sihpankat
summer last:year
13erg morning every:time river.loc swim.ipv:pst.pl
Last summer, we went / would go swimming in the river every morning
The non-past imperfect is also used to express a future event:
(7.74) Ma
losaka
eta
1serg firewood.all go.ipv
Ill go get (some) firewood
(7.75) Ikimme Sakiale
afa
12inst Sakial.nom come:along.ipv
Sakial is coming with us
It is usually possible to determine from context whether a verb in the non-past imperfect is referring to
a generic/habitual event or a future event. When necessary, these senses can be distinguished by adding
an adverbial or other temporal modifier to the sentence. For example, modifiers like hoti always, kyfalu
usually, as a rule, ela in each case, or kotsim ekina every morning bring out the generic or habitual
interpretation (cf. example (7.72) above). To emphasize a future tense reading, an expression like elohfoi
tomorrow, l`
o henme efoi in two days, hatlam soon, laisne just, or oke in the future, by and by may be
added to the clause. Verbs modified by oke are usually translated using the be going to construction, while
laisne expresses immediate future when used in combination with the non-past imperfect and corresponds
to be (just) about to.

7.4. TENSE, ASPECT, AND MOOD

157

(7.76) Ma
koi
elohfoi
kuola
1serg 2nom tomorrow meet.ipv
Ill meet you tomorrow
(7.77) Sakialma
kihoin
oke
siehpa
Sakial.erg letter.dat going:to write.ipv
Sakial is going to write a letter
(7.78) Se
laisne ilaltat
13nom just
go:to:shore.ipv.pl
Were just about to go down to the shore
Just as the non-past imperfect form can be used to express a future event, the past imperfect form can be
used to express a future-in-the-past eventthat is, an event which, at a certain point in time in the past,
had not yet happened but was expected to happen (cf. English would leave, was going to leave, was about
to leave). To specify the future-in-the-past reading, the verb is normally accompanied by an adverbial such
as oke or laisne.
(7.79) Sakialma
kihoin
oke
siehpanka
Sakial.erg letter.dat going:to write.ipv:pst
Sakial was going to write a letter
(7.80) Lhat`e
laisne sihkunoua nkilhankat
unma
ahatit
children.nom just
river.all leave.ipv:pst.pl 3ardat.1serg pv.call.pt.pl
The children were just about to leave for the river when I called them (back)
Finally, clauses in the non-past imperfect is used to express commands, wishes, or suggestions. Here the nonpast imperfect is often used in combination with the postverbal imperative/optative marker na (expressing
a command or wish) or nem (expressing a suggestion). In commands, the second person subject may be
omitted (see 9.3.3 for more discussion of imperative sentences):
(7.81) (Ko) temie paua
2erg hands wash.ipv
Wash your hands!
(7.82) Tiakoi
iase uktiama
na
goat.dat food give.ipv.dpl imp
Go feed the goats! or The goats should be fed
(7.83) Kue ikpihanene
tlelha
na
2dat prg.seek.dep.cnzr.nom find.ipv imp
May you find what youre looking for
(7.84) Kihoin
siehpa
nem
letter.dat write.ipv why:not
Why dont you write a letter?
(7.85) Kimot
elohfoi
Tenmotlaie
etat
nem
12:all:nom tomorrow Tenmotlai.dat go.ipv.pl why:not
Lets all go to Tenmotlai tomorrow

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7.4.3

CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

Progressive

The verb carries progressive inflection when it denotes a state or event which is being viewed as ongoing
with respect to the present moment, or with respect to some other contextually-relevant past or future event.
As noted above, progressive aspect is marked by adding the prefix i- to the verb, in combination with an
imperfective suffix expressing tense and polarity (recall that i- becomes e- when preceded by the negative
marker m- and/or followed by a glide):
itala
metalo

is reading, has been reading

isnt reading, hasnt been reading

(non-past progressive)
(non-past progressive negative)

italanka
metalunka

was reading, had been reading

wasnt reading, hadnt been reading

(past progressive)
(past progressive negative)

When a Class I verb appears in the non-past progressive, it denotes a state of affairs which holds at the
moment of speaking. Here, the non-past progressive is normally translated using the simple present tense in
English (is happy) except when the verb denotes a position or posture, in which case it may correspond to
the English present progressive (is sitting). Likewise, the past progressive denotes a state of affairs which
held at some point prior to the moment of speaking, and corresponds to the English simple past or past
progressive (was tired, was sitting).
(7.86) Pyina
ikesta
child.loc prg.happy.ipv
The child is happy
(7.87) Elime
totsatna
euohta
Elim.nom table.loc prg.sit.ipv
Elim is sitting at the table
(7.88) Sakiale
ihakta
Sakial.nom prg.tired.ipv
Sakial is tired
(7.89) Sakiale
teusu ihaktanka
elohka
Sakial.nom very prg.tired.ipv:pst yesterday
Sakial was very tired yesterday
(7.90) Kale
euolhna
itoilhankat
man.nom over:there.loc prg.stand:res.ipv:pst.pl
The men were standing over there
For the most part, the progressive is used only with Class I verbs denoting states which are transitory,
and not thought of as inherent or necessary properties of the individual in question (e.g., kesta be happy,
mouta be sick). Verbs expressing permanent or integral characteristics of an individual (e.g., pata be tall)
almost always appear in the imperfect instead of the progressive. Many Class I verbs can describe either a
permanent state or a transitory state, depending on the context or the choice of theme argument. For such
verbs, the choice between the progressive and the imperfect correlates with this difference in interpretation.
Compare the following pairs of sentences:
(7.91) Sakiale
imouta
Sakial.nom prg.sick.ipv
Sakial is sick (now)
(7.92) Sakiale
mouta
Sakial.nom sick.ipv
Sakial is sickly/infirm (i.e., has a chronic condition)

7.4. TENSE, ASPECT, AND MOOD

159

(7.93) Sakiale
imuntanka
Sakial.nom prg.drunk.ipv:pst
Sakial was drunk (at a certain point in time)
(7.94) Sakiale
muntanka
Sakial.nom drunk.ipv:pst
Sakial was (habitually) drunk or Sakial was a drunkard
(7.95) Halm`
a
totsat epamna itima
book.nom table top.loc prg.lie.ipv
The book is lying on the table (transitory location)
(7.96) Palu
tan
loka
pahaina
tima
village that:nom forest beyond.loc lie.ipv
That village lies beyond the forest (permanent location)
Occasionally a verb denoting an inherent property will appear in the progressive rather than the imperfect.
In such cases the progressive serves to emphasize that the individual in question possesses the property now,
but did not do so in the past:
(7.97) Me
ihka
mitianka,
le
takan inasa
1snom earlier weak.ipv:pst but now prg.strong.ipv
I used to be weak, but now Im strong
When an eventive (Class II or Class III) verb inflects for the progressive, the clause is understood to denote
a particular event which is ongoing (overlaps with) some contextually-relevant point in time. The non-past
progressive is normally used for an event which is ongoing at the moment of speaking, and corresponds
closely to the present progressive in English (is eating). The past progressive is used when the event was
ongoing at some time in the past, and corresponds to the English past progressive (was eating).
(7.98) Elimma
homa eiasa
Elim.nom bread prg.eat.ipv
Elim is eating bread
(7.99) Elimma
homa eiasanka
me
haloi
alhyue
Elim.nom bread prg.eat.ipv 1snom room.dat pv.enter.pf
Elim was eating bread when I entered the room
The progressive is also used when the clause expresses a state of affairs which began in the past and has
persisted up to the present moment. When used in this way, the non-past progressive often corresponds to
the English present perfect or present perfect progressive (has been tired, has been sitting); while the past
progressive corresponds to the past perfect or past perfect progressive (had been tired, had been sitting).
The clause generally includes a temporal measure phrase, often in the dative case and preceded by kas so
far, as of now/then, already:
(7.100) Sakiale
lem emuohpi
ihakta
Sakial.nom day whole:time prg.tired.ipv
Sakial has been tired all day
(7.101) Ne
tsulna
kas
luom hein
isailha
3anom bed.loc so:far hour two.dat prg.lie.pv
She has been lying on the bed for two hours

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.102) Ne
tsulna
kas
luom hein
isailhanka
me
haloi
alhyue
3anom bed.loc so:far hour two.dat prg.lie.pv:pst 1snom room.dat pv.enter.pt
She had been lying on the bed for two hours when I entered the room
Note also the following example. As in (7.102) above, the main clause, with its verb in the past progressive,
establishes a temporal context for the event denoted by the perfective participial clause. Here, however, the
past progressive verb is instead translated using the simple past (was young):
(7.103) Motl`
a
eima teusu ifihanka
no
am`e
atioke
Motla.nom still very prg.young.ipv:pst 3ardat mother.nom pv.die.pt
Motla was still very young when his mother died
Combining progressive marking with an adverbial indicating futurity (such as oke going to, hatlam soon),
or a dependent clause headed by hulne hekuna by the time (that), yields a future progressive interpretation
(will be sleeping):
(7.104) Pyima
hatlam imuelhat
child.erg soon
prg.sleep.ipv.pl
The children will soon be sleeping
(7.105) Se
nioktata
hulne
hekuna,
pyima
imuelhat
13nom return.dep.pl at:the:latest when.loc child.erg prg.sleep.ipv.pl
By the time we get back, the children will be sleeping
The progressive can also express an event in the immediate future, much as in English. However, using
the progressive to indicate futurity is less common in Okuna than it is in English: more often the non-past
imperfect is used (7.4.2). The progressive with future meaning occurs mostly with verbs such as nkilha
leave, which express punctual events (i.e., events viewed as being instantaneous):
(7.106) Me
elohfoi
inkilha
1snom tomorrow prg.leave.ipv
Im leaving tomorrow or Ill be leaving tomorrow

7.4.4

Perfect

Perfect aspect is marked by the adding the prefix u- to the verb (o- after the negative prefix m- or before a
glide), in combination with an imperfective suffix indicating the tense and polarity of the clause:
usiehpa
mosiehpo

has written, will have written

hasnt written, wont have written

(non-past perfect)
(non-past perfect negative)

usiehpanka
mosiehpunka

had written
hadnt written

(past perfect)
(past perfect negative)

Use of the perfect aspect indicates that the event or state denoted by the verb properly precedes some other
discourse-salient point in time. For the non-past imperfect, this point in time is normally the moment when
the sentence is uttered. Verbs in the non-past perfect are usually translated using the present perfect (has
read) in English:
(7.107) Na
halma utai
ehenna utala
3aerg book that:rdat twice
pf.read.ipv
She has read that book twice

7.4. TENSE, ASPECT, AND MOOD

161

The non-past perfect is similar in meaning to the perfective, and often they can be used interchangeably
without significantly altering the entailments of the sentence. However, the two forms are not identical in
meaning. The perfective identifies a particular event and asserts that that event is complete(d); whereas the
non-past perfect indicates that a given type of event occurred at one or more times in the past, or that a
given state of affairs was in effect at some point prior to the present moment. Compare:
(7.108) Ik`e
kankilhyi
dog.nom run:away.pv
The dog ran away (then)
(7.109) Ik`e
ukankilha
dog.nom pf.run:away.ipv
The dog ran away (at some point or other)
or The dog has run away
For more on the difference between the non-past perfect and the perfective, see the discussion in 7.4.5 below.
When accompanied by an element expressing futurity, such as oke be going to or hulne elohfoi by
tomorrow, no later than tomorrow, the non-past perfect can be used where English requires the future
perfect (will have finished):
(7.110) Hulne
ielmefoi,
na
hafe
kotoi
tiespe
uoslat
at:the:latest next:month 3aerg new.tnzr house.dat build.cv pf.finish.ipv.pl
By next month, they will have finished building the new house
The past perfect in Okuna is essentially equivalent to the past perfect in English: both forms are used when
the event or state is already over with respect to some contextually-determined point in time in the past.
(7.111) Lhatima
uta
umuelhtankat
me
alontsein
aniokte
children.erg already pf.sleep.tinc.ipv:pst.pl 1snom campsite.dat pv.return.pt
The children had already gone to sleep by the time I returned to the campsite

7.4.5

Perfective

The perfective is marked by adding the suffix -yi to the verb in positive clauses, and -ou in negative clauses:
e.g., siehpyi wrote, ntsiehpou did not write (in the examples, -yi and -ou are glossed pv and pv:neg,
respectively). Only verbs denoting eventsthat is, verbs belonging to Class II or Class IIIhave perfective
forms; stative verbs appear only in the imperfective and the conditional. Note also that perfective marking
is not compatible with the progressive or perfect aspects (marked by i- and u-, respectively). Hence, verbs
in the perfective never carry an aspectual prefix.
The perfective form is used when the clause denotes a single complete event, viewed in its entirety, which
precedes the moment of speaking. The perfective corresponds fairly closely to the simple past form in English
(wrote). However, when denoting a recently completed event, it can also be translated using the English
present perfect (has written), especially when the clause contains an adverbial such as laisne just or uta
already.
(7.112) Elimma
kihoin
siehpyi
Elim.erg letter.dat write.pv
Elim wrote the letter
(7.113) Elimma
kihoin
laisne siehpyi
Elim.erg letter.dat just
write.pv
Elim just wrote the letter or Elim has just written the letter

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.114) Elimma
kihoin
uta
siehpyi
Elim.erg letter.dat already write.pv
Elim already wrote the letter or Elim has already written the letter
In narratives, a sentence may consist of two or more juxtaposed clauses with verbs in the perfective form,
denoting two or more events which happened in succession. As illustrated below, the order of the clauses
reflects the order in which the events happened. Note the absence of a direct equivalent for and or and
then in these examples.
(7.115) Ih`
a
etyit
inmo
kefihusot etsyit
woman.nom come.pv.pl 3aerg.1srdat news
tell.pv.pl
The women came (and) told me the news
(7.116) Elimma
kihoin
siehpyi
sa
sati iasyit
Elim.erg letter.dat write.pv 13erg meal eat.pv.pl
Elim wrote the letter, (and then) we ate dinner
Perfective versus non-past perfect
As discussed in 7.4.4, the non-past perfect form is normally used when the event or state denoted by the verb
properly precedes the moment when the sentence is uttered. However, it is not (completely) interchangeable
with the perfective. The contrast between these two forms is illustrated by the pair of sentences below. Both
assert that Elim ate whale meat at some point prior to the moment of speaking. When uttering (7.117),
with the verb in the perfective, the speaker is referring to a particular occasion when Elim ate whale meat
(even if it is not known when that event took place). When uttering (7.118), with the verb in the non-past
perfect, the speaker does not have a particular occasion in mind. Instead, the sentence simply asserts that
the event has already happened at least once: eating whale meat is part of Elims experience of the world.
(7.117) Elimma
unto makai
iasyi
Elim.erg whale meat.dat eat.pv
Elim ate (some) whale meat
(7.118) Elimma
unto makai
oiasa
Elim.erg whale meat.dat pf.eat.ipv
Elim has eaten whale meat (before)
While the perfective always picks out a particular episodea specific event or sequence of eventsthe nonpast perfect can refer to a series of unrelated episodes spread out over time. Compare the examples below.
The first implies that there was one fire which destroyed all the houses, while the second is compatible with
a situation where different houses were destroyed by different fires at different times.
(7.119) Tiesat itan
kotu antei
tohauat stokyima
town this:loc house many.dat fire
destroy.pv.dpl
Many houses in this town were destroyed in a fire
(7.120) Tiesat itan
kotu antei
tohauat ustokama
town this:loc house many.dat fire
pf.destroy.ipv.dpl
Many houses in this town have been destroyed by fire(s)
Because the non-past perfect can describe multiple past events or situations spread over a period of time,
this is the form that is generally used with adverbials that quantify over events, such as iehtena three times,
on three (separate) occasions, in three cases:

7.4. TENSE, ASPECT, AND MOOD

163

(7.121) Ma
Elime
iehtena
utsula
1serg Elim.nom three:times.loc pf.visit.ipv
I (have) visited Elim three times
The non-past perfect emphasizes that an event is being viewed after the fact, from the vantage point of the
present moment. Thus, the non-past perfect form is preferred over the perfective when the mere fact that
an event happenedthat it has come to passis what the speaker is choosing to focus on. For example,
(7.122) asserts that the house has the property of having been built by Sakials grandfather; exactly when the
house was built, or under what circumstances, is not as important as the identity of the builder. Likewise,
the non-past perfect is often used to present new and potentially surprising information, especially about
a recent development, as in (7.123). Note that in this sentence, the postverbal particle iam indicates that
the sentence represents unexpected or recently-learned information, which has not yet been fully assimilated
into the speakers consciousness.
(7.122) Olh kotu utai
Sakialu
miahtema
utiespa
dist house that:rdat Sakial.abl grandfather.erg pf.build.ipv
Sakials grandfather (is the one who) built that house over there
(7.123) Sakialu
miaht`e
laisne utioka
iam
Sakial.abl grandfather.nom just
pf.die.ipv it:turns:out
Sakials grandfather (has) just died
The use of the non-past perfect to emphasize that an event has come to pass is especially evident when the
verb is negated. (7.124) below indicates that the event did not take place at the designated time (but may
have occurred at some other time), while (7.125) indicates that the event has so far failed to occur.
(7.124) Sakiale
elohka
metskanou
Sakial.nom yesterday neg.arrive.pv:neg
Sakial didnt arrive yesterday
(7.125) Sakiale
eima motskano
Sakial.nom still neg.pf.arrive.ipv:neg
Sakial hasnt arrived yet

7.4.6

Conditional

The conditional mood is marked on main clause verbs by the suffix -ike (or -iki before a consonant) in positive
clauses, and -oike (or -oiki before a consonant) in negative clauses. The conditional is generally used where
English uses the modal would. Like would, it indicates that the clause represents a hypothetical (potential
or counterfactual) state of affairs, especially one which is contingent on some other state of affairs. As with
the past and non-past imperfective, verbs in the conditional can occur in the imperfect aspect (with no
prefix), the progressive aspect (with prefix i-/e-), or the perfect aspect (with prefix u-/o-). E.g.:
talike
italike
utalike

would read
would be / have been reading
would have read

ntaloike
metaloike
motaloike

would not read

would not be / have been reading
would not have read

The conditional form occurs most often in the apodosis of a conditional sentence (i.e., the then clause in
an if-then construction), when that clause expresses a hypothetical consequence. The imperfective can also
be used in this context, where the choice depends on the speakers assessment of how likely it is that the
event in the conditional clause will come about. Compare:
(7.126) Ikoi
aleut etiuhi
aunme, kue
im`
a
uktia
2sall help sbj.need.dep:sbj if.inst 2dat 1serg give.ipv
If you need help, I will give (it) to you

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.127) Ikoi
aleut etiuhi
aunme, kue
im`
a
uktieke
2sall help sbj.need.dep:sbj if.inst 2dat 1serg give.cond
If you needed help, I would give (it) to you
The progressive and perfect conditional are used mostly in counterfactual sentences, describing a state or
event which might have come about, but failed to do so:
(7.128) Ku
tsipi
ihka
uketuhkai,
kima
kas
sati eiasikit
2nom a:little earlier pf.come:here.cpl.pt:sbj 12erg by:now meal prg.eat.cond.pl
If you had managed to get here a little earlier, we would be eating dinner by now
(7.129) Hial`
o ntse s`
u
ukahpau,
ma
kohui utitieke
today neg rain pf.fall.pt:sbj:neg 1serg berry pf.gather.cond
If it hadnt been raining today, I would have picked berries
(7.130) Oionai
ikuna ihalhkon`
a,
ma
ntse iase tehei
oiasoike
pf.know.pt:sbj 2ploc prg.hungry.dep.nom 1serg neg food rest.dat pf.eat.cond:neg
If (I) had known that you were hungry, I wouldnt have eaten the rest of the food
In questions, use of the conditional mood can signal a polite request. Here the conditional has a softening
effect, making the request less direct:
(7.131) Af`kin
imem?
come:with.cond.qu 1sinst
Would/could (you) come with me?
(7.132) Mi
ueho mian iap
moit`kin?
1sdat wine some more receive.cond.qu
May I have some more wine? (lit. Would I receive some more wine?)
The conditional also has a softening effect when used in combination with the desiderative mood suffix -uh
want to (7.7.1) to express the equivalent of English would like. Compare:
(7.133) Iman Kemotlasei
etuha
1sloc Kemotlasi.dat go.want.ipv
I want to go to Kemotlasi
(7.134) Iman Kemotlasei
etuhike
1sloc Kemotlasi.dat go.want.cond
I would like to go to Kemotlasi
When used in combination with the imperative particle na (in positive clauses) or iak (in negative clauses),
the conditional form expresses a wished-for event, especially if that event failed to occur, or is unlikely to
occur in the future. This construction is more or less equivalent to English if only or would that:
(7.135) Inme
ihka
uteulikit
na
3aerg.1snom earlier pf.listen.cond.pl imp
If only theyd listened to me earlier or Would that they had listened to me earlier
Finally, the conditional is used in the construction illustrated below. Here it corresponds roughly to English
be plus an infinitive clause.
(7.136) Ntsam`
a iap
sukoike
nothing other do.cond:neg
There is nothing else to do (lit. Nothing else would be done)

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

165

(7.137) It`e
tohan
kyitsike
3iall very:much say:about.cond
There is a great deal to say about that
A noun phrase in the instrumental case may be added, creating a construction equivalent to English have
plus an infinitive clause:
(7.138) Imem suklut tlante
uslikeua
1sinst task
so:many:nom finish.cond.npl
I have so many tasks to finish (lit. With me, so many tasks would be done)
(7.139) Sakialme
eima halma ehtei
talikima
Sakial.inst still book three.dat read.cond.dpl
Sakial still has three books (left) to read
(7.140) Ikimme ntsam`
a iap
sukoike
12inst nothing other do.cond:neg
We have nothing else to do or There is nothing else for us to do

7.5

Aspectual derivation

Section 7.4 dealt with grammatical aspect, which relates to how an event is viewed (as ongoing, completed, etc.). Okuna also has extensive morphology for expressing lexical aspectthat is, the type of
event which the clause denotes. Various suffixes and infixes can be attached to a verb stem to derive a new
verb expressing a different type of event, often belonging to a different verb class (see 4.4). For example,
the suffix -t can be added to the Class I verb stem toh- be big, which denotes a state, to derive the Class
II eventive verb tohta become big, which denotes a change of state.
The following table lists the suffixes and infixes used in aspectual derivation. For each affix, I indicate
the class of the derived verb, as well as the verb class(es) that the affix applies to. These affixes are discussed
and illustrated in the following subsections.
resultative (res)
active (act)
atelic inchoative (ainc)
telic inchoative (tinc)
durative (dur)
incompletive (icpl)
completive (cpl)

-i- (-u-)
-amp
-im
-t, -et
-ot
-ahp
-uhk

Class
Class
Class
Class
Class
Class
Class

I < Class II, III

II < Class I, (III)
II < Class I
III < Class I, II, III
II, III < Class I, II, III
III < Class III
III < Class III

The affixes listed here precede the suffixes used to mark tense, aspect, mood, and polarity, discussed in 7.4.
Note that these affixes are not mutually exclusive with one another, but can be stacked as appropriate. For
example, starting with the stative verb stem epata be (so) tall, we can derive the atelic inchoative verb
epatima get taller, while adding the telic inchoative suffix to this verb in turn yields epatinta begin to get
taller. Additional examples include: halhka be dry > halhketa (make/become) dry > halhkeita be dried;
tioka die > tioika be dead > tioikampa play dead > tioikampahpa attempt to play dead; patla cover
> paitla be covered > paitlota keep covered > paitlotuhka manage to keep covered.
Note that the copular verb he (9.3.1) takes the form hi- when it combines with aspectual derivation
suffixes. Likewise the deictic verbs ts`
a be over here (near me) and k`
a be here/there (near us/you) take
the stem forms tsa- and ka-, respectively, with insertion of a u-glide before a non-front vowel in accordance
with the vowel hiatus rules summarized in 3.5.3. These are all non-scalar verbs belonging to Class I, and
thus combine with the active, telic inchoative, and durative suffixes only:

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

act
tinc
dur

7.5.1

hiampa
hita
hiota

tsauampa
tsata
tsauota

kauampa
kata
kauota

Resultative

Resultative aspect is marked by vowel infixation or ablaut. Resultative aspect morphology is added to a
telic verb stem belonging to Class II (4.4.2) or Class III (4.4.3) to derive a stative verb belonging to Class
I (4.4.1). I will refer to these derived Class I verbs as resultatives (glossed res in the examples). Recall
that a telic verb denotes an event which culminates in a change of state or a change of location/position.
The corresponding verb in the resultative aspect expresses the state or location/position resulting from that
change event. For example, from the change-of-state verb tioka die we can derive the resultative verb tioika
be dead, and from the change-of-position verb tolha stand up can be formed the resultative verb toilha
stand, be standing, be upright.
Resultative aspect is typically marked by inserting the infix -i- after the final vowel of the stem, with
concomitant vowel lowering and epenthesis where appropriate. Most resultative verbs are formed according
to the following rules:
1. For verb stems ending in a glide preceded by a vowel, insert ei after the stem: e.g., paua wash >
paueia be washed/clean.
2. For verb stems ending in a glide preceded by a consonant, insert i after the stem and convert the glide
to the corresponding mid vowel, in accordance with the rules of vowel hiatus resolution (3.5.3): e.g.,
takia break > takeia be broken; tsokua meet (for the first time) > tsokoia be known/introduced.
3. For verb stems ending in a consonant or consonant cluster preceded by a falling diphthong, insert e
after the diphthong: e.g., kaiha kill > kaieha be murdered/dead.
4. In all other cases, insert i before the final consonant or consonant cluster of the verb stem: tioka die
> tioika be dead. If the inserted i is preceded by a high vowel, that high vowel becomes a mid vowel,
as in (2) above: tsitspa smash, shatter > tseitspa be smashed, in pieces; muka close > moika be
closed/shut.
Additional examples of resultative verb formation include:
hana
mehka
mokta
muohta
mupatla
salha
tlisa
usla

cut
happen, come to be
go home
complete, make whole
put on [clothes]
lie down
cross, traverse
end, finish

haina
meihka
moikta
muoihta
mupaitla
sailha
tleisa
oisla

be cut, wounded
be, exist
be at home
be complete(d)
wear, be clothed (in)
lie, be lying down
lie across, span
be over, finished, done

The following twelve verbs form their resultative stems irregularly. For verbs of this class, the stressed vowel
in the stem is replaced by u (or o when adjacent to a glide).
atia
etskana
kila
kumita
lhyua
lima
lyua

approach, come near(er)

arrive
be seen, come into view
come before, approach
enter
open
wake up, awaken

utia
etskuna
kula
kumuta
lhoua
luma
loua

be near(by)
be present
be seen, visible, in view
face, be oriented towards
be inside
be open
be awake

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

nkilha
ola
sena
tsapa
uihta

leave, go away
be heard
hang (up)
get lost, go astray
sit down

167
nkulha
ula
suna
tsupa
uohta

be gone, absent, away

be audible, in earshot
hang, be hanging
be lost
sit, be seated

Adding resultative aspect morphology reduces the number of core arguments the verb can take. The sentence
in (7.141) features the Class II verb lima open, while (7.142) and (7.143) illustrate its resultative counterpart
luma be open. Notice that in the resultative clauses the actor argument (Elim) is suppressed. This is
because resultatives, being stative Class I predicates, cannot take ergative arguments.
(7.141) Elimma
huiloie
limyi
Elim.erg window.nom open.pv
Elim opened the window
(7.142) Huiloie
iluma
window.nom prg.open:res.ipv
The window is open
(7.143) Huiloie
ilumanka
window.nom prg.open:res.ipv:pst
The window was open
Adding resultative morphology can also affect how the verbs arguments are marked for case. Compare the
sentences below. Example (7.144) contains the Class III verb tsitspa smash, shatter, which selects a patient
argument in the dative case. As shown in (7.145), when this verb is inflected for resultative aspect, that
same argument instead appears in the locative case. As discussed in 4.3.2, dative case is associated with
the endpointtypically patient or goalof a telic predicate. Because resultative verbs express the state or
location resulting from an action rather than the action itself, they pattern as atelic. This blocks dative
case from being assigned, and arguments which are normally assigned the dative take the locative instead
(or sometimes the allative; see below).
(7.144) Elimma
nauoit
tsitspyi
Elim.erg cup.dat smash.pv
Elim smashed the cup
(7.145) Nauotna tseitspa
cup.loc smash:res.ipv
The cup is smashed or The cup is in pieces
Another example of how resultative aspect affects case assignment is given below. With the Class III verb
tlelha find, the noun phrase denoting the finder bears the delimiter role, and is marked with dative case. This
is shown in (7.146). However, when tlelha is converted into the resultative verb tleilha be found/located,
which lacks a delimiter, this same argument appears instead in the allative case (7.147):
(7.146) Eleim
kamale
tlelhyi
Elim.dat knife.nom find.pv
Elim found the knife
(7.147) Elima
kamale
itleilha
Elim.all knife.nom prg.find:res.pv
Elim knows where the knife is

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

Since resultative verbs do not take ergative (actor) arguments, and tend to place the focus of attention on
the undergoer of an action, it is often appropriate to translate them using an adjectival passive construction
in English. Compare the following pairs of examples:
(7.148) Mo
kala takiyi
1srdat leg break.pv
I broke my leg or I got a broken leg
(7.149) Iman kala itakeia
1sloc leg prg.break:res.ipv
My leg is broken or I have a broken leg
(7.150) Sa
kotoi
itiespat
13nom house.dat prg.build.ipv.pl
We are building a house
(7.151) Kotuna
takan itieispa
house.loc now prg.build:res.ipv
The house is now built/finished
The resultative cannot really be considered a passive form, howeveror at least, its syntactic and semantic
properties are not fully comparable with those of the English passive. For one thing, resultative clauses are
inherently stative. Thus, (7.151) above cannot be used to describe an ongoing activity (The house is now
being built), but can only mean that the house is in a built state. To form the closest equivalent of an
eventive passive, the actor argument is simply omitted from the clause, without any change to the form or
class membership of the verb (cf. 9.4.1):
(7.152) Kotoi
takan itiespa
house.dat now prg.build.ipv.pl
The house is now being built
Furthermore, whereas the English passive construction can only be used with transitive verbs, the resultative
in Okuna is fully compatible with predicates taking just a single core argument. Compare, for example:
(7.153) Sakiale
tiokyi
Sakial.nom die.pv
Sakial died
(7.154) Sakiale
tioika
Sakial.nom die:res.ipv
Sakial is dead
(7.155) Sakiale
laisne etskanyi
Sakial.nom just
arrive.pv
Sakial just arrived
(7.156) Sakiale
takan itskuna
Sakial.nom now prg.arrive:res.pv
Sakial is now here/present
As the last example above shows, resultative aspect marking can be used to convert a dynamic motion verb,
such as etskana arrive, into a static verb denoting a location, such as etskuna be present. Additional
pairs of sentences illustrating this dynamicstatic contrast are given below. As (7.162) and (7.164) show,
the resultative verb does not necessarily denote the literal result of a change-of-location event. Instead,
resultative morphology can simply indicate that no movement is involvedthat the verb denotes a spatial
relation between two (sets of) objects.

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

169

(7.157) Puniakak`
a
palou
nkilhyit
traveler.nom village.abl leave.pv.pl
The travelers left the village
(7.158) Puniakak`
a
palou
inkulhat
traveler.nom village.abl prg.leave:res.ipv.pl
The travelers are gone from the village
(7.159) Mikale
keuli
uihtyi
boy.nom chair.dat sit:down.pv
The boy sat (down) on the chair
(7.160) Mikale
keulna
euohta
boy.nom chair.loc prg.sit:down:res.ipv
The boy is sitting on the chair
(7.161) Lhat`e
Sakiail
ampiotyit
children.nom Sakial.dat surround.pv.pl
The children surrounded Sakial
(7.162) Isane paluna
loka
ampioita
13all village.loc forest surround:res.ipv
Our village is surrounded by forests
(7.163) Oun`
a
sihkunume sihafautme
ekau
tlisyi
bear.nom river.inst downstream.inst here.abl cross.pv
The bear crossed [i.e., went across] the river downstream from here
(7.164) Pakone
sihkunume sihafautme
ekau
tleisa
bridge.nom river.inst downstream.inst here.abl cross:res.ipv
The bridge crosses [i.e., spans] the river downstream from here
Consider also the formation of resultative stems from verbs of perception and cognition, such as those listed
below. The non-resultative (Class III) forms of are given in the first column, with their resultative (Class I)
counterparts in the second column:
etskopa
kila
ola
luhtsa
mahtla
sefa
uota

etskoipa
kula
ula
loihtsa
maihtla
seifa
uoita

realize
see
hear
smell
taste
feel (with ones fingers/skin)
feel, sense, perceive

In their non-resultative forms these verbs denote punctual events, while in the resultative they denote states.
For example, kila means see in the sense of begin to see or catch sight of (or, when used intransitively,
appear, come into view), while kula means see in the sense of be able to see, have within view (or, used
intransitively, be visible, be in view). Likewise, uota means notice, become aware of while uoita means
be aware of.
As the following examples show, the noun phrase expressing the experiencer (the one who sees, hears,
feels, etc.) appears in the dative case when the verb is non-resultative. With resultative verbs of perception,
the experiencer appears in either the allative case or the locative case. The locative case is used when the
experience is completely internal to the self, lacking a direct external stimulus; otherwise the allative case

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

is used. Hence, kula, ula, loihtsa, maihtla, and seifa all take their experiencers in the allative case, while
etskoipa takes its experiencer in the locative case. Uoita takes a locative experiencer when denoting an
internal sensation (the experiencing of a thought or emotion, or a physical sensation internal to ones body),
and an allative experiencer when denoting the awareness of something external to oneself:
(7.165) Ule
kilyi
island.nom see.pv
The island appeared or The island came into view
(7.166) Puniakakameit
ule
kilyit
traveling:party.dat island.nom see.pv.pl
The travellers saw [caught sight of] the island
(7.167) Ule
ikula
island.nom prg.see:res.ipv
The island is visible or The island is in view
(7.168) Ule
puniakakamita
ikula
island.nom traveling:party.all prg.see:res.ipv
The island is visible to the travellers
(7.169) Puniakakamita
ule
ikula
traveling:party.all island.nom prg.see:res.ipv
The travellers (can) see the island
(7.170) Mo
tynna
tunku iahki
uotyi
1srdat head.loc pain sharp:blow feel.pv
I felt a sudden sharp pain in my head
(7.171) Iman tyn
tunku euoita
1sloc head pain prg.feel:res.ipv
I have a headache
(7.172) Im`e
euoitanka
Sakiale
iati`
a
1sall prg.feel:res.ipv:pst Sakial.nom prg.approach.dep.nom
I had the feeling that Sakial was approaching or I was aware that...
Verbs of perception in the resultative form can also take a dependent subjunctive clause, marked for nominative case, as their theme argument (see 10.2.1). The resulting expressions are equivalent to It looks/appears
as though..., It sounds as though..., It feels as though..., etc.:
(7.173) Kula
pyina
iekest`e
see:res.ipv child.loc sbj:prg.happy.dep:sbj.nom
It looks as though the child is happy
(7.174) Ulanka
kimima
iemuelh`e
hear:res.ipv:pst baby.erg sbj:prg.sleep.dep:sbj.nom
It sounded as though the baby was asleep
Alternatively, the perception verb can take the relative prefix a- (see 7.6) and form the head of a restructuring
predicate (see 10.2.4); here the perception verb combines with a preceding verb (phrase) in the dependent
subjunctive which is unmarked for case. The result is a complex expression meaning look X, sound X,
feel X, etc., where X is the quality or activity expressed by the dependent subjunctive verbe.g., ekesti
akula look happy, eseimi amaihtla taste sweet, etc.:

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

171

(7.175) Pyina
ekesti
iakula
child.loc sbj.happy.dep:sbj prg.rel.see:res.ipv
The child looks happy
(7.176) Kimima emuelhi
iauolanka
baby.erg sbj.sleep.dep:sbj prg.res.hear:res.ipv:pst
The baby sounded asleep or The baby sounded as though s/he were sleeping
(7.177) Sat`e
tsuo eiaseimi
amaihtla
food.nom too sbj.rel.sweet.dep:sbj rel.taste:res.ipv
The food tastes too sweet
A noun phrase in the allative case may be added to the above constructions to indicate the individual who
experiences the state of affairs in question, or from whose point of view the assessment is being made:
(7.178) Im`e
kula
pyina
iekest`e
1sall see:res.ipv child.loc sbj:prg.happy.dep:sbj.nom
It looks to me as though the child is happy
(7.179) Pyina
ekesti
iekula
im`e
child.loc sbj.happy.dep:sbj prg.res.see:res.ipv 1sall
The child looks happy to me

7.5.2

Active

The active aspectual suffix -amp (glossed act in the examples) is added to a verb stem to form an atelic
eventive verb. Verbs formed with -amp all belong to Class II (4.4.2). Most commonly, -amp is added to
a stative Class I verb stem denoting some property X, and the result is an eventive verb meaning roughly
act/behave in an X manner or exhibit signs of being X. Examples are listed below. Notice that certain
verbs derived with -amp have a somewhat idiosyncratic meaning.
ehkana
elia
eupa
futla
hanta
huata
iksa
kiota
koluma
kuha
liunta
muha
nasa
stula
sutlka

come from, originate

be at ease
be alone
be unpleasant, disagreeable
be appropriate, suitable
be pleasant, appealing
be serious
be quick
be difficult, cumbersome
be hard, firm
be slack, loose
be enough, suffice
be strong
be strange, odd
be spoiled, rotten

ehkanampa
eliampa
eupampa
futlampa
hantampa
huatampa
iksampa
kiotampa
kolumampa
kuhampa
liuntampa
muhampa
nasampa
stulampa
sutlkampa

be original, act in a distinctive way

be graceful, move gracefully
keep to oneself, stay away from others
be rude, behave badly
be polite, well-behaved, act appropriately
be friendly, likeable
be serious, act in earnest
hurry, rush, do [something] quickly
be clumsy, act clumsily
be rough, careless, brutal
be lenient, indulgent
do enough; satisfy, satiate
exert oneself, use ones strength
act strangely, behave in an odd manner
be vicious, act in a vile manner

Compare the following examples, showing the conversion of a stative Class I verb into an eventive Class II
verb. Note the difference in noun inflection: munta takes a nominative argument, while muntampa takes an
ergative argument.
(7.180) Elime
imunta
Elim.nom prg.drunk.ipv
Elim is drunk

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.181) Elimma
imuntampa
Elim.erg prg.drunk.act.ipv
Elim is acting drunk or Elim is behaving as though hes drunk
Verbs formed with -amp often appear with a modifying converb (see 10.4). Sentences that show this pattern
can sometimes be rendered in English by using a manner adverb to translate the -amp verb (e.g., quickly
in the first example below):
(7.182) Lhatima
homai
iase
kiotampyit
children.erg bread.dat eat.cv quick.act.pv.pl
The children ate the bread quickly or The children were quick to eat the bread
lit. The children acted quickly [by] eating the bread
(7.183) Na
nak`
a
tiyise nasampyi
3aerg rock.nom lift.cv strong.act.pv
He exerted himself by lifting the rock
The suffix -amp often combines with Class I verbs denoting physical sensations or emotional states. When
added to a verb of this type, -amp forms an atelic causative verb taking an actor argument (marked with
ergative case) in addition to its experiencer argument (marked with the locative or allative case). Here the
actor argument denotes an entity that (consciously or unconsciously) triggers, or tends to trigger, an emotion
or sensation in the experiencer.
ekona
hotsma
huetla
katama
kesta
ohiyna
sonka

be
be
be
be
be
be
be

hungry
angry
afraid, fear
intimidating
happy
sad
surprising

ekonampa
hotsmampa
huetlampa
katamampa
kestampa
ohiynampa
sonkampa

be appetizing, palatable; make hungry

anger, be aggravating to
frighten, be frightening to
intimidate
please, be pleasing to, make happy
sadden, depress
surprise, amaze, astound

Compare the following:

(7.184) Iman ikesta
1sloc prg.happy.ipv
I am happy
(7.185) Mo
kunama
iman kestampat
1srdat friend.erg 1sloc happy.act.ipv.pl
My friends make me happy
(7.186) Sakialna
iekona
Sakial.loc prg.hungry.ipv
Sakial is hungry
(7.187) Sati aluhtse it`
a
Sakialna
ekonampyi
food smell
that:erg Sakial.loc hungry.act.pv
The smell of that food made Sakial hungry
Although it normally combines with Class I stative verb stems, there are a handful of Class III stems which
also combine with -amp to form Class II verbs:

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

etsa
kahta
kyitsa
lasta
nesapa
teuna

say, tell
hit, strike
say [s.th.] about, mention
send
ask
put (down), place

173
etsampa
kahtampa
kyitsampa
lastampa
nesapampa
teunampa

speak, talk, have a conversation

fight, have a fight
talk about, discuss
send out, send away
interrogate, ask questions (of)
put in place; hand out, distribute

When the verb stem denotes a telic event, adding -amp forms a verb which expresses a more open-ended
activity, or one with a variable or unspecified endpoint. For example, in the first sentence below (with uktia
give), the event ends once each of the strangers in question has received a gift; whereas in the second sentence
(with uktiampa give out, distribute), no specific recipients are mentioned, and the event of gift-giving could
in principle go on indefinitely.
(7.188) Taloma
tsokoimpai
kytu uktiyima
chief.erg stranger.dat gift give.pv.dpl
The chief gave gifts to the strangers
(7.189) Taloma
kytu uktiampyi
chief.erg gift give.act.pv
The chief gave out gifts
Note that eventive verbs formed with -amp, being atelic, cannot take delimiter arguments or appear with
noun phrases marked for dative case (except under the circumstances discussed in 4.3.2). Where the verb
from which it is derived would take a dative noun phrase, the -amp verb may take a noun phrase in the
instrumental or locative case. Compare:
(7.190) Ma
kefihusote lhatei
etsyima
1serg news.nom children.dat say.pv.dpl
I told the news to the children
(7.191) Ma
lhatime
etsampyi
1serg children.inst say.act.pv
I spoke to/with the children
(7.192) Unma
kahtyi
3ardat.1serg hit.pv
I hit him
(7.193) Ma
inem
kahtampyi
1serg 3asinst hit.act.pv
I fought with him
(7.194) Sa
kahtampyiot
13erg hit.act.pv.recip.pl
We fought (each other)

7.5.3

Telic and atelic inchoative

The atelic inchoative suffix -im and the telic inchoative suffix -(e)t (glossed ainc and tinc, respectively)
are used to derive Class II and Class III verbs expressing a change of state or the initiation of an action. I
discuss these forms in turn.
Atelic inchoative verbs express an incremental and often gradual increase in the presence of some
property. As the name indicates, these verbs denote open-ended events, with no fixed endpoint. Atelic

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

inchoative verbs thus belong to Class II (4.4.2). The atelic inchoative is marked by adding the suffix -im to
the stem, combined with the relative prefix a- discussed in 7.6 (-im becomes -em after a glide: e.g., mitia
be weak > amitiema weaken). The following examples illustrate the formation of the atelic inchoative:
kaila
koipa
lhuma
liakna
liuna
muohfa
nuha
toha

be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be

hot
known/familiar
dim, faded, misty
long
old
thick/dense
cold
big

akailima
akoipima
alhumima
aliaknima
aliunima
amuohfima
anuhima
atohima

heat, make/get hotter

make/become more familiar, get better known
fade, pale, grow dimmer
lengthen, grow in length, make/get longer
age, get older
thicken, make/get thicker
cool down, make/get colder
grow, increase in size, make/get bigger

The atelic inchoative suffix combines with Class I verb stems. Compare the following:
(7.195) Im`e
Sakiale
koipa
1sall Sakial.nom known.ipv
I know Sakial (lit. Sakial is known to me)
(7.196) Im`e
Sakiale
akoipimyi
1sall Sakial.nom rel.known.ainc.pv
I got to know Sakial better
Atelic inchoative verbs, like other Class II verbs, can be used either intransitively (with a theme argument
alone) or transitively (with both an actor and a theme argument). In the former case the verb denotes a
more-or-less spontaneous action, and may be translated get X-er, where X is the state expressed by the
stem; in the latter case the verb denotes an externally-caused action, and may be translated make X-er.
Compare:
(7.197) Mase
muohfa
soup.nom thick.ipv
The soup is thick
(7.198) Mase
iamuohfima
soup.nom prg.rel.thick.ainc.ipv
The soup is thickening or The soup is getting thicker
(7.199) Ma
mase
iamuohfima
1serg soup.nom prg.rel.thick.ainc.ipv
Im thickening the soup or Im making the soup thicker
Compare also:
(7.200) Hal`
o
ihuina
room.nom prg.bright.ipv
The room is bright
(7.201) Hal`
o
ahuinimyi
room.nom rel.bright.ainc.pv
The room got brighter
(7.202) Hal`
o
mohkauatma
ahuinimyi
room.nom hearth:fire.erg rel.bright.ainc.pv
The hearth fire brightened the room (i.e., made the room brighter)

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

175

To express telic inchoative aspect, the suffix -et is added to verb stems ending in two consonants, while
-t is added to stems ending in a single consonant or a glide. If the stem ends in p, f, or t, that consonant
changes to h before the -t suffix, in accordance with regular phonological rules (see 3.5.1). Likewise, if the
stem ends in tl, that consonant changes to lh before -t. Finally, if the stem ends in m, it assimilates to n
before the -t suffix (cf. 3.5.2). Examples showing the formation of telic inchoative verbs are given below:
elifa
eua
hotsma
kisa
koipa
lehma
liuna
mutla
okla
pata
tama
tlana
tsatsa
tsihfa
tuosa

be beautiful
be clean
be angry
be frozen
be known/familiar
be calm
be old
understand
be hidden
be tall
be great, powerful
be straight
be full
be bare
be ripe, ready

elihta
euta
hotsmeta
kista
koihta
lehmeta
liunta
mulhta
okleta
pahta
tanta
tlanta
tsatsta
tsihfeta
tuosta

beautify, make/become beautiful

clean (up), make/become clean
anger, make/become angry
freeze
get to know, become familiar with
calm down, make/become calm
get old
realize, come to understand
hide
make/become tall
empower, make/become great
straighten
fill, make/become full
clear (off), get rid of, make/become bare
ripen; prepare, make/get ready

As these examples show, the telic inchoative suffix is usually added to a stative verb belonging to Class I,
and derives an eventive verb expressing the entry into a state (whether spontaneous or externally caused).
Compare the pairs of sentences below:
(7.203) Ihana
ihotsma
woman.loc prg.angry.ipv
The woman is angry
(7.204) Motlama
ihana
hotsmetyi
na
tahoti
etsampame
Motla.erg woman.loc angry.tinc.pv 3aerg constantly say.act.dep.inst
Motla angered the woman with his constant talking
(7.205) Me
intuma
1snom blind.ipv
I am blind
(7.206) Me
tupuatsme
lai
iahki intuntyi
1snom moment.inst light flash blind.tinc.pv
I was momentarily blinded by a flash of light
Verbs in the telic inchoative aspect all belong to Class III (4.4.3). They express events which are conceptualized as having a fixed endpoint: a participant enters into, or is brought into, a particular state, and once
that state is achieved the event is over. As shown in (7.206) above, telic inchoative verbs may also take
an extra argument (unmarked for case) to express the type of instrument or means by which the change
of state is brought about. Consider the following examples, comparing the telic inchoative verb halhketa
make/become dry with the stative verb from which it is derived, halhka be dry. Notice that when an
overt actor argument is present, halhketa receives a causative interpretation (make dry); and when no actor
is present, it expresses a spontaneous change of state (become dry).
(7.207) Mupatl`e
halhkat
clothes.nom dry.ipv.pl
The clothes are dry

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.208) Mupatl`e
enkit ihalhketat
clothes.nom breeze prg.dry.tinc.ipv.pl
The clothes are drying in the breeze
(7.209) Ihama
mupatl`e
enkit ihalhketauat
woman.erg clothes.nom breeze prg.dry.tinc.ipv.npl.pl
The women are drying the clothes in the breeze
Note also the following examples, comparing stative tsatsa be full and telic inchoative tsatsta fill:
(7.210) Nauote
n`
a
itsatsa
cup.nom water prg.full.ipv
The cup is full of water
(7.211) Nauote
n`
a
tsatstyi
cup.nom water full.tinc.pv
The cup filled with water
(7.212) Na
nauote
n`
a
tsatstyi
3aerg cup.nom water full.tinc.pv
She filled the cup with water
As with other Class III verbs, telic inchoative verbs can in turn combine with resultative morphology to form
Class I verbs expressing the state resulting from an action (see 7.5.1). In this case, the actor argument is
suppressed. Compare the sentences below with those in (7.209) and (7.212) above.
(7.213) Mupatl`e
ihalhkeita
clothes.nom prg.dry.tinc:res.ipv
The clothes are dried (i.e., no longer wet)
(7.214) Nauote
n`
a
itsaitsta
cup.nom water full:res.tinc.ipv
The cup is filled with water
Telic inchoative aspect can also combine with Class I verbs of cognition. Observe the following examples,
comparing telic inchoative ionta find out; let (someone) know with stative iona be known (both verbs
assign locative case to the experiencer argument).
(7.215) Elimna
iona
ma
iaf`
a
Elim.loc know.ipv 1serg prg.take:part.dep.nom
Elim knows that I am taking part
(7.216) Elimna
iontyi
ma
iaf`
a
Elim.loc know.tinc.pv 1serg prg.take:part.dep.nom
Elim found out that I was taking part
(7.217) Ma
Elimna
iontyi
ma
iaf`
a
1serg Elim.loc know.tinc.pv 1serg prg.take:part.dep.nom
I let Elim know that I was taking part
Consider also the examples below, where telic inchoative morphology is added to the stative verb niokona to
derive the eventive verb niokonta. Both may be translated as remember or recall; however, niokona has
the sense of have in ones memory, while niokonta means come to have in ones memory, bring to mind
(the latter can also be translated remind if an actor argument is included). Both verbs take experiencer
arguments in the locative case. A similar meaning contrast is found with suhona forget, have no memory
of versus suhonta forget, lose ones memory of (or, when an actor is included cause to forget).

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

177

(7.218) Elimna
nioksote
niok`
onan?
Elim.loc answer.nom remember.ipv.qu
Does Elim remember the answer?
(7.219) Elimna
nioksote
sukane
niokontyi
Elim.loc answer.nom sudden.cv remember.tinc.pv
Elim suddenly remembered/recalled the answer
(7.220) Ma
Elimna
nioksote
niokontyi
1snom Elim.loc answer.nom remember.tinc.pv
I reminded Elim of the answer
Although the telic inchoative suffix combines most often with stative Class I verbs, it can also be freely added
to eventive verbs belonging to Class II or III. In the latter case, the result is a Class III verb expressing the
initiation of an event, corresponding to English begin to X or start X-ing.
hosta
mehka
muelha
puniaka

dance
happen
sleep
travel

hosteta
mehketa
muelhta
puniakta

begin to dance, start dancing

begin to happen, start
fall asleep, begin to sleep
begin to travel, set out on a journey

(7.221) Laisne
s`
u
kahpetyi
just:now rain fall.tinc.pv
Its just started to rain
When the telic inchoative suffix is added to a Class III verb, and the clause includes a delimiter argument
marked with dative case, the irrealis dative form must be used, never the realis dative, regardless of the
tense/aspect of the clause. Compare the following:
(7.222) Ihama
halma utai
talyi
woman.erg book that:rdat read.pv
The woman read that book
(7.223) Ihama
halma atai
taltyi
woman.erg book that:dat read.tinc.pv
The woman began to read that book

7.5.4

Durative

Durative aspect is marked by adding the suffix -ot (glossed dur) to the verb stem. This suffix can be added
to any verb stem, but with slight differences in interpretation depending on the class of that stem. When
added to a Class I stem denoting a state, -ot forms a Class II verb expressing the perpetuation of that state,
and is roughly equivalent to English stay or remain:
huala
isuta
k`
a
kesta
nkulha
uohta

be
be
be
be
be
be

healthy
alive
here
happy
gone, away
seated

hualota
isutota
kauota
kestota
nkulhota
uohtota

stay/keep healthy
stay/keep alive, go on living
stay (here), keep here
stay/keep happy
stay away, avoid, keep away
stay/keep seated

The entity which remains in the state is encoded as a theme argument (marked with nominative case). If
there is an agent who acts to perpetuate the state, that agent is encoded as an actor argument (marked with
ergative case). When an actor argument is present, -ot corresponds to English keep. Compare:

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.224) Ne
isuta
3anom alive.ipv
He is alive
(7.225) Ne
isutota
3anom alive.dur.ipv
He is staying alive or He has survived
(7.226) Ntsa
iesutotane
3anom.13erg prg.alive.dur.ipv.epl
We are keeping him alive
Compare also the following, examples, where the durative suffix is added to a Class I verb derived from a
Class II stem by adding resultative aspect morphology:
(7.227) Hitole
ilumanka
door.nom prg.open:res.ipv:pst
The door was open
(7.228) Hitole
lumotyi
door.nom open:res.dur.pv
The door remained open
(7.229) Ma
hitole
lumotyi
1serg door.nom open:res.dur.pv
I kept the door open
When the durative suffix attaches to a Class II stem denoting an unbounded activity, it forms another Class
II stem expressing the perpetuation of that activity. Here -ot is roughly equivalent to keep, continue, or
go on: e.g., hosta dance > hostota continue to dance, keep dancing; muelha sleep > muelhota stay
asleep, go on sleeping.
Finally, when the durative suffix is added to a Class II or Class III stem denoting a telic or punctual
event, it expresses the iteration or repetition of that event: e.g., tiausa fall down > tiausota keep falling
down, fall down over and over. Another example:
(7.230) Na
ikei
kahtotyi
3aerg dog.dat hit.dur.pv
He hit the dog repeatedly
Note that iterative verbs are somewhat unusual in that they can take more than one delimiter, and can thus
assign dative case to more than one argument. See 4.3.2 for discussion.

7.5.5

Completive and incompletive

The completive (cpl) and incompletive (icpl) aspect suffixes combine with an eventive (Class II or III) verb
stem to form another eventive stem. The incompletive suffix is -ahp. Added to a stem, this suffix indicates
that the event denoted by the stem has (so far) failed to come about, despite the intentions of the actor. It
is roughly equivalent to English try/attempt or set out to:
esta
ksona
peta
tatsa
tiyisa
tlelha

reach
look at
take, grab
shoot, hit with a projectile
lift
find, discover

estahpa
ksonahpa
petahpa
tatsahpa
tiyisahpa
tlelhahpa

try to reach, aim for, set out for

try to see, look (out) for
grab at, try to take
shoot at, try to shoot
attempt to lift
set out to find, search/hunt for

7.5. ASPECTUAL DERIVATION

179

Compare the following examples:

(7.231) Na
hastein
tahyi
3aerg deer.dat kill.pv
He killed the deer
(7.232) Na
hastein
utahahpa
3aerg deer.dat pf.kill.icpl.ipv
He has set out to kill the deer or He is trying to kill the deer
(7.233) Na
hastein
tahahpyi
3aerg deer.dat kill.icpl.pv
He tried to kill the deer (but didnt manage to do so)
Note that when the incompletive suffix is added to the verb, the delimiter (see 4.3.2) must appear in the
irrealis dative, regardless of the tense/aspect or polarity of the verb, and never in the realis dative. In this
respect, the incompletive patterns like the telic inchoative, discussed in 7.5.3.
(7.234) Na
hastin anai
tahahpyi
3aerg deer
that:dat kill.icpl.pv
He tried to kill that deer
Note that the incompletive suffix -ahp translates English try only when the attempt did not succeed, or
has not yet succeeded at the time when the sentence is uttered. To express try without commitment as to
the success of the attempt, the verb nika may be used, in combination with a dependent subjunctive clause
(or a noun phrase complement, when nika is used in the sense of try out or sample):
(7.235) Kima nikat
nem tomla
ypiai
sik`
a
estit`
a
12erg try.ipv.pl imp mountain top.dat all:the:way sbj.reach.dep:sbj.pl.nom
Lets try to get all the way to the top of the mountain
(7.236) Ias`e
unikat
ne?
food.nom pf.try.ipv.pl qu
Have you (pl) tried the food?
The completive aspect is marked by adding the suffix -uhk to the stem: e.g., kahta hit > kahtuhka manage
to hit (the suffix takes the form -ohk when the verb stem ends in a glide: e.g., takia break > takiohka
manage to break). Like the incompletive marker, the completive marker combines with an eventive verb
stem to derive another eventive verb. Adding -uhk to the verb indicates that the agent succeeded in bringing
about the event denoted by the stem, perhaps with some effort and/or contrary to expectations. It is roughly
equivalent to English manage to or get. Compare:
(7.237) Mo
kamale
tlelhyi
1srdat knife.nom find.pv
I found the knife
(7.238) Mo
kamale
tlelhuhkyi
1srdat knife.nom find.cpl.pv
I managed to find the knife
(7.239) Sakialma
hitole
limyi
Sakial.erg door.nom open.pv
Sakial opened the door

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.240) Sakialma
hitole
limuhkyi
Sakial.erg door.nom open.cpl.pv
Sakial got the door open
(7.241) Kauen kikotoi
es kotiem`e
lhyuyi
turkey shed.dat one raccoon.nom enter.pv
A raccoon entered the turkey coop
(7.242) Kauen kikotoi
es kotiem`e
lhyuohkyi
turkey shed.dat one raccoon.nom enter.cpl.pv
A raccoon got into the turkey coop

7.6

Relative marking and the comparative construction

Class I stative verbs sometimes take the prefix a-, which I will refer to as the relative marker (glossed
rel in the examples). Verbs which carry this prefix are referred as relative verbs. Note that when a- is
prefixed to a stem beginning with a non-glide vowel, the rules of glide insertion and high vowel lowering
discussed in 3.5.3 apply: e.g., ynta narrow > aiynta, utia nearby > auotia. This prefix immediately
precedes the verb root, following the aspectual prefixes (7.4), as well as the negative prefix m(a)- (7.3).
The relative prefix combines with verbs which denote a property which can be possessed to a greater or
lesser degree. When the verb appears in the relative form, it indicates that the individual of which the verb
is predicated is located somewhere along the scale associated with that property. The contrast between the
non-relative and relative forms is illustrated by the pair of examples below. Sentence (7.243) means That
young man is tallin other words, he is of greater-than-average height according to some contextuallydetermined standard. By contrast, (7.244) literally means something like The young man is of a certain
height or The young man possesses a certain degree of tallness.
(7.243) Kalon
nan
pata
young:man that:nom tall.ipv
That young man is tall
(7.244) Kalon
nan
apata
young:man that:nom rel.tall.ipv
That young man is so/as tall
A verb prefixed with the relative marker rarely appears by itself; instead, it almost always co-occurs with
some sort of modifier expressing a degree or standard of comparison. For example, it can by modified by a
noun phrase expressing the entity or class of entities in comparison to which the theme is being evaluated.
In this case, the relative form has an equative function (expressed in English using as). When the noun
phrase denotes a general class of objects, it usually appears in the unmarked form, as in (7.245). When the
noun phrase denotes a specific individual or set of individuals, it appears in the ablative case, as in (7.246):
(7.245) Kalon
nan
kas
esiankats koin
apata
young:man that:nom already adulthood person rel.tall.ipv
That young man is already as tall as an adult or ... already the height of an adult
(7.246) Kalon
nan
Sakialu
apata
young:man that:nom Sakial.abl rel.tall.ipv
That young man is as tall as Sakial

7.6. RELATIVE MARKING AND THE COMPARATIVE CONSTRUCTION

181

To add emphasis, the relative verb is optionally preceded by the degree marker ihpi as much, just as much,
equally, as in (7.247). Note also the construction shown in (7.248), where the nominative argument denotes
two or more individuals who are equal with respect to the property expressed by the relative verb; here ihpi
is in turn preceded by kele together, which adds a collective or reciprocal meaning.
(7.247) Kalon
nan
Sakialu
ihpi
apata
young:man that:nom Sakial.abl equally rel.tall.ipv
That young man is just as tall as Sakial
(7.248) Sakial ka Elime
kele
ihpi
apatat
Sakial and Elim.nom together equally rel.tall.ipv.pl
Sakial and Elim are equally tall or Sakial and Elim are the same height
A stative verb also takes the relative prefix when it is modified by a noun phrase in the instrumental case
expressing a measurement on the scale denoted by the verb, as in the following example (a katlam is a unit
of measure equivalent to about 55 centimeters):
(7.249) Kalon
nan
katlam lhua
ehteme
apata
young:man that:nom katlam about three.inst rel.tall.ipv
That young man is about three katlams tall
Note that kuista be long, last a long time, endure, when prefixed with the relative marker and accompanied
by a measure phrase, corresponds to English last or take, as illustrated below. Similarly: liakna be long
> aliakna measure (a certain length), lhuta be heavy > alhuta weigh (a certain amount), lama be far
away > alama be (a certain distance) away. In each case the measurement is expressed by a noun phrase
in the instrumental case.
(7.250) Sukiame
luom tosepyime
iakuistanka
rainstorm.nom hour several.inst prg.rel.long.ipv:pst
The rainstorm lasted (for) several hours
(7.251) L`
o henme
akuista
satlai
etok`e
day two.inst rel.long.ipv roof.dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj.nom
It will take two days to fix the roof (more lit. To fix the roof will be two days long)
In the examples below, the relative verb is modified by (a phrase headed by) a converb, which takes the suffix
-e (cf. 10.4). In this construction, the converb phrase expresses an event or type of event which identifies
the extent to whichor the respect in whichthe property denoted by the relative verb holds. Here the
relative verb may be translated so X (that...) or X enough (to...):
(7.252) Sakiale
lakie
aliuna
Sakial.nom hunt.cv rel.old.ipv
Sakial is old enough to hunt
(7.253) Suhime
kule
ianuhanka
exhalation see:res.cv prg.rel.cold.ipv:pst
It was cold enough to see your breath
Relative verbs can also be modified by a dependent clause (10.2) marked for instrumental case, as in the
examples below:
(7.254) Ne
anasa
na
olh
naka tan
atiyisuhkame
3anom rel.strong.ipv 3aerg dist rock that:nom pv.lift.cpl.dep.inst
He is so strong that he managed to lift that rock

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.255) Moih`
a
apata
mutume
inie etlisime
girl.nom rel.tall.ipv fence.inst eyes sbj.go:over.dep:sbj.inst
The girl is tall enough to see over the fence
lit. The girl is so tall that (she) would (be able to) move her eyes/vision over the fence
Relative verbs can also be modified by an adverbial expressing the degree to which the property holds. A
partial list of these is given below. Additional degree adverbials are listed and discussed in 8.4.3 and 8.4.5.
hampi
ihpi
miai, miampi
mu, muhpi
ntse miampi
tlai, tlampi
tsipi
tsuo, tsuompi
tsyi, tsyimpi

a lot, very, considerably

equally, as, just as
how (much); somewhat, to a certain degree
enough, sufficiently
not very, not so, not that (much)
so, that, (by) that much
a little, a bit, somewhat, to some degree
too
not ... enough, insufficiently

Examples are given below, showing that the degree adverbial immediately precedes the relative verb:
(7.256) Kamale
miampi
ak`lhan?
knife.nom how:much rel.sharp.ipv.qu
How sharp is the knife? (lit. The knife is sharp by how much?)
(7.257) Kamale
ntse miampi akilho
knife.nom neg much
rel.sharp.ipv:neg
The knife is not very sharp
Kamale
Kamale
Kamale
Kamale

mu akilha
tsuo akilha
tsyi akilha
tlampi akilha

The
The
The
The

knife
knife
knife
knife

is
is
is
is

sharp enough
too sharp
not sharp enough
so sharp or Thats how sharp the knife is

The relative marker also appears on a handful of non-scalar verbs referring to one of the physical senses.
When the relative marker is prefixed to a verb of perception inflected for the resultative aspect (see 7.5.1),
the resulting predicate expresses the possession of a property which is detectable by the sense in question.
Compare the following sets of verbs:
kila
luhtsa
mahtla
ola
sefa
uota

see
smell
taste
hear
feel, touch
feel, perceive

akula
aloihtsa
amaihtla
auola
aseifa
auoita

look, appear, have the look/appearance of

smell, have the smell/odour of
taste, have the taste/flavour of
sound, have the sound of
feel, have the feel/texture of
feel, seem, appear, give the sensation of

These verbs in turn combine with a bare noun phrase complement (4.6.5) or a bare verb (phrase) complement
in the dependent subjunctive (10.2.4). This complement expresses the property in question, or a kind of
entity or substance which bears that property:
(7.258) Mase
ksas amaihtla
soup.nom salt rel.taste:res.ipv
The soup tastes salty or The soup tastes of salt

7.6. RELATIVE MARKING AND THE COMPARATIVE CONSTRUCTION

183

(7.259) Tilase
enuhi
iaseifanka
glass.nom sbj.cold.dep:sbj prg.rel.feel:res.ipv:pst
The glass felt cold (to the touch)
Finally, the relative marker is required when the verb takes the atelic inchoative suffix -im, discussed in
7.5.3 (e.g., toha be big > atohima grow, get bigger; liuna be old > aliunima get older, age), and also
in the comparative construction, discussed in the subsection below.
The comparative construction
In comparative constructions, the suffix -oht (glossed comp for comparative) is added to the relative stem
of a stative verb: e.g., pata be tall > apatohta be taller/tallest; oita be important > auoitohta be
more/most important. Note that the verb iena be good has an irregular comparative form: aniohta be
better/best.
As the glosses indicate, the -oht form can express either a comparative degree (taller) or a superlative
degree (tallest). The intended meaning can usually be inferred from context, though if necessary a universal
quantifier in the ablative case (e.g., imou of all [inanimate], inmou of all [animate]) can be added to the
sentence to make the superlative reading explicit:
(7.260) Olh kotu tan
paluna
imou
atohohta
dist house that:nom village.loc 3i:all:abl rel.big.comp.ipv
That house over there is the biggest in the village (lit. bigger than all)
Also, when the -oht form is nominalized and functions as the modifier of another noun (cf. 10.6), it optionally
follows the noun when used to express the superlative degree. For instance, kotu atohohte means the biggest
house, whereas atohohte kotu can mean either the biggest house or a/the bigger house, depending on
context. Another example of a noun followed by a superlative modifier is given in the following sentence:
(7.261) Tiesat auotiohtei
mieme
`etan?
town rel.nearby.comp.tnzr.dat where.inst go.ipv.qu
How do you get to the nearest town?
When a relative verb with -oht expresses the comparative, the standard of comparison (marked by than
in English) usually appears in the ablative case. Alternatively, an unmarked noun phrase may be used
if the standard of comparison is a general class of entities rather than a particular individual or group of
individuals.
(7.262) Sakiale
mo
ahteu
aliunohta
Sakial.nom 1srdat father.abl rel.old.comp.ipv
Sakial is older than my father
(7.263) Tonaka tan
kotu atohohta
rock
that:nom house rel.big.comp.ipv
That rock is bigger than a house
To express the degree of difference between the entities being compared, the comparative verb may be
modified by a degree adverbial (e.g., hampi apatohta a lot taller, kitsipi apatohta slightly taller) or by a
measure phrase in the instrumental case, as illustrated below. In addition, the comparative verb may be
modified by the aspectual adverbial eima still, yet, used in the sense of English even: eima apatohta even
taller.
(7.264) Sakiale
mo
ahteu
ulhmo henme
aliunohta
Sakial.nom 1srdat father.abl year
two.inst rel.old.comp.ipv
Sakial is two years older than my father

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

When two events or states are being compared, rather than two individuals, the standard of comparison
may be expressed by a correlative clause headed by aun (cf. 10.2.3), where aun is marked for ablative case.
When the verb in the main clause is the same as the verb in the correlative clause, the latter is often omitted
and aun is replaced by tiaun.
(7.265) Ma
akiotohte
kiompyi Elimma
miampi
akiompa
aunu
1serg rel.fast.comp.cv run.pv Elim.erg how:much pv.run.dep if.abl
I ran faster than Elim ran (lit. ... faster than how (much) Elim ran)
(7.266) Ma
akiotohte
kiompyi Elimma
miampi
tiaunu
1snom rel.fast.comp.cv run.pv Elim.erg how:much if:so.abl
I ran faster than Elim did
(7.267) Ma
hial`
o akiotohte
kiompyi miampi
elohka
tiaunu
1snom today rel.fast.comp.cv run.pv how:much yesterday if:so.abl
I ran faster today than (I did) yesterday
To express preferred or favourite in Okuna, the comparative ending may be added to an evaluative verb
such as henka be enjoyable or huata be liked/appreciated, or to the modal verb okfa be wantede.g.,
im`e ahenkohte iase my favourite food (lit. the food most enjoyable to me). Note that auokfohta (literally
more/most wanted) can also take a subordinate clause complement, in which case it is equivalent to English
(would) rather or prefer. Alternatively, rather/prefer can be expressed by attaching the comparative
suffix to a verb stem formed with the modal suffix -uh, discussed in 7.7.1e.g., muelha sleep > muelhuha
want to sleep > muelhuhohta prefer to sleep, would rather sleep (lit. more/most want to sleep). Note
that verbs formed with -uh plus -oht do not carry the relative prefix.
(7.268) Im`e
nkilhuhohta
1sall leave.want.comp.ipv
I would rather leave or I (would) prefer to leave
(7.269) Ku
nkilhuhohta
im`e
2nom leave.want.comp.ipv 1sall
I would rather you left or I (would) prefer for you to leave
(7.270) Im`e
auokfohta
ku
eima menkilhoie
1sall rel.want.comp.ipv 2nom still neg.sbj.leave.dep:sbj:neg.nom
I would prefer it if you (did) not leave yet
The construction equivalent to the X-er ... the X-er (e.g., the bigger they come, the harder they fall) is
illustrated below. Here two clauses are combined, each containing a comparative or atelic inchoative verb,
or a comparative quantifier or degree word (e.g., anohte more, ohpi more so, to a greater degree). The
second clause also includes the demonstrative adverbial tlai thus, so, that much, to that extent. The verb
in the first clause takes the form of a participle (10.3): an indicative participle if the sentence describes an
actual or generic state of affairs, and a subjunctive participle if it describes a hypothetical state of affairs.
(7.271) Koine
person.nom
The older a
lit. When a

aliunime,
tlai ohe
iona
rel.old.ainc.pt thus more:nom known.ipv
person gets, the more (s/he) knows
person gets older, to that extent more is known (by him/her)

(7.272) Kima akiotohte

sukait,
tlai ohpi
tehefoi uslat
12erg rel.fast.comp.cv work.pt:sbj.pl thus more:so soon
finish.ipv.pl
The faster we work, the sooner we will finish
lit. If we work more quickly, to that extent (we) will finish sooner

7.7. EXPRESSING MODALITY

185

Note finally that, although the suffix -oht is mostly used in combination with the relative prefix to form
comparatives, it can also combine to a limited degree with non-stative verbs. When used with a nonstative verb, -oht expresses an event whereby one individual (or group of individuals) surpasses another in
performing the activity or exhibiting the trait denoted by the root:
kahta
kapua
kiompa
lhaha
lhinta
tsahompa

hit
be skillful, be good at
run, chase
reach, stretch
be clever
wrestle

kahtohta
kapuohta
kiompohta
lhahohta
lhintohta
tsahompohta

out-hit, defeat (in a fight)

outperform, be better at
outrun, run faster than, beat (in a race)
overreach, reach past/beyond
outsmart, outwit, be cleverer than
out-wrestle, defeat in a wrestling match

In a clause headed by an eventive verb with -oht, the participant being surpassed is expressed by a noun
phrase in the ablative case:
(7.273) Motlama
suhpau
kiompohtyi
Motla.erg brother.abl run.comp.pv
Motla outran his brother

7.7

Expressing modality

Modality involves the expression of possibility, necessity, and other notions related to hypothetical or possible
worlds (ability, volition, intention, etc.). Modality is expressed in two different ways in Okuna: by adding
a modal suffix to the verb stem, or by using a separate modal verb which selects a verb or a clause in the
dependent subjunctive form. I discuss these options in turn.

7.7.1

Modal suffixes

One of four suffixes can be added to a verb stem to express modality. These suffixes, listed in the following
table, are added directly to the verb stem, preceding any tense/aspect/mood/polarity inflection (see 7.4).
When added to a stem ending in a glide, the initial high vowels of the desiderative and purposive suffixes
undergo lowering, in accordance with the vowel hiatus rules in 3.5.3: e.g., takia break, taki.ihp.a > takiehpa
intend to break, taki.uh.a > takioha want to break.
debitive
desiderative
purposive
potential

(must, have to, need to)

(want to)
(should, mean to, intend to)
(can, may, might, be able to)

-oks
-uh
-ihp
-yip

The copular verb he (9.3.1) takes the form hi- when it combines with these suffixes. Likewise the deictic
verbs ts`
a be over here (near me) and k`
a be here/there (near us/you) take the stem forms tsa- and ka-,
respectively, with insertion of a glide in accordance with the vowel hiatus rules.
hioksa
hioha
hiehpa
hiyipa

must be
want to be
intend to be
can be

tsauoksa
tsauoha
tsaiehpa
tsaiyipa

must be here
want to be here
intend to be here
can be here

kauoksa
kauoha
kaiehpa
kaiyipa

must be here/there
want to be here/there
intend to be here/there
can be here/there

When a modal suffix is added to the verb, that verb is treated as a (derived) stative for purposes of
tense/aspect marking (7.4). Verbs inflected for modality cannot take perfective aspect, but can appear
in the non-past imperfective, past imperfective, or conditional. Below I give a partial tense/aspect/mood
paradigm for siehp- write + debitive -oks, with approximate English translations for each form:

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

siehpoksa
isiehpoksa
usiehpoksa

must write, has to write, needs to write

must be writing, must have been writing
must have written

siehpoksanka
isiehpoksanka
usiehpoksanka

had to write, needed to write

had to be writing, had to have been writing
had to have written

siehpoksike
isiehpoksike
usiehpoksike

would have to write, would need to write

would have to be writing, would have to have been writing
would have to have written

Note also that when a verb inflected for modality is negated (7.3), the negation is understood to scope over
the modal suffix. Compare the following:
iman
iman
iman
iman

siehpyipa
siehpihpa
siehpuha
siehpoksa

I
I
I
I

can write
intend to write
want to write
must write

iman
iman
iman
iman

ntsiehpyipo
ntsiehpihpo
ntsiehpuho
ntsiehpokso

I
I
I
I

cant write
dont intend to write
dont want to write
dont have to write

To express propositions like I might not write, I must not write, or I should not write, where the modal
scopes over negation, a separate modal verb must be used in place of a modal suffix (see next section).
The meanings of the different modal forms are discussed and illustrated below.
Potential modality
The potential modal suffix -yip (glossed able in the examples) can express the possibility that the event
denoted by the verb will come to pass, or has come to pass. When expressing possibility, the potential form
usually corresponds to may or might in English:
(7.274) Ise
kahpyipa
snow fall.able.ipv
It may/might snow
(7.275) Ise
ikahpyipa
snow prg.fall.able.ipv
It may/might be snowing
(7.276) Ise
ukahpyipa
snow pf.fall.able.ipv
It may/might have snowed
The potential suffix can also express ability, in which case it is roughly equivalent to English can, be able
to, or the suffix -able:
(7.277) Halmai
talyipa
book.dat read.able.ipv
The book is readable or The book can be read
When the clause includes a noun phrase denoting the individual who possesses the ability to perform the
action, that noun phrase appears in the locative case. The locative-marked noun phrase almost always
replaces one of the verbs core argumentstypically the ergative argument, if the verb takes one, otherwise
the nominative argument. Compare the following:

7.7. EXPRESSING MODALITY

187

(7.278) Moihama halmai

tala
girl.erg book.dat read.ipv
The girl will read the book
(7.279) Moihama halmai
talyipa
girl.erg book.dat read.able.ipv
The girl may/might read the book
or It is possible that the girl will read the book
(7.280) Moihana halmai
talyipa
girl.loc book.dat read.able.ipv
The girl can read the book or The girl is able to read the book
(7.281) Sakiale
nkilhyipa
Sakial.nom leave.able.ipv
Sakial may/might leave
(7.282) Sakialna
nkilhyipa
Sakial.loc leave.able.ipv
Sakial can leave or Sakial is able to leave
Finally, a verb in the potential modality can express permission (may, be allowed to). The individual who
has permission to perform the action may be represented by a noun phrase in the allative case. Like the
locative noun phrase in the examples above, this allative noun phrase normally replaces one of the verbs
core arguments.
(7.283) Moihaua halmai
talyipa
girl.all book.dat read.able.ipv
The girl may read the book or The girl is allowed to read the book
(7.284) Sakiala
nkilhyipa
Sakial.all leave.able.ipv
Sakial may leave or Sakial is allowed to leave
Debitive modality
The debitive modal suffix -oks (glossed must) expresses necessity. In certain cases this suffix is used when
the clause expresses the realization or supposition that the event in question will come about, or has come
about. Here it usually corresponds to English must or be sure to:
(7.285) Ise
kahpoksa
snow fall.must.ipv
It must snow or Its sure to snow
(7.286) Ise
ikahpoksa
snow prg.fall.must.ipv
It must be snowing
(7.287) Ise
ukahpoksa
snow pf.fall.must.ipv
It must have snowed
The debitive suffix can also express obligation, in which case it can be translated must, have to, need to:

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.288) Halmai
taloksa
book.dat read.must.ipv
The book needs to be read
(7.289) Moihama halmai
taloksa
girl.erg book.dat read.must.ipv
The girl must / has to read the book
A noun phrase in either the locative case or the allative case may be added to the clause to indicate the
individual who possesses the obligation. As with the potential form, this noun phrase almost always replaces
one of the verbs core arguments. The difference between locative and allative marking is somewhat subtle:
roughly speaking, locative case is used when the sense of obligation originates within the individual, while
allative case is used when the individual is compelled by someone else. Compare the examples below: (7.290)
implies that Sakial feels an inner compulsion to read the book, whereas with (7.291) the usual sense is that
the requirement to read the book has been imposed on Sakial by someone else.
(7.290) Sakialna
halmai
taloksa
Sakial.loc book.dat read.must.ipv
Sakial must read the book (i.e., has the urge to read)
(7.291) Sakiala
halmai
taloksa
Sakial.all book.dat read.must.ipv
Sakial must read the book (i.e., is required to read)
By contrast, in (7.289) above, there is no sense that any particular individual is being compelled to bring
about the reading event. To capture this, (7.289) may be translated It is necessary for the girl to read the
book or The girl is certain to read the book.
Purposive and desiderative modality
The purposive suffix -ihp (glossed intend) is added to the verb stem when the clause denotes the state of
affairs where it is intended or considered desirable that the event named by the verb stem come about. It is
sometimes equivalent to should or be meant to, be supposed to:
(7.292) Halmai
talihpa
book.dat read.intend.ipv
The book is (meant) to be read
(7.293) Moihama halmai
talihpa
girl.erg book.dat read.intend.ipv
The girl is supposed to read the book or The girl should read the book
A verb in the purposive form can combine with a noun phrase in the locative case, referring to the individual
who possesses the intention that the action come about. When this individual is also one of the participants
in the intended event, the locative noun phrase will replace the core argument that denotes that participant
(usually the ergative argument, or the nominative argument if the verb lacks an ergative argument):
(7.294) Sakialna
moihama halmai
talihpa
Sakial.loc girl.erg book.dat read.intend.ipv
Sakial intends that the girl (should) read the book
(7.295) Sakialna
halmai
talihpa
Sakial.loc book.dat read.intend.ipv
Sakial intends to read the book

7.7. EXPRESSING MODALITY

189

The desiderative suffix -uh (glossed want) works essentially the same way as the purposive suffix. It is added
to the verb to indicate that the event in question is desired by some individual, and usually corresponds to
English want to. The individual possessing the desire may be expressed by a noun phrase in the locative,
which can replace one of the verbs core arguments.
(7.296) Halmai
taluha
book.dat read.want.ipv
It is desired that the book be read
(7.297) Moihama halmai
taluha
girl.erg book.dat read.want.ipv
It is desired that the girl read the book
(7.298) Sakialna
moihama halmai
taluha
Sakial.loc girl.erg book.dat read.want.ipv
Sakial wants the girl to read the book
(7.299) Sakialna
halmai
taluha
Sakial.loc book.dat read.want.ipv
Sakial wants to read the book
Note that a verb with the desiderative suffix can in turn take the comparative/superlative suffix -oht (cf.
7.6). The resulting forms are equivalent English expressions with rather or prefer: e.g., nkilha leave >
nkilhuha want to leave > nkilhuhohta prefer to leave, would rather leave (lit. more/most want to leave).
(7.300) Te halma atai
taluhohta
iman
foc book that:dat read.want.comp.ipv 1sloc
I (would) prefer to read that book
Generally with verbs in the purposive or desiderative form, the locative noun phrase replaces a coreferential
core argument only if that argument represents the most active or agentive participant in the event.
Otherwise, the locative noun phrase and the coreferential core argument are both realized in the clause.
Compare the examples in (7.301) and (7.302): in the former sentence, the participant possessing the desire
is the same individual as the (ergative) actor participant, while in the latter sentence its the same individual
as the (nominative) theme. (7.303) and (7.304) show a parallel contrast:
(7.301) Iman tal`
o
fonuhanka
1sloc chief.nom praise.want.ipv:pst
I wanted to praise the chief
(7.302) Iman me
taloma
fonuhanka
1sloc 1snom chief.erg praise.want.ipv:pst
I wanted the chief to praise me or I wanted to be praised by the chief
(7.303) Iman tal`
o
fonihpa
1sloc chief.nom praise.intend.ipv
I intend to praise the chief
(7.304) Iman me
taloma
fonihpa
1sloc 1snom chief.erg praise.intend.ipv
I intend for the chief to praise me or I intend to be praised by the chief

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7.7.2

CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

Modal verbs

In addition to the modal suffixes, Okuna has a number of Class I stative verbs for expressing notions of
possibility, necessity, desirability, etc. The most common modal verbs are listed below. For each verb, the
most literal meaning is given first, followed by typical English translation equivalents in parentheses.
alha
aniohta
etaupa
ksafa
kuia
lehua
lyihpa
okfa
otsena
tima
tiuha
toupa

be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be

allowed, permissible (can, may)

better, preferable (it would be better/best if...)
predicted (be supposed to)
desired, wished for
certain, definite
advisable (should, ought to)
possible (can, may, might)
desired/desirable (want)
likely, probable
likely, common (tend to; be liable to)
necessary, needed (need, must)
presumable, apparent (must)

As members of Class I, modal verbs select a single core argument, marked for nominative case. In addition,
most modal verbs can take a noun phrase in the locative or allative case. For ksafa and okfa, a locative
noun phrase indicates the individual who wishes or hopes for the object or event denoted by the nominative
argument. With verbs such as lyihpa and tiuha, an allative noun phrase indicates the individual with respect
to whom the object/event denoted by the nominative argument is possible or necessary.
(7.305) Iman iase mian
iokfa
1sloc food some:nom prg.desired.ipv
I want some food (lit. In me, some food is desired)
(7.306) Im`e
ikou
aleute
itiuha
1sall 2sabl help.nom prg.necessary.ipv
I need your help (lit. Your help is necessary to/for me)
In the examples above, the nominative argument is a regular noun phrase. The nominative argument can
also take the form of a clause in the dependent subjunctive form (10.2), denoting a hypothetical event:
(7.307) Lehua
ke
halma atai
etal`e
advisable.ipv med book this:dat sbj.read.dep:sbj.nom
This book should be read or It is advisable that this book be read
(7.308) Aniohta ku
kotseim
sik`
a ekauot`e
best.ipv 2nom morning.dat until sbj.be:here.dur.dep:sbj.nom
It would be best if you stayed here until morning
(7.309) Alha
ne
ikimme eiafit`
a
allowed.ipv 3anom 12inst sbj.accompany.dep:sbj.pl.nom
It is permissible for them to come with us
(7.310) Lyihpa
kime
elohfoi
esaseuot`
a
possible.ipv 12dat tomorrow sbj.meet.dep:sbj.recip.pl.nom
Its possible that we will meet tomorrow
(7.311) Elimna
okfa
otanaina ekest`e
Elim.loc desired.ipv child.loc sbj.happy.dep:sbj.nom
Elim wants (his) children to be happy

7.7. EXPRESSING MODALITY

191

Alternatively, the modal verb and its complement may undergo restructuring (see 10.2.4). In this construction, the dependent subjunctive verb appears without an case marking and immediately precedes the modal
verb, the two forming a complex predicate. Any arguments selected by the dependent subjunctive verb behave as part of the main clause, and when they trigger plural agreement or reciprocal marking (7.2, 9.4.4),
the agreement and reciprocal suffixes attach to the modal verb rather than the verb it selects. Compare the
sentences above with their restructured counterparts below:
(7.312) Ke
halma atai
etali
lehua
med book this:dat sbj.read.dep:sbj advisable.ipv
This book should be read
(7.313) Ku
kotseim
sik`
a ekauoti
aniohta
2nom morning.dat until sbj.be:here.dur.dep:sbj best.ipv
You had best stay here until morning
(7.314) Ne
ikimme eiafi
alhat
3anom 12inst sbj.accompany.dep:sbj allowed.ipv.pl
They may come with us or They are allowed to come with us
(7.315) Kime elohfoi
esasi
lyihpauot
12dat tomorrow sbj.meet.dep:sbj possible.ipv.recip.pl
We may/might/could meet tomorrow
(7.316) Elimna
otanaina ekesti
okfa
Elim.loc child.loc sbj.happy.dep:sbj desired.ipv
Elim wants (his) children to be happy
Note that either the dependent subjunctive verb, or the sentence as a whole, can be negated. In the former
case, the modal verb scopes over negation, while in the latter case, negation scopes over the modal. The
following pairs of sentences illustrate the contrast between these two possibilities:
(7.317) Pyie
ntse enkilhoi
alhot
child.nom neg sbj.leave.dep:sbj:neg allowed.ipv:neg.pl
The children may not leave (i.e., it is not permitted that the children leave)
(7.318) Pyie
menkilhoi
alhat
child.nom neg.sbj.leave.dep:sbj:neg allowed.ipv.pl
The children dont have to leave (i.e., it is permitted that the children not leave)
(7.319) Pyie
ntse enkilhoi
tiuhot
child.nom neg sbj.leave.dep:sbj:neg necessary.ipv:neg.pl
The children dont have to leave (i.e., it is not necessary that the children leave)
(7.320) Pyie
menkilhoi
tiuhat
child.nom neg.sbj.leave.dep:sbj:neg necessary.ipv.pl
The children must not leave (i.e., it is necessary that the children not leave)
The verbs tiuha and toupa are easily confused, since both verbs overlap in meaning with the debitive suffix
-oks, and both may be translated as must or have to in English. Tiuha expresses the necessity that a
situation come about, while toupa expresses the realization or supposition that a situation has or will come
about. This contrast is illustrated below:

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CHAPTER 7. VERB MORPHOLOGY

(7.321) Ikime ahotsine enalhi

tiuha
12all corn.nom sbj.plant.dep:sbj necessary.ipv
We must / have to plant the corn
(7.322) Motl`
a
iemouti
toupa
hial`
o, elh tlohpa
Motla.nom sbj:prg.sick.dep:sbj must.ipv today and for:that:reason
mekau
neg.prg.be:here.ipv:neg
Motla must be sick today, and thats why (he)s not here
Note also the following examples, which illustrate tima used as a modal verb. Notice that the interpretation
of this construction depends on the aspect in which tima occurs: when it occurs in progressive aspect, the
sentence indicates the strong likelihood that the event denoted by the subjunctive verb will come about,
given the current situation; when it occurs in the imperfect, the sentence expresses the general tendency
for the event denoted by the subjunctive verb to come about. (In non-modal contexts, tima means lie, be
located.)
(7.323) Kalone
ehkamne elyue
timat
boy.nom early
sbj.wake:up.dep:sbj tend.ipv.pl
The boys tend to wake up early
(7.324) Kalone
ehkamne elyue
itimat
boy.nom early
sbj.wake:up.dep:sbj prg.tend.ipv.pl
The boys are liable to wake up early

Chapter 8

Minor Word Classes

8.1

Introduction

Nouns and verbs (discussed in chapters 4, 6, and 7) constitute the open lexical classes of Okunai.e.,
the lexical classes to which new members may be added, either through coinage or by borrowing from another
language. There are also several closed classes of words whose members perform various grammatical
functions. Some of these classes (e.g., pronouns, quantificational adverbs) were introduced in earlier chapters.
The remaining classes are discussed here. Section 8.2 deals with sentential particles, which mark operator
functions related to focus or clause type. 8.3 gives an overview of coordinators and the conjoining of phrases
and clauses. Finally, 8.4 deals with adverbials (predicate modifiers) for expressing manner, degree, temporal
quantification, and aspect.

8.2

Sentence particles

Sentence particles are non-inflecting function words which occupy a fixed position in the clause. I group these
particles into two classes based on the position they occupy. 8.2.1 deals with focus particles, which express
concepts like even, only, and not. 8.2.2 deals with force and evidential particles. Force particles provide
information about the function of the clause (i.e., whether it constitutes a question, command, exclamation,
etc.), while evidential particles indicate something about the epistemological status of the sentence (i.e.,
whether it represents common knowledge, hearsay, speculation, etc.). Focus particles always precede the
verb, and take scope over some portion of the clausal nucleus (9.2.1); while force and evidential particles
occur at the right edge of the clausal nucleus, immediately following the verb.

8.2.1

Focus particles

Okuna has a number of particles which precede a constituent (a noun phrase or predicate) to indicate
that that constituent is being contrastively focusedthat is, foregrounded in the sentence and implicitly or
explicitly contrasted with other potential discourse referents. One such focus particle is te, illustrated in
(8.2) below.
(8.1) Ma
hotume
itsampanka
1serg uncle.inst prg.say.act.ipv:pst
I was talking to my uncle
(8.2) Ma
te
hotume
itsampanka
1serg foc uncle.inst prg.say.act.ipv:pst
I was talking to my uncle (not to anyone else)
193

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

Focus particles occur within the clausal nucleus (9.2.1), following the topic and preceding the verb and
any noun phrases unmarked for case (see 4.6.3). Case-marked noun phrases in the clause either precede
or follow the focus particle, depending on their scope, as discussed below. The major focus particles and
particle combinations are listed here (on the negative particles ntse and ntsune, see 7.3 for discussion):
ekane
hi`
o
husu
husu ntse
las
ntse, ntsune
ntsilas
ntsohkina
ohkina
te
tiefu
tiefu ntse
usahke

just, specifically, in particular; exactly, precisely

indeed, actually, in fact
also, even
not even
only, merely, just
not
not only
neither, not even
also, even
just, only, actually
only, solely, just; except
only not, just not; except
especially, in particular

Focus particles are interpreted as operators which take scope over the verb, verb phrase, or noun phrase to
their immediate right. Compare the following sentences, where the difference in word order correlates with
a difference in scope for the particle tiefu:
(8.3) Moihama kahoi
tiefu ipamyima
girl.erg fish.dat only cook.pv.dpl
The girl only cooked the fish
(8.4) Moihama tiefu kahoi
ipamyima
girl.erg only fish.dat cook.pv.dpl
The girl only cooked (the) fish
(8.5) Kahoi
tiefu moihama ipamyit
fish.dat only girl.erg cook.pv.pl
Only the girl cooked the fish
or The fish were cooked by the girl alone
(8.6) Tiefu moihama kahoi
ipamyima
only
girl.erg fish.dat cook.pv.dpl
Its only (the case) that the girl cooked the fish
In (8.3) tiefu scopes over the verb ipamyima cooked, and sets up an implicit contrast between the cooking
action and other possible actions which the girl might have performed on the fish (such as eating them). In
(8.4) the particle scopes over either kahoi fish or kahoi ipamyima cooked the fish: this sentence asserts
that the fish are the only things that the girl cooked, or that cooking the fish is the only thing that the girl
did. In (8.5) tiefu scopes over moihama the girl, or moihama ipamyit cooked by the girl; this sentence
means that the girl is the only one who cooked the fish, or that being cooked by the girl is the only thing
that happened to the fish. Finally, in (8.6), tiefu scopes over the entire sentence, and the meaning is that
the girl cooking the fish is the only thing that happened.
The scopal domain of the focus particle extends rightward only as far as the verb. Hence in the sentences
below, the postposed noun kahoi is outside the scope of tiefu.
(8.7) Moihama tiefu ipamyima
kahoi
girl.erg only cook.pv.dpl fish.dat
The girl only cooked (them), the fish

8.2. SENTENCE PARTICLES

195

(8.8) Tiefu moihama ipamyima

kahoi
only
girl.erg cook.pv.dpl fish.dat
Only the girl cooked (them), the fish
The interaction between word order and scope is further illustrated by the sentences below, containing the
particle husu. Notice that husu can be translated as also or even, depending on the context (likewise for
ohkina when it is used as a focus particle):
(8.9) Sakialma
Elime
husu fonyi
Sakial.erg Elim.nom also
praise.pv
Sakial also praised Elim (besides doing other things to/for him)
(8.10) Sakialma
husu Elime
fonyi
Sakial.nom also
Elim.nom praise.pv
Sakial also/even praised Elim (in addition to praising other people)
or Sakial also praised Elim (in addition to doing other things)
(8.11) Elime
husu Sakialma
fonyi
Elim.nom also
Sakial.erg praise.pv
Even Sakial praised Elim (he wasnt just praised by other people)
or Elim was also praised by Sakial (besides having other things happen to him)
The particles te and hi`
o have an emphatic sense, indicating that what follows is new or unexpected information. The particle te also has a identificational function, and is often used when the speaker wishes to
point out or draw attention to a particular referent. Sentences with te are often appropriately translated
into English using a cleft or pseudo-cleft construction. Compare the following:
(8.12) Ma
halm`
a
kohoit
elhyia
1serg book.nom chest.dat put:in.pv.npl
I put the books in the chest
(8.13) Ma
halm`
a
te
kohoit
elhyia
1serg book.nom foc chest.dat put:in.pv.npl
The chest is where I put the books
(8.14) Ma
te
halma tin
elhyia
kohoit
1serg foc book those:nom put:in.pv.npl chest.dat
Its those books that I put in the chest
or Those are the books that I put in the chest
Te is also found as an optional element in a presentational sentences, where the speaker is drawing the
listeners attention to the entity denoted by the focused noun phrase (which typically functions as a theme
argument and appears without any case marking):
(8.15) Te es halma its`
a
foc one book prg.be:here.ipv
Heres a book or Theres a book over here
(8.16) Te Sakial iketa
foc Sakial prg.come:here.ipv
Here comes Sakial
Other examples of sentences with focus particles are given below:

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

(8.17) Ne
las pyi
3anom just child
Hes just a child
(8.18) Kahu aunme, Sakiala
usahke
kono
henka
fish
if.inst Sakial.all especially salmon like.ipv
When it comes to fish, Sakial especially likes salmon
(8.19) Tonaka tan
husu ntse koin
anasohtena
tiyisyipoike
rock
that:nom even neg person rel.strong.comp.tnzr.loc lift.able.cond:neg
Not even the strongest person could lift that rock
Focus particles often occur in conjoined clauses, where a focused phrase in the second clause bears a relation
of comparison, contrast, augmentation, etc., to a focused phrase in the first clause. Typically all non-focused
material is omitted from the second clause, leaving just the particle and the focused phrase:
(8.20) Elima
tsakamot koine
huata, usahke
pyie
Elim.all all:kinds person.nom like.ipv especially child.nom
Elim likes all kinds of people, especially children
(8.21) Hynukiale inmone
henkanka,
usahke
pyia
play.nom everyone:all enjoy.ipv:pst especially child.all
Everyone enjoyed the play, especially the children
As these examples show, the focused noun phrase in the second clause must carry the same case marking as
the corresponding focused noun phrase in the first clause. In (8.20) the children are set apart as a special
subset of the people who Elim likes. Here, pyi children appears in the nominative case because tsakamot
koin all kinds of people takes the nominative. In (8.21) the children are set apart as a special subset of the
people who enjoyed the play. Since inmone everybody is in the allative case (assigned to the experiencer
participant of the verb henka be enjoyable), pyi takes the allative case as well.
Additional examples of this construction are given below:
(8.22) Halma utai
Sakialma
utala,
husu im`
a
book
that:rdat Sakial.erg pf.read.ipv also 1serg
Sakial has read that book, and so have I
(8.23) Halma utai
inket
utalane,
ohkina im`
a
book
that:rdat everyone.erg pf.read.ipv.epl also
1serg
Everyone has read that book, even/including me
(8.24) Ntsilas Elime
muntetou,
tluosna husu Motl`
a
not:only Elim.nom drunk.tinc.pv:neg rather also Motla.nom
Its not just Elim who got drunk, but also Motla
(8.25) Sa
husu Elime
tsulyit,
ntsilas
Sakiale
13erg also Elim.nom visit.pv.pl not:only Sakial.nom
We also visited Elim, not just Sakial
(8.26) Se
husu Elimma
tsulyit,
ntsilas
Sakialma
13nom also Elim.erg visit.pv.pl not:only Sakial.nom
Even Elim visited us, not just Sakial or We were also visited by Elim, not just by Sakial

8.2. SENTENCE PARTICLES

197

Note finally that tiefu and tiefu ntse can be used to express exclusion, equivalent to English except or but.
Tiefu is used after a negative quantifier, as in (8.27) and (8.28), while tiefu ntse is used after a universal
quantifier, as in (8.29) and (8.30):
(8.27) Elima
ntsemi`
o
huato,
tiefu man
Elim.all nobody:nom like.ipv:neg only 1snom
Elim doesnt like anybody except me (lit. Elim likes nobody, only me)
(8.28) Elime
ntsemioha huato,
tiefu im`e
Elim.nom nobody.all like.ipv:neg only 1sall
Nobody likes Elim except me
(8.29) Elima
nket
huataua,
tiefu ntse man
Elim.all everyone:nom like.ipv.npl only neg 1snom
Elim likes everyone except me (lit. Elim likes everyone, only not me)
(8.30) Elime
inkene
huata, tiefu ntse im`e
Elim.nom everyone.all like.ipv only neg 1sall
Everyone likes Elim except me

8.2.2

Force and evidential particles

Okuna has a number of particles which immediately follow the verb. Some of these particles express emphasis, or indicate the type of speech act which the utterance represents (statement, question, command,
exclamation, etc.). Others encode evidential featuresthat is, they indicate the speakers source of information, or the degree of certainty with which s/he is making an assertion. The particles and their functions
are listed below and discussed in the following subsections.
ha
hok
iahok
iak
iakin
iam
kalh
la
le
lin
lo
mi
mo
mun
na
ne, -n
nem
pi
tat
tli

unexpected information (in fact, as it happens)

emphatic, exclamative
emphatic negative (at all)
emphatic imperative (prohibitive)
emphatic negative question
surprise, unassimilated information (it turns out that...)
emphatic question
reassurance (dont worry)
conjecture, speculation (I think, apparently, it seems so)
question, request to speculate (do you suppose?)
uncertainty, request for confirmation (right?, is it so?)
regret (unfortunately, Im afraid)
subjective judgement, personal opinion (I think so, in my opinion)
question, request for judgement/opinion (in your opinion...?)
imperative/optative
question
suggestion (lets, how about, why not...)
uncertainty, possibility (maybe, perhaps)
common knowledge (of course, after all, as you know)
hearsay, secondhand information (apparently, so they say)

Particles marking clause type and emphasis

Perhaps the most common postverbal particle is ne (glossed qu in the examples), which indicates that the
sentence is a question. Both yes/no questions and content questions are marked with ne. As shown in (8.32)

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

and (8.33) below, ne contracts to -n and attaches to the verb when the latter ends in a vowel; however, -n
is not treated as part of the verb for purposes of stress assignment (note the diacritic on it`
alan, indicating
that stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the word, despite the presence of a final consonant).
(8.31) Elim ka Motlai
ik`e
utlelhuhkat
ne?
Elim and Motla.dat dog.nom pf.find.cpl.ipv.pl qu
Did Elim and Motla manage to find the dog?
(8.32) Moihama halmai
it`
alan?
girl.erg book.dat prg.read.ipv.qu
Is the girl reading the book?
(8.33) Moihama halma mai
talyin?
girl.erg book what.dat read.pv.qu
Which book did the girl read?
To mark emphasis, the particle hok is often used. This particle acts is a sort of verbal exclamation point,
indicating heightened emotional involvement on the part of the speaker. It frequently occurs in exclamatory
statements such as (8.35):
(8.34) Hi
manakpyipo
iman, tsuo alhuta
hok!
3inom neg.carry.able.ipv:neg 1sloc too rel.heavy.ipv excl
I cant lift it; (its) too heavy!
(8.35) Ne
tlai amila
hok!
3anom so rel.handsome.ipv excl
How handsome he is! or Hes so handsome!
The particles la and mi are also used to express emphasis, but unlike hok they have a softening effect: la
is often added to a sentence when the speaker wishes to comfort, reassure, or placate the addressee; while
mi is used to express speaker regret in reporting an unfortunate event.
(8.36) Moito
la
neg.matter.ipv:neg emph
Dont worry, it doesnt matter
(8.37) Nkuetlo
ikun, mutlihpo
la
iman
neg.afraid.ipv:neg 2sloc neg.harm.intend.ipv:neg emph 1sloc
Dont be afraid, I wont harm (you)
(8.38) Sakiale
mafo
mi
ikimme
Sakial.nom neg.go:along.ipv:neg emph 12inst
Sakial wont be coming with us, Im afraid
The counterpart of hok used in negative clauses is iahok. In some cases this particle corresponds to English
at all or ever:
(8.39) Ntsemi`
o
iolhunka
iahok
nobody:nom prg.be:there.ipv:pst:neg emph:neg
There wasnt anybody there
(8.40) Inmi
ntsemi kanu utso
iahok
3aerg.1sdat never lie
pf.say.ipv:neg emph:neg
Hes never (ever) lied to me

8.2. SENTENCE PARTICLES

199

(8.41) Iman nkuio

iahok
ion`
a
m`
a
esuki
aun
1sloc neg.certain.ipv:neg emph:neg know.dep.nom what sbj.do.dep:sbj if
Im not at all sure I know what to do
The particle kalh marks a sentence as an emphatic question. It can be used in place of ne to indicate surprise,
disbelief, frustration, disgust, or other strong emotion. To form emphatic negative questions, iakin is used
in place of kalh.
(8.42) Mikail
te
oun`
a
kilyit
kalh
hamohimok utena?
boy.dat foc bear.nom see.pv.pl emph:qu sweat:lodge near.loc
Did the boys really see a bear by the sweat lodge?
(8.43) M`
a
laisne mehkyi
kalh?
what:nom just
happen.pv emph:qu
What on earth just happened?
(8.44) Ymiohpa ntse yte
etsoike
iakin?
why
neg truth say.cond:neg emph:neg:qu
Why on earth wont you tell (me) the truth?
(8.45) Ko
inem
metsampo
iakin?
2erg 3asinst neg.speak.act.ipv:neg neg:emph:qu
Wont you even talk to him?
Note that ne, kalh, and iakin occur only in main clause questions; embedded (indirect) questions are formed
with the element aun if, whether, discussed in 10.2.3. Two other question particles, lin and mun, are
discussed below. For more on the structure of questions, see 9.3.2.
Finally, the particles na, nem, and iak occur in imperative and optative clauses. Na expresses a strong
desire on the part of the speaker that an action be performed or that an event (be permitted to) come about.
In negative imperatives (prohibitives), iak is used in place of na. Nem is somewhat less emphatic than na,
and may be used when the speaker is suggesting a course of action; it can correspond to English lets, how
about, or why not, depending on context. (For more on imperative sentences, see 9.3.3.)
(8.46) Ko
hitole
muka
na
2erg door.nom close.ipv imp
Close the door!
(8.47) Ma
akoi
aleut uktia
na
1serg 2sdat help give.ipv imp
Let me help you!
(8.48) Atai
miaso
iak
that:dat neg.eat.ipv:neg neg:imp
Dont eat that!
(8.49) Kim
Kemotlasei
etat
nem
12nom Kemotlasi.dat go.ipv.pl emph
Lets go to Kemotlasi or Why dont we go to Kemotlasi?
In the examples above, the imperative/optative particle follows a verb in the imperfect form. When na or iak
is used with a verb in the conditional form, as in the example below, the sentence expresses a counterfactual
wish. This construction corresponds roughly to English if only or would that...:
(8.50) Inme
ihka
uteulikit
na
3aerg.1snom earlier pf.listen.cond.pl imp
If only theyd listened to me earlier or Would that they had listened to me earlier

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

Particles marking evidentiality

In addition to emphasis or clause type, a post-verbal particle may encode evidential distinctions, expressing
the source of information or degree of certainty behind the speakers assertion.
The particles pi and lo express a low degree of certainty: pi is equivalent to maybe or perhaps, while
lo is used where an English speaker might use a tag question (e.g., ... doesnt it?). In the case of lo, the
speaker is not entirely certain if the proposition is true and is looking to the addressee for confirmation or
denial. Pi, on the other hand, marks the proposition as pure speculation: the speaker cannot vouch for the
truth of the sentence, and does not expect the addressee to be able to do so either.1
(8.51) Elohfoi
ise
kahpa
pi
tomorrow snow fall.ipv maybe
Perhaps it will snow tomorrow
(8.52) Mutoi
tokoksa
lo
fence.dat repair.must.ipv do:you:think
The fence needs to be repaired, doesnt it?
The particle tli also expresses uncertainty, but indicates that the proposition is hearsay, something which
the speaker learned secondhand but cannot vouch for:
(8.53) In`e
tiakoi
malkama ukaiha
tli
3aall goat.dat wolf.erg pf.kill.ipv they:say
His goat was killed by a wolf, they say
Other evidential particles indicate something about the speakers attitude towards the truth of what s/he
is asserting. For example, tat marks the utterance as common knowledge, something which is well accepted
or self-evident. By using tat (roughly equivalent to of course, after all, as you know, etc.), the speaker
asserts that s/he believes the proposition to be true, and expects the addressee to agree:
(8.54) Mutoi
tokoksa
tat
fence.dat repair.must.ipv of:course
As you know, the fence needs to be repaired
The particle ha is also used when the speaker wishes to emphasize that what s/he is saying is true. However,
it differs from nin in that the speaker does not expect the addressee to recognize the truth of the proposition.
Instead, ha is used when the speaker is imparting new, perhaps unexpected or surprising information, making
it similar in function to English actually, in fact or it so happens that.... Consider the following exchange:
(8.55) Tenmotlaie
u
`tan?
Tenmotlai.dat pf.go.ipv.qu
Have you ever been to Tenmotlai?
(8.56) Hi`
o, ma
itan
tsuhpa ha
yes 1snom 3iloc live.ipv in:fact
Yes, in fact I live there!
The particle iam is similar to ha in that it can signal new or surprising information. It is generally used to
express a sudden realization, or when the speaker is acknowledging or reporting on something that s/he just
learned about. It is roughly equivalent to English it turns out that... or I now see/realize that...:
1 There is also a preverbal particle meaning maybe, perhaps, namely tiuse. This particle may be used in place of pi, or the
two can co-occur: e.g., Tiuse elohfoi ise kahpa pi Perhaps it will snow tomorrow.

8.2. SENTENCE PARTICLES

201

(8.57) Ko
eima isuka
iam
2erg still prg.do.ipv just:learned
Youre still working, I see
(8.58) Sakialu
am`e
utioka
iam
Sakial.abl mother.nom pf.die.ipv just:learned
(I just learned that) Sakials mother died
The particles mo and le correspond roughly to English I think: mo is used when the speaker is expressing
a subjective judgement or personal opinion, while le indicates conjecture.2 The latter is used instead of pi
maybe when the speaker believes that the proposition is true, but lacks sufficient evidence to be sure.
(8.59) Sakiale
teusu mila
mo
Sakial.nom very handsome.ipv I:think
(I think that) Sakial is very handsome
(8.60) Iha
nemot
usihitat
le
woman 3a:all:nom pf.go:to:river.ipv.pl I:think
The women have all gone down to the river, I think
Mo and le each have a counterpart used to form questions, namely mun and lin, respectively. With these
particles, the point of view shifts from the speaker to the addressee. Mun is used in questions which ask for
the addressees opinion or judgement, while lin is used in questions which invite the addressee to speculate.
The latter particle may be used in place of ne when the speaker does not expect the addressee to be able to
provide a definitive answer. Like the other question particles (ne, kalh, and iakin), mun and lin occur both
in yes/no questions and in content questions:
(8.61) Sakiale
mila
mun?
Sakial.nom handsome.ipv in:your:opinion
Do you think that Sakial is handsome?
(8.62) Kima m`
a
esuki
lehuat
mun?
12:erg what:nom sbj.do.dep:sbj should.ipv.pl in:your:opinion
What do you think we should do?
(8.63) Oke
s`
u
kahpa
lin?
going:to rain fall.ipv do:you:think
Do you think its going to rain?
(8.64) Ni
m`
a
mehka
lin?
3adat what:nom happen.ipv do:you:suppose
What will happen to him, do you suppose?
Finally, note that the evidential particles can be used to qualify the focus particles hi`
o yes/really and ntsune
no/not, when the latter are used as utterances to answer a question in the affirmative or negative:
hi`
o
hi`
o
hi`
o
hi`
o
hi`
o
hi`
o

le
mo
mun?
pi
tat
tli

I believe so
yes, in my opinion
do you agree/think (so)?
maybe so
of course!
yes, apparently so

ntsune
ntsune
ntsune
ntsune
ntsune
ntsune

le
mo
mun?
pi
tat
tli

I dont believe so
no, in my opinion
dont you think (so)?
maybe not
of course not!
no, apparently not

2 Parallel to this distinction, Okuna has two verbs meaning think, believe: ampa means think in the sense of be of the
opinion (that), while opa means think in the sense of suppose, conjecture. (Yet another verb, mina, means think in the
sense of use ones brain or contemplate/experience an idea.)

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8.3

CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

Coordination

Like all languages, Okuna provides various means for combining two or more constituents into a single larger
constituent of the same type. In 8.3.1 I illustrate the function words used in coordinating noun phrases and
clauses, while in 8.3.2 I briefly discuss particles used to express various kinds of discourse relations between
two clauses (temporal succession, cause and effect, etc.).

8.3.1

Coordinators

Noun phrases and clauses can be linked using a coordinator, which precedes and forms a unit with the second
conjunct (and in some cases the first conjunct as well). Okuna has the following coordinators:
elh
husu
ka
le
lo
ntsu
ntsohkina
ohkina
su
tena
tlafa

and, and then; so, and so

and also, as well as, along with
and; as, such that
but
or
nor
nor
and, as well as, in addition to
or
and
for, as, because

Coordinators expressing simple conjunction

The coordinators elh, ka, husu, ohkina, and tena all express simple conjunction, and usually correspond to
English and. However, they differ somewhat in their distribution. I discuss these elements in turn.
Ka, ohkina, and husu are used exclusively for coordinating two nouns or noun phrases to form a larger
noun phrase: e.g., Sakial ka Elim Sakial and Elim, kal ohkina iha the man and the woman, halma husu
kitam books and papers. Note that when noun phrases conjoined with these coordinators are marked for
case, the case ending attaches only to the second conjunct, while the first conjunct appears in its unmarked
form (or in the nominative case if no unmarked form exists, as with pronouns): e.g., Sakial ka Elimme with
Sakial and Elim, kal ohkina ihau from the man and the woman.
Although ka, ohkina, and husu all mean and, compound noun phrases formed with ka tend to have a
collective interpretation, whereas those formed with ohkina and husu tend to have a distributive interpretation. The distributive reading is especially pronounced with ohkina, which has the sense of English as
well as, in addition to. For example, (8.65) below implies that Sakial and Elim are going to town together,
while (8.66) does not have that implication, and (8.67) strongly implies that they are going separately. (As
these examples show, noun phrases formed through coordination are grammatically plural, and trigger plural
agreement on the verb where appropriate: see 7.2.)
(8.65) Sakial ka Elime
tiesait
itat
Sakial and Elim.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv.pl
Sakial and Elim are going to town (together)
(8.66) Sakial husu
Elime
tiesait
itat
Sakial and:also Elim.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv.pl
Sakial and Elim are (each) going to town
(8.67) Sakial ohkina
Elime
tiesait
itat
Sakial as:well:as Elim.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv.pl
Sakial, as well as Elim, is going to town

8.3. COORDINATION

203

In the case of husu and ohkina (which also function as focus particles meaning also or even; see 8.2.1),
the second conjunct may be postposed to the right of the verb, especially when it represents an afterthought.
Here the two noun phrases are separately marked for case, and the verb takes singular agreement when the
first conjunct is singular.
(8.68) Sakiale
tiesait
ita,
husu
Elime
Sakial.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv and:also Elim.nom
Sakial is going to town, and so is Elim
(8.69) Sakiale
tiesait
ita,
ohkina
Elime
Sakial.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv as:well:as Elim.nom
Sakial is going to town, as well as Elim
(8.70) Nemot
tiesait
itat,
ohkina
Elime
everyone:nom town.dat prg.go.ipv as:well:as Elim.nom
Everyone is going to town, including Elim
In the examples above, only two noun phrases are conjoined to form a larger noun phrase. When conjoining
three or more noun phrases, a coordinator appears between each noun phrase. The final two noun phrases
may be conjoined with ka, husu, or ohkina, but only ka is used between noun phrases earlier in the sequence.
As above, case endings appear only on the final noun phrase.
(8.71) Sakial ka Motla ka Elime
tiesait
itat
Sakial and Motla and Elim.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv.pl
Sakial, Motla, and Elim are going to town (together)
(8.72) Sakial ka Motla husu
Elime
tiesait
itat
Sakial and Motla and:also Elim.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv.pl
Sakial, Motla, and also Elim are going to town
Ka has another function besides conjoining noun phrases. As the examples below show, it can introduce
a participial clause (10.3) which provides additional information about an individual mentioned in the
previous clause. In English a non-restrictive (appositive) relative clause is usually used for this purpose.
(8.73) Ma
Elimme
laisne itsampanka,
ka namo
iolhmohka atsokue
1serg Elim.inst just
prg.say.act.ipv:pst and 3anom.1srdat last:year
pv.meet.pt
I was just talking to Elim, who I met (for the first time) last year
more lit. I was just talking to Elim, and I having met him last year
(8.74) Ma
Tenmotlaie
etyi, ka itan
amema
kas
ulhmo antei
itsuhpe
1snom Tenmotlai.dat go.pv and 3iloc mother.erg so:far year
many.dat prg.live.pt
I went to Tenmotlai, where my mother has been living for many years
more lit. I went to Tenmotlai, and in it (my) mother living for many years
The examples below are similar, except that here the participial clause introduced by ka comments on or
provides supplementary information about the entire propositional content of the main clause, instead of
some entity mentioned in that clause:
(8.75) Elimma
kapue
suka,
ka ma
tlai ihka
utse
Elim.erg skillful.cv work.ipv and 1serg thus before pf.say.pt
Elim is a good worker, as Ive said before (lit. and I having said thus before)
(8.76) Motl`
a
eima imouta,
ka tan
efos
hi
Motla.nom still prg.sick.ipv and that:nom problem is.pt
Motla is still sick, which is a problem (lit. and that being a problem)

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

Participial clauses of the latter type may also be fronted. However, when the clause is fronted, ka is omitted:
(8.77) Ma
tlai ihka
utse,
Elimma
kapue
suka
1serg thus before pf.say.pt Elim.erg skillful.cv work.ipv
As Ive said before, Elim is a good worker
(8.78) Efos
tsai,
Motl`
a
eima imouta
problem be:here.pt Motla.nom still prg.sick.ipv
The problem is that Motla is still sick (lit. Here being a problem, Motla is still sick)
The coordinator elh also means and. However, it never conjoins nouns or noun phrases, but is instead used
to conjoin verbs, verb phrases, and entire clauses. Elh typically expresses a relation of temporal succession
(and then) or cause and effect (so, and so, thus) between the events denoted by the conjoined clauses. It
is often followed by a discourse particle such as temai then, consequently, teuk thus, therefore, tlohpa for
that reason, etc.
(8.79) Puniakakamite
kotsimna
etskanyit,
elh kosetna
inane
tosati mehkyi
traveling:party.nom morning.loc arrive.pv.pl and evening.loc 3apall feast happen.pv
The traveling party arrived in the morning, and (then) in the evening a feast was held for them
(8.80) Mo
suhp`
a
imouta
hial`
o, elh teuk mafyipo
ikimme
1srdat brother.nom prg.sick.ipv today and thus neg.go:with.able.ipv:neg 12inst
My brother is sick today, so (he) cant go with us
When reporting a sequence of events, especially with clauses containing verbs in the imperfect or perfective
aspect (see 7.4.2, 7.4.5), elh is optional. Temporal succession may be indicated simply by juxtaposing two
or more clauses, with the order of the clauses reflecting the order in which the events occur. Juxtaposition
is common in narratives, especially when describing events which are closely related to one another (e.g.,
because they happen in quick succession, or involve the same individual(s)).
(8.81) Sakiale
tolhyi
na
mupatlyi ne
losaka
suhyi
Sakial.nom get:up.pv 3aerg dress.pv 3aabs firewood.all go:out.pv
Sakial got up, dressed, and went out to get firewood
(8.82) Me
eta
ma
it`e
ekpiha
1snom go.ipv 1serg 3isall search.ipv
Ill go and look for it (lit. Ill go, Ill look for it)
Finally, simple conjunction can be expressed using the coordinator tena. This element can combine constituents of any category, including nouns or noun phrases (Sakial tena Elim Sakial and Elim), adverbials
(elohfoi tena hial`
o yesterday and today), and clauses. When tena combines nouns or noun phrases, both
conjuncts are marked for case: e.g., Sakialme tena Elimme with Sakial and Elim. When tena combines
clauses or parts of clauses, the events denoted by those clauses are understood to happen simultaneously.
When the events happen in succession, elh is used instead of tena, or the clauses are simply juxtaposed with
no coordinator between them, as noted above. Compare:
(8.83) Lhatima
hostyit
tena uhnyit
children.erg dance.pv.pl and sing.pv.pl
The children danced and sang (at the same time)
(8.84) Lhatima
hostyit
(elh) uhnyit
children.erg dance.pv.pl and sing.pv.pl
The children danced and then sang

8.3. COORDINATION

205

To express both X and Y, tena may be repeated before each conjunct:

tena Sakial tena Elim
Lhatima tena hostyit tena uhnyit

both Sakial and Elim

The children both danced and sang

However, to express both X and Y where X and Y are noun phrases, it is more common to conjoin them
with ka, husu, or ohkina, as discussed above, and then combine the result with a universal quantifier, which
follows the conjoined noun phrases and carries the case marking for the whole expression (see 5.6):
(8.85) Sakial ka Elim nemot
Uilumai
itat
Sakial and Elim 3a:all:nom Uiluma.dat prg.go.pv.pl
Both Sakial and Elim are going to Uiluma (lit. Sakial and Elim all are going...)
Other coordinators
Disjunction (or) is normally expressed using the coordinator su, as in the example below. Notice that when
two noun phrases are coordinated using su, both are marked for case; and if the noun phrases both have
singular referents, then the conjoined phrase takes singular agreement, much as in English.
(8.86) Mi
Elimma
su Sakialma
aleut uktia
1sdat Elim.erg or Sakial.erg help give.ipv
Elim or Sakial will help me
To form the equivalent of either X or Y, su may be repeated before both conjuncts, or the particle ela can
be placed before the first conjunct: e.g., su Elim su Sakial either Elim or Sakial, ela hial`
o su elohfoi either
today or tomorrow.
Disjunction can also be expressed using the coordinator lo. Lo is used in direct and indirect yes/no questions (9.3.2) when offering a choice between two or more mutually incompatible alternatives, as illustrated
below. When two clauses are conjoined with lo, the question particle ne/-n (or aun in indirect questions)
appears only after the second conjunct.
(8.87) Sateia
maka lo kahu ias`
uhan?
meal.all meat or fish eat.want.ipv.qu
Do you want to have meat or fish for dinner?
(8.88) Motl`
a
ikauotanka
lo iahteme
afyin?
Motla.nom prg.be:here.dur.ipv:pst or others.inst go:along.pv.qu
Did Motla stay here, or did (he) go with the others?
Like tena and su, lo may also be repeated before both conjuncts:
(8.89) Sateia
lo maka lo kahu ias`
uhan?
meal.all or meat or fish eat.want.ipv.qu
Do you want to have meat or fish for dinner?
(8.90) Ma
untsapyi
lo ne
iolyue
lo na
eima
1snom wonder.pv or 3anom sbj:pf.wake:up.dep:sbj or 3aerg still
iemuelhi
aun
sbj:prg.sleep.dep:sbj if
I wondered if he had woken up or if he was still sleeping
Lo (usually repeated) also occurs in concessive clauses, formed with alhme although, despite, even if, to
indicate that it makes no difference which of two or more alternatives is chosen:

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

(8.91) ku
lo etehi
lo enkilhi
alhme
2nom or sbj.stay.dep:sbj or sbj.leave.dep:sbj though.inst
(regardless of) whether you stay or go...
To express neither X nor Y, the coordinator ntsu is used, repeated before both conjuncts: e.g., ntsu Elim
ntsu Sakial neither Elim nor Sakial. (When coordinating two noun phrases, ntsohkina may be used in
place of the second ntsu: e.g., ntsu Elim ntsohkina Sakial.) As the examples below show, ntsu replaces
the negative marker ntse or m(a)-, and triggers negative inflection on the following verb(s) (see 7.3 and
7.4). As the second example shows, when two singular noun phrases are combined with ntsu, the verb takes
singular agreement.
(8.92) It`e
iman ntsu kestunka
ntsu ohiynunka
3iall 1sloc nor
happy.ipv:pst:neg nor
sad.ipv:pst:neg
I was neither happy nor sad about it
(8.93) Eima ntsu Elime
ntsu Sakiale
utskano
still
nor
Elim.nom nor
Sakial.nom pf.arrive.ipv:neg
Neither Elim nor Sakial has arrived yet
The coordinator tlafa for, since, because introduces a clause expressing the cause or reason for the event
expressed by the preceding clause (as discussed in 10.2.1 and 10.2.2, because can also be expressed by
the relational nouns talhkou and ohpeu, or by an dependent clause inflected for ablative case):
(8.94) Mo
suhpana
mafyipo
ikimme, tlafa imouta
1srdat brother.loc neg.come:along.able.ipv:neg 12inst since prg.sick.ipv
My brother cant come with us, since (he) is sick
Finally, the conjunction le is equivalent to English but or yet. It is also found in contrastive constructions,
where English tends to use and, while, whereas.
(8.95) Na
nilou
ehtsain muohtuhkyi, le
iapna
eima ot`
u he
3aerg net.abl one.dat fix.cpl.pv
but other.loc still hole be:ipv
He managed to fix one of the nets, but theres still a hole in the other one
(8.96) Ikema
maka iasa,
le
ounama kyfalu
kahu ka ipoi
iasa
dog.erg meat eat.ipv while bear.erg as:a:rule fish and berry eat.ipv
Dogs eat meat, while bears usually eat fish and berries
When denying one alternative and affirming another (not X but Y), le is often accompanied by the discourse
marker tluosna rather, instead. Alternatively, tluosna can occur by itself in this function.
(8.97) Niloi
ntse Sakialma
umuohto,
(le) tluosna Elimma
net.dat neg Sakial.erg pf.fix.ipv:neg but instead Elim.erg
It wasnt Sakial who fixed the net, but Elim

8.3.2

Discourse markers

The following expressions typically occur at the left edge of a clause, either immediately before or after the
topic, and are often preceded by one of the coordinators discussed in 8.3.1. The function of these expressions
is to help indicate the relationships between sentences in a discourse. Some discourse markers indicate the
temporal ordering of the event denoted by the clause in which they occur and a previous or following clause.
Others indicate the presence or absence of a logical relation between the clause in which they occur and a
previous clause.

8.3. COORDINATION
anin
halime
halle
heku tsanna
hisne
kai, kaine
kam, kamne
kunne
ntsune alhme
ntsune aunme
tatalhkou
taualhme
tehempi
temai
teuk
tiaunme
tielhkoua
tluosna

207

even so, still, nevertheless, anyway, in any case

on the contrary, rather
yet, however
simultaneously, at the same time
then, next, after that
first, first of all, at first
first, previously, prior to that, beforehand
lastly, finally
nevertheless, even if not; although thats not the case
if not, otherwise
thus, therefore, for that reason, because of that
still, anyway, even (if) so, despite that, nevertheless, regardless
also, besides, moreover, in addition; either
then; in that case; thus, consequently
thus, therefore, hence
if so, in that case; given that
thus, for that purpose, in order to do so
rather, instead

Note that kai and kaine can be used interchangeably; likewise for kam and kamne.
Below are some examples of sentences containing these discourse markers. As (8.99) and (8.100) show,
the discourse marker can either precede or follow a clitic or clitic cluster.
(8.98) Kai hom`
a
sonau
nufa,
temai hi
eianuhimi
nana
first bread.nom oven.abl take:out.ipv then
3inom sbj.rel.cold.ainc.dep:sbj let.ipv
First take the bread out of the oven, then let it cool down
(8.99) Eima ise
ikahpa,
le
me
anin
yhmai
suha
still
snow prg.fall.ipv but 1snom nevertheless outside.dat go:out.ipv
Its still snowing, but Im going out anyway
(8.100) Eima ise
ikahpa,
le
ntsune alhme me
himna
tehike
still
snow prg.fall.ipv but not
even:if 1snom inside.loc stay.cond
Its still snowing, but even if it werent, I would stay inside
Temai is often found in in the main clause of a sentence containing a conditional clause, while anin is used
in combination with a concessive clause. (Conditional clauses are normally headed by aunme if, when or a
subjunctive participle, while concessive clauses are headed by alhme though, even if; see 10.2.3, 10.3.2.)
(8.101) Ku
imem eiafi
aunme, temai ehkamne lyuoksa
2nom 1sinst sbj.come:along.dep:sbj if.inst then
early
wake:up.must.ipv
If you (want to) come with me, then youll have to wake up early
(8.102) Ma
halmai
ehenna utala
alhme, hi
anin mamutlo
1serg book.dat twice
pf.read.dep though 3inom still neg.understand.ipv:neg
Even though Ive read the book twice, (I) still dont understand it
As the examples below show, tluosna instead, rather, often preceded by the coordinator le, expresses but
in not X but Y constructions:
(8.103) Mo
suhp`
a
maliunohto
im`
o, tluosna afihohta
1srdat brother.nom neg.rel.old.comp.ipv:neg 1sall instead rel.young.comp.ipv
My brother isnt older than me, but (rather) younger

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

(8.104) Satlai
ntse Sakialma
utokou,
le
tluosna Elimma
roof.dat neg Sakial.erg pf.fix.pv:neg but instead Elim.erg
Its not Sakial who fixed the roof, but Elim
Although discourse markers are normally associated with the left edge of the clause, immediately preceding
or following the topic, they can occur closer to the verb in a position associated with focused elements (see
9.2.1). In the example below, for instance, the discourse particle temai is focused, as shown by the fact
that it immediately precedes the verb and follows the focus particle tiefu:
(8.105) Mi
ik`
o
aleut uktiai,
ma
tiefu temai namuohta
1sdat 2serg help give.pt:sbj 1serg only then succeed.ipv
I will succeed only if you help me (lit. If you help me, only then will I succeed)

8.4

Adverbial elements

In addition to focus particles, force and evidential particles, coordinators, and discourse markers, Okuna has
a small number of lexical items for expressing the manner in which an action is carried out, and a larger
number for picking out particular points in time (e.g, now, tomorrow, last year), quantifying over times
(e.g., sometimes, always, never), quantifying over degrees (e.g., too, very, a little), or expressing
aspectual information (still, again, already). Since these elements do not usually inflect for case, I treat
them as adverbials rather than nouns.
I begin this section with a brief discussion of manner adverbials in 8.4.1, and turn to aspectual adverbials
in 8.4.2. The remaining sections deal with temporal and degree adverbials. A large number of these are
derived from quantifiers, and are presented in 8.4.3. Additional temporal adverbials are listed in 8.4.4,
and additional degree adverbials in 8.4.5.

8.4.1

Manner adverbs

English has a large (indeed, open-ended) class of adverbs for expressing manner: quickly, slowly, clumsily,
etc. Okuna, by contrast, has almost no manner adverbs. In fact, there are only three such elements in
common usage, listed below. Notice that all three are formed with the suffix -pi, which also combines with
quantifiers to form degree words and adverbials of temporal duration, as discussed in 8.4.3.
eliampi
kolumpi
tiahpi

easily, smoothly, gracefully

with difficulty
easily, with ease, in a simple manner

These elements precede the verb that they modify:

(8.106) Na
nak`
a
kolumpi
tiyisyi
3aerg rock.nom with:difficulty lift.pv
He lifted the rock with difficulty
Apart from these three elements, modification to express manner is normally done using stative verbs.
Typically the stative verb will occur as a converb modifier, as in (8.107) (cf. 10.4). Occasionally, the stative
verb will appear in the dependent indicative form, inflected for instrumental case, as in (8.108) (cf. 10.2.1).
(In fact, the suffix -pi is probably an archaic variant of the instrumental case marker, which now survives
only on a handful of elements.)
(8.107) Sakialma
kiote
itupa
Sakial.erg be:quick.cv prg.walk.ipv
Sakial is walking quickly (lit. walking [by] being quick)

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

209

(8.108) Sakialma
kiotame
itupa
Sakial.erg be:quick.dep.inst prg.walk.ipv
Sakial is walking quickly (lit. walking with/while being quick)

8.4.2

Aspectual adverbials

Aspectual adverbials indicate properties of the event denoted by the predicate, or its temporal relationship to
other events, by expressing features such as continuation, completion, repetition, etc. Aspectual adverbials
always occur within the clausal nucleus, preceding the verb and following the topic, if any (see 9.2.1). The
most commonly used adverbials are listed below, followed by discussion and examples of their function.
eima
heiku
kas
kyfalu
laisne
niok
ntseima
ntsoke
ntsuta
oke
taheiku
uta

still; again
again, once more
as of now, by now, so far; already
generally, as a rule (be wont to..., used to...)
just, just now, barely (about to...)
again, once more, back
not any more, no longer
(not going to...)
not yet
by and by (going to...)
yet again, once again
already, yet

The adverb oke combines with a verb in the imperfective aspect to express futurity: it marks that the event
in question follows the present moment, or some other contextually determined reference point. As shown
below, it can occur with a verb in the non-past imperfective or the past imperfective. In the latter case,
it corresponds to English was going to. In negative sentences, the negative marker ntse fuses with oke to
form ntsoke, which triggers negative tense/aspect/mood marking on the verb.
(8.109) Oke
s`
u
kahpa
lin?
going:to rain fall.dep.nom do:you:suppose
Do you think its going to rain?
(8.110) Na
kihoin
oke
siehpa
3aerg letter.dat going:to write.ipv
She will write the letter
(8.111) Na
kihoin
oke
siehpanka
nima
uata
kamna
3aerg letter.dat going:to write.ipv:pst 3anom.1serg stop.dep before.loc
She was going write the letter before I stopped her
(8.112) Na
kihoin
ntsoke
siehpo
3aerg letter.dat not:going:to write.ipv:neg
She is not going to write the letter
Note that marking futurity with oke is optional: as discussed in 7.4.2, a verb in the imperfect form can
express a future event even in the absence of this element. Moreover, oke does not occur in combination with
other modifiers expressing futurity, such as elohfoi tomorrow, hatlam soon, or l`
o henme efoi in two days.
Adding oke to a clause already containing such a modifier would be considered redundant. This shows that
oke is an adverbial element and not a true tense marker, since tense markers freely co-occur with modifiers
that further specify the time of the event relative to the moment of speaking.

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

The adverbial kyfalu generally, as a rule also combines with a verb in the imperfective, and indicates
that the clause denotes a tendency or habitual action. When used with the past imperfective, it is often
translated used to:
(8.113) Inmi
kyfalu
iantena aleut uktiankat
3aerg.1sdat generally often
help give.ipv:pst.pl
They used to help me often
There are two adverbials equivalent to English already, kas and uta. Kas is used of an event which began
in the past and continues up to the present moment (or some other temporal reference point). It can also be
translated now/then, by now/then, so far, etc., depending on context. As the examples below illustrate,
when kas is used the verb generally appears in the progressive aspect:
(8.114) Kimima kas
imuelha
baby.erg already prg.sleep.ipv
The baby is already sleeping
or The baby is sleeping now / will be sleeping by now
(8.115) Kimima kas
imuelhanka
me
amokte
baby.erg already prg.sleep.ipv:pst 1snom pv.come:home.pt
The baby was already sleeping when I got home
Kas commonly appears in combination with a temporal measure phrase marked with instrumental or dative
case. Notice that in this construction the clause is usually translated using the perfect progressive (has/had
been sleeping).
(8.116) Kimima kas
luom hein
imuelha
baby.erg already hour two.dat prg.sleep.ipv
The baby has been sleeping for two hours (now)
(8.117) Kimima kas
luom hein
imuelhanka
me
amokte
baby.erg already hour two.dat prg.sleep.ipv:pst 1snom pv.come:home.pt
The baby had (already) been sleeping for two hours when I got home
The other counterpart to already, uta, is typically used of a completed event. Both kas and uta indicate
that the state or event in question is being viewed after the fact; they differ in that kas takes the beginning
point of an ongoing event or state as its frame of reference, while uta takes the whole event as its frame of
reference. Compare:
(8.118) Na
kihoin
kas
isiehpa
3aerg letter.dat already prg.write.ipv
She is already writing the letter or She has been writing the letter
(8.119) Na
kihoin
uta
siehpyi
3aerg letter.dat already write.pv
She has already written the letter
Consider also the following pair of sentences, where the choice of adverbial determines how the past perfect
verb usiehpanka is interpreted (had been writing versus had written):
(8.120) Na
kihune
kas
es luoim
usiehpanka
me
atskane
3aerg letter.nom already one hour.dat pf.write.ipv:pst 1snom pv.arrive.pt
She had already been writing the letter for an hour when I arrived

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

211

(8.121) Na
kihoin
uta
usiehpanka
me
atskane
3aerg letter.dat already pf.write.ipv:pst 1snom pv.arrive.pt
She had already written the letter when I arrived
In questions, uta and kas usually correspond to English yet:
(8.122) Na
kihoin
kas
isi`ehpan?
3aerg letter.dat already prg.write.ipv.qu
Is she writing the letter yet?
(8.123) Na
kihoin
uta
siehpyin?
3aerg letter.dat already write.pv.qu
Has she written the letter yet?
Another common aspectual adverbial is eima, equivalent to English still:
(8.124) Kimima eima imuelha
baby.erg still
prg.sleep.ipv
The baby is still sleeping
Eima is also used as a emphatic element with verbs expressing equative or comparative degree (7.6),
comparable to English just or even: e.g., etoha be as big (as), eima etoha be just as big (as); etohohta
be bigger (than), eima etohohta be even bigger (than). In addition, eima can occur before a quantifier in
the sense of more: e.g., koin hen two people, koin eima hen two more people; koin ante many people,
koin eima ante many more people.
Like oke, eima and uta undergo fusion with the negative particle ntse, forming ntseima no longer, not
any more and ntsuta not yet, respectively. Both ntseima and ntsuta require negative tense/aspect/mood
inflection on the following verb. Not yet can also be expressed by eima followed by the negative marker
ntse (or m-).
(8.125) Kimima ntseima imuelho
baby.erg no:longer prg.sleep.ipv:neg
The baby is no longer asleep or The baby isnt sleeping anymore
(8.126) Na
kihoin
ntsuta siehpou
3aerg letter.dat not:yet write.pv:neg
She hasnt written the letter yet
(8.127) Na
kihoin
eima ntsiehpou
3aerg letter.dat still
neg.write.pv:neg
She hasnt written the letter yet or She still hasnt written the letter
Note that there are two adverbials equivalent to English again, once more, namely heiku and niok. These
adverbials are not synonymous: heiku expresses the repetition of an event, while niok indicates the return
to a prior state of affairs (the latter is clearly related to the verbs niokta return, go/come back, niokona
remember, etc.). Hence heiku is used with Class II and Class III verbs (denoting events), while niok tends
to be used with Class I verbs (denoting states). When it is used with a Class II/III verb, as in (8.130) below,
niok indicates that the action in question continues or reverses a previous action (i.e., when we say that
Motla left again, we dont mean that he repeated the act of leaving, but rather that his leaving returned
things to the way they were before he arrived):
(8.128) Mo
Motlama
heiku kahtyi
1srdat Motla.erg again hit.pv
Motla hit me again

212

CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

(8.129) Mo
tiene
niok imouta
1srdat son.nom again prg.sick.ipv
My son is sick again (i.e., back to being sick)
(8.130) Motl`
a
etskanyi hisne niok kankilhyi
Motla.nom arrive.pv then again leave:suddenly.pv
Motla arrived, and then suddenly left again
Finally, note the adverbial laisne, which indicates close proximity to the present moment. When combined
with a verb in the perfect or the perfective, laisne translates as just or barely. When combined with a
verb in the progressive, laisne expresses immediate futurity, and is equivalent to (just) about to:
(8.131) Na
suklute
laisne uslyit
3aerg work.nom just
finish.pv.pl
They (have) just finished the work
(8.132) Na
suklute
laisne uoslat
me
atskane
3aerg work.nom just
pf.finish.ipv:pst.pl 1snom pv.arrive.pt
They had just/barely finished the work when I arrived
(8.133) Na
suklute
laisne ioslat
3aerg work.nom just
prg.finish.ipv.pl
They are just finishing the work or The are (just) about to finish the work
English as soon as may be expressed by adding laisne to a perfect participial clause:
(8.134) Me
laisne umokte,
s`
u
kahpetyi
1snom just
pf.go:home.pt rain fall.tinc.pv
As soon as I got home, it began to rain (more lit. I having just gotten home...)

8.4.3

Adverbials formed from quantifiers

A common way of forming adverbials is by adding affixes to the quantifiers discussed in sections 5.6 and
6.8. For example, there are two types of adverbials derived from count noun quantifiers. Adverbials of
the first type are formed by adding the prefix e- (or i- before a vowel) and the locative suffix -na. These
adverbials quantify over the occasions on which a particular event happens, or the situations in which a
particular state of affairs holds:

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

ekihanohtena
ekina
ekisepyina
ekituhtena
emiantena
emuhtena
emuna
esepyina
etehtena
etlantena
etohanohtena
etohantena
etomuhtena
etosepyina
etotuhtena
etsomotena
etsuontena
etsyintena
etuhtena
ianihtena
ianohtena
iantena

213

a bit more often

every time, in each case
rarely, very occasionally, every now and then
a bit less often
how often; sometimes, on some occasions, in certain cases
often enough
always, in all cases
sometimes, occasionally, now and then; in some cases
on the remaining occasions
that often; so often
a lot more often
very often, frequently; in a great many cases
plenty of times, more than often enough
on several occasions, in several cases
a lot less often
mostly, usually, for the most part, in most cases
too often
not often enough, too seldom
not as often, less often
as often, as frequently, equally often
more (often)
often, frequently, in many cases

Some of these can combine with negation:

ntse emiantena
ntse etsuontena
ntse ianohtena

not often, seldom

not too often
no more often

When quantifying over time periods, an adverbial of this type may be immediately preceded by a noun
denoting the relevant unit of time, such as l`
o day (i.e., 24-hour period), lem day(time), koset evening,
hun night, ilme month (lit. moon), ulhmo year. This noun is unmarked for case.
l`
o ekina
ulhmo ekina
hun esepyina
lem esepyina
ntse koset emiantena

every day
every year
some nights
sometimes during the day
rarely in the evening

Quantificational adverbials of the second type are formed by adding the prefix ka- to the quantifier (kbefore a vowel), and suffixing the instrumental case ending -me or the dative ending -i (subject to the usual
allomorphy discussed in 4.2):

214

CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

inst

dat

kakihanohteme
kakisepyime
kakituhteme
kamianteme
kamuhteme
kanihteme
kanohteme
kanteme
kasepyime
katehteme
katlanteme
katohanohteme
katohanteme
katomuhteme
katosepyime
katotuhteme
katsomoteme
katsuonteme
katsyinteme
katuhteme

kakihanohtei
kakisepyie
kakituhtei
kamiantei
kamuhtei
kanihtei
kanohtei
kantei
kasepyie
katehtei
katlantei
katohanohtei
katohantei
katomuhtei
katosepyie
katotuhtei
katsomotei
katsuontei
katsyintei
katuhtei

somewhat more times; somewhat more

a very few times
somewhat fewer times; somewhat less (so)
how many times; a number of times
enough times; enough
as many times
more times; more, more so
many times, repeatedly, a lot
a few times
the remaining times
that many times; so many times
many more times; a lot more
a great many times, over and over again
more than enough (times)
several times
a lot fewer times; a lot less
most times
too many times
not enough times, too few times
fewer times, not as many times; less, less so

Certain of these adverbials combine with the negative element ntse:

inst
ntse
ntse
ntse
ntse

dat
kamianteme
kanihteme
kanohteme
katsuonteme

ntse
ntse
ntse
ntse

kamiantei
kanihtei
kanohtei
katsuontei

not many times

not as many times; less, less so
no more, not any more (times)
not too many times

The e/i- adverbs quantify over occasions or instances where a situation holds, especially when dispersed over
time or across different sets of individuals or possible worlds. By contrast, the instrumental ka- adverbs are
used to quantify repetitions of a (single) event, especially when those repetitions occur in quick succession.
For example, both iantena and kanteme (from ante many) can be translated many times. However, iantena
has the sense of often, on a number of occasions, in many cases, in many instances; whereas kanteme means
many times in a row, repeatedly. The instrumental ka- forms can also be used in comparative constructions,
in which case they mean X times in the sense of by a factor of X:
(8.135) Palaht`
a kotou
kanteme
apatohta
tree.nom house.abl many:times.inst rel.tall.comp.ipv
The tree is many times taller than the house
When the ka- forms are marked with dative case, they again mean X times in the sense of by a factor of X.
These forms occur in sentences expressing a change of state, where they are used to quantify the proportion
of change between the initial state and the final state:
(8.136) Hi
katosepyie
atohimyi
3inom several:times.dat rel.big.ainc.pv
It became several times bigger (than before)
Mass noun quantifiers also act as the base for a series of adverbial elements, listed below. These adverbials
express a degree or extent, and are formed by combining the quantifier with the suffix -pi (with certain
irregularities, e.g.: sipe > tsipi ).

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

hampi
ihpi
kihohpi
kitsipi
kituhpi
miampi
muhpi
muohpi
ohpi
tlampi
tohampi
tohohpi
tomuhpi
totsipi
totuhpi
tsipi
tsomopi
tsuompi
tsyimpi
tuhpi

215

a lot, much, very, greatly

as (much), equally, to the same degree
a bit more, to a somewhat greater degree
slightly, just a bit
a bit less, somewhat less
how (much); somewhat, to a certain degree
enough, sufficiently
fully, completely, entirely, wholly
more, to a greater degree
so (much); that (much)
extremely, exceedingly
a lot more, much more, to a much greater degree
more than enough
fairly, rather
much less, not nearly as much
a bit, somewhat, partially
almost (entirely); mostly, for the most part
too (much)
too little, not enough, insufficiently
not as much, less, to a lesser degree

Degree adverbials with -pi generally modify a stative verb, which carries the relative prefix a-, discussed in
7.6. Consider the following examples with toha be big:
Hi
Hi
Hi
Hi
Hi
Hi
Hi

hampi atoha
ihpi atoha
tsipi atoha
tlampi atoha
ntse miampi atoho
tsyimpi atoha
miampi at`
ohan?

Its very big

Its equally big or Its as big (as...)
Its a bit big
Its so big or Its that big / Thats how big it is
Its not very big or Its not (all) that big
Its not big enough
How big is it?

Many of these degree adverbials can also be used to modify agentive Class II and Class III verbs. In this
context they express the amount of force, effort, intensity, or concentration with which the action denoted
by the verb is carried out:
(8.137) Na
maloi
hampi moikenaua kahtyi
3aerg wall.dat much fist
hit.pv
He hit the wall hard with his fist
(8.138) Me
ihama
tohampi
loityi
1snom woman.erg a:great:deal look.pv
The woman stared at me intensely
(8.139) Na
sohe
eima ohpi
tlynkyi
3aerg rope.nom still more:so pull.pv
She pulled even harder on the rope
Certain degree words can also be used to modify scalar adverbials such as tehefoi soon, ehkamne early,
and ehisne late: e.g., ihpi tehefoi just as soon, ohpi tehefoi sooner, ntse muhpi tehefoi not soon enough.
For more on degree adverbials, see 8.4.5.
Mass noun quantifiers suffixed with -pi can in turn take the prefix e- (i- before a vowel) to form adverbials
expressing temporal duration. These include:

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

ehampi
ekitsipi
emiampi
emuhpi
emuohpi
etehpi
etlampi
etohampi
etomuhpi
etotsipi
etsipi
etsomopi
etsuompi
etsyimpi
etuhpi
iehpi
iohpi

for a long time; for some time

for a very short time, (just) briefly
for how long; for a certain length of time
for long enough
for the whole time
for the rest of the time, for the remaining time
for so long; for that long
for a very long time
for more than enough time, for plenty of time
for a fairly long time, for some time
for a (little) while
for most of the time; mostly
for too long
not for long enough
not for as long
for as long
for longer

Examples:
(8.140) Na
etsipi
muelhyi
3aerg a:while sleep.pv
She slept for a (little) while
(8.141) Palu
itan
kas
emiampi its`
uhpan?
village this:loc so:far how:long prg.live.ipv.qu
How long have (you) been living in this village?
(8.142) Ma
palu
itan
ntse emiampi tsuhpou
1serg village that:loc neg so:long
live.pv:neg
I didnt live in that village for very long
These temporal adverbials can combine with ihka before now, efoi after now, tahka before then, and
tahoi after then to indicate approximate points in time relative to some reference time:
ehampi ihka
etsipi efoi
ntse emiampi tahka
emuohpi tahoi

a long time ago

for a while; in a while, a while from now
not long before (that)
for the whole time after that; ever after

Adverbials of temporal duration formed with -pi may also be preceded by a noun denoting a period of time
(l`
o day, kotsim morning, ilme month, ulhmo year, etc.). Notice that the temporal noun occurs in the
unmarked form.
l`
o emuohpi
kotsim emuohpi
lem etsipi
ulhmo etsomopi

all day (long), (for) the whole day

all morning, (for) the whole morning
(for) part of the day
(for) most of the year

In addition to the prefix e/i-, adverbials formed with -pi can combine with the noun lau way, path to
express an amount or degree of distance:

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau
lau

hampi
ihpi
kihohpi
kitsipi
miampi
muhpi
muohpi
ohpi
tehpi
tlampi
tohampi
tohohpi
tomuhpi
totsipi
tsipi
tsomopi
tsuompi
tsyimpi
tuhpi

217

far, a long way; to a great extent

as far; equally, to as great an extent, to the same point/degree
a bit farther; to a somewhat greater extent
a very short way, not far; barely, hardly
how far, to what degree; to some extent, to a certain point/extent
far enough; enough
all the way; completely, entirely, wholly
farther; more, to a greater extent
the rest of the way
so far, so (much); that far, to that point/extent
very far, a very long way; to a very great extent
a lot farther; to a much greater extent
more than far enough; more than enough
rather far; to a fairly great extent
not far; partly, partially, part way
most of the way; almost (completely)
too far; too (much)
not far enough; not enough, insufficiently
not as far, less far; less, not as much

When combined with stative verbs (prefixed with the relative marker a-; cf. 7.6) these expressions indicate
incremental degree:
Kop`
o
Kop`
o
Kop`
o
Kop`
o
Kop`
o

lau
lau
lau
lau
lau

tsipi iatsatsa
tsomopi iatsatsa
muohpi iatsatsa
tuhpi iatsatsa
miampi iats`
atsan?

The jug is partially full / part way full

The jug is almost full / close to full
The jug is completely full
The jug is not as full (as...)
How (close to) full is the jug?

When used with location verbs, these lau adverbials quantify the distance separating one point in space from
another (8.143). When used with motion verbs and other telic predicates, they express how much distance
is traversed, as in (8.144) and (8.145), or how close one comes to reaching the endpoint, as in (8.146).
(8.143) Na
lau hampi ekau
tsuhpa
3aerg way much here.abl live.ipv
She lives a long way from here
(8.144) Sa
moini
lau muohpi puniakyit
13erg ocean.dat way entirely travel.pv.pl
We travelled all the way to the ocean
(8.145) Ne
eima ntse lau miampi
ustot
3anom still neg way how:much pf.reach.ipv:neg.pl
They havent gotten very far yet
(8.146) Na
makai
lau muohpi iasyi
3aerg meat.dat way entirely eat.pv
He ate up all the meat (lit. He ate the meat all the way)
In place of lau muohpi, the emphatic particles sik`
a up to, as far as, until (following a dative noun phrase)
and su ever since, all the way from (following an ablative noun phrase) are often used. When the dative
noun phrase denotes the goal of a motion event, sik`
a emphasizes that the entity in motion has traversed the
entire distance to that goal (but no further). Likewise, the emphatic particle su ever since, all the way from

218

CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

may be used to emphasize that an entity in motion has traversed the entire distance from a source, where
the source is expressed by a noun phrase in the ablative case. With verbs expressing telic actions, where
the dative noun phrase denotes a patient undergoing an incremental change of state, sik`
a may be used to
indicate that that patient has been completely affected. Compare:
(8.147) Ne
lokai
sik`
a etyi
3anom forest.dat until go.pv
She went all the way to the forest / as far as the forest
(8.148) Ne
lokau
su
ketyi
3anom forest.abl ever:since come:here.pv
She came all the way from the forest
(8.149) Na
makai
sik`
a iasyi
3aerg meat.dat until eat.pv
He ate up the meat (lit. He ate until the meat [was finished])
Adverbials formed from numerals
Certain types of adverbial expressions can also be formed productively from numerals (see 6.8.4). Temporal
adverbials meaning (for) the N-th time may be formed by prefixing an ordinal numeral with e- (i- before a
non-glide vowel) and suffixing the appropriate oblique case ending, usually the locative ending -na. Examples
include: ehenkana for the second time, iehtaukana for the sixth time, etankana for the tenth time,
iehtentakunkana for the forty-third time, etakianme kiunmakana for the hundred and fiftieth time. Related
forms include empehkaina first, for the first time, empehisna next, the next time, empekamna previously,
most recently, (the) last (time), empekunna finally, for the last time, in the end.
(8.150) Unma
laisne hial`
o empehkaina
etsyi
3ardat.1serg just
today first:time.loc speak.pv
I just spoke to her for the first time today
(8.151) Niok`
onan
kimo
empekamna
sasauota
aun?
remember.ipv.qu 12rdat previous:time.loc meet.dep.recip.pl when
Do you remember the last time we met? or ... when we last met?
more lit. Do you remember when we met (at) the previous time?
Two types of temporal/proportional adverbials, meaning N times, may also be formed from the numerals:
Those in the first column take the prefix e- or i-, while those in the second column take the prefix ka-. Notice
that the forms meaning once are both irregular.
esalh
ehen
iehte
ekun
ekian
ieht`
a
ekelu
eni`
o
eteiek
etam
ielhu
ehuoi
ekiunma
etolok

ekas
kahen
kaiehte
kakun
kakian
kaieht`
a
kakelu
kani`
o
kateiek
katam
kaielhu
kahuoi
kakiunma
katolok

once
twice
three times
four times
five times
six times
seven times
eight times
nine times
ten times
eleven times
twelve times
a hundred times
ten thousand times

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

219

The forms in the first column are used when quantifying over separate occasions or situations, and take the
locative case ending -na. The forms in the second column are used to count iterations of a single action,
especially when the iterations follow each other in quick succession; these forms take the instrumental ending
-me. The semantic difference between the e- and ka- forms is significant: e.g., while ehenna means twice
in the sense of on two (separate) occasions or in two cases/situations/instances, kahenme means twice
in the sense of twice in a row. An example of this contrast is given below:
(8.152) Me
Tenmotlaie
tiefu ekunna
uta
1snom Tenmotlai.dat only four:times.loc pf.go.ipv
I have been to Tenmotlai only four times
(8.153) Inmo
kahen lhua
kaiehteme
ukahtoksa
3anom.1srdat twice about three:times.inst pf.hit.must.ipv
He must have hit me two or three times (in a row)
The ka- forms are also used in comparative constructions to express a proportion, in which case they mean
N times in the sense of N-fold or by a factor of N:
(8.154) Olh palahta tan
im`e
kotou
kahenme
apatohta
dist tree
that:nom 1sall house.abl twice.inst rel.tall.comp.ipv
That tree over there is twice as tall as my house
more lit. That tree over there is taller than my house by two times
Finally, the ka- forms can take the dative ending in place of the instrumental. The dative variants also mean
by a factor of N, but are used in sentences expressing a change of state, where the adverbial indicates the
proportional difference between the initial state and the final state:
(8.155) Hi
kaiehtei
atohimyi
3inom three:times.dat rel.big.ainc.pv
It became three times as large (as before)
more lit. It grew to three times (its original size)

8.4.4

Other temporal adverbials

Some of the more common temporal adverbs (apart from those discussed in 8.4.3) are listed below. Notice
that many of these feature the prefix e/i- and/or the suffix -ne. Temporal adverbials generally pick out one
or more periods in time, often relative to the moment of speaking (e.g., elohka yesterday) or to some other
contextually salient time (e.g., ehkamne early); while others quantify over times, cases, or situations (e.g.,
hoti always).

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

efoi
ehisne
ehkamne
ela
elohfoi
elohka
empiolhna
hapa
hatlam
hial`
o
hielme
hiolhmo
hoti
ielmefoi
ielmehka
ihka
iolhmofoi
iolhmohka
kanulne
lamuta
mulhe
sifoi
sihka
tahka
tahoi
tahoti
takan
tehefoi
tehihka
tuohisne
tuohkamne

later, in the future, from/after now, in...

late
early
in each case, in any case, anyhow, anyway
tomorrow
yesterday
nowadays, these days, currently
often, regularly, periodically, all the time
soon, in a while, before long
today
this month
this year
always, ever, all the time
next month
last month
earlier, in the past, before now, ago
next year
last year
at first, initially, at the beginning
at last, finally, in the end
always, constantly, the whole time
now, starting now, from now on, as of now
up to now, (only) until now
before, before that/then, earlier, previously
after(wards), after that, thereafter, later
constantly, incessantly, all the time
now, at this time
soon, shortly, presently, in a little while
recently, lately, not long ago
late, too late, after the appropriate time
early, too early, too soon, before the appropriate time

Compound temporal expressions can be formed from hial`

o today, elohka yesterday, and elohfoi tomorrow,
by adding a noun referring to the time of day. Ekina every time and emuohpi the whole time can also be
combined with temporal nouns. The noun precedes the adverb and is unmarked for case, as the following
examples show.3
kotsim hial`
o
lem hial`
o
koset hial`
o
hun hial`
o

this morning
today during the day
this evening
tonight

l`
o ekina
kotsim ekina
hun ekina
ilme ekina

every
every
every
every

kotsim elohka
lem elohka
koset elohka
hun elohka

yesterday morning
yesterday during the day
yesterday evening
last night

l`
o emuohpi
koset emuohpi
hun emuohpi
ulhmo emuohpi

all
all
all
all

kotsim elohfoi
lem elohfoi
koset elohfoi
hun elohfoi

tomorrow
tomorrow
tomorrow
tomorrow

day
morning
night
month

day
evening
night
year

morning, in the morning

during the day
evening
night

3 Note that lem day, daylight refers to the period from dawn to dusk, and is the opposite of hun night, whereas l`
o day
denotes the entire period from dawn to dawn.

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

221

Similarly, the names for the seasons can combine with hiolhmo this year, iolhmohka last year, and iolhmofoi
next year: e.g., tuhsa hiolhmo this (past) winter, winter of this year, ihmet iolhmohka spring of last year,
halai iolhmofoi summer of next year.4 Ekina and emuohpi can also be used with the names of the seasons:
e.g., tiaulyip ekina every autumn, tuhsa emuohpi all winter (long).
Note that hial`
o, elohka, hiolhmo, ielmefoi, etc., and expressions formed from them, can be modified by
fene at the earliest, no sooner than, not before or hulne at the latest, no later than, to indicate a temporal
boundary or cut-off point. Fene and hulne immediately precede the temporal adverb; if the expression
includes a temporal noun (kotsim, tuhsa, etc.), the temporal noun precedes fene/hulne. Examples:
fene elohfoi
hulne elohfoi
kotsim hulne elohfoi
tuhsa fene hiolhmo

tomorrow at the earliest, not before tomorrow

tomorrow at the latest, no later than tomorrow, by tomorrow
(by) tomorrow evening at the latest
no earlier than this (coming) winter

(8.156) Sakiale
hulne
elohfoi
uniokta
pi
Sakial.nom at:the:latest tomorrow pf.return.ipv perhaps
Sakial should have returned by tomorrow
Note also that ihka, tahka, efoi, and tahoi may be preceded by a quantified noun phrase in the instrumental
case, or by a quantificational adverb of duration (e.g., ehampi for a long time, etsipi for a little while).
These quantificational modifiers measure the amount of time elapsing between the time in question and the
reference time. Examples are given below. Note that ihka picks out a time prior to the moment of speaking,
while efoi picks out a time after the moment of speaking. By contrast, tahka and tahoi pick out times
relative to some previously mentioned time.
l`
o kelume ihka
l`
o kelume efoi
ilme ihtahme tahka
ilme ihtahme tahoi

seven days ago

seven days from now, in seven days
six months earlier, six months before (then/that)
six months later, in/after six months, six months after that

etohampi ihka
ekitsipi efoi
ulhmo emuohpi tahka
ulhmo emuohpi tahoi

a long time ago

in a short while, very soon
for a whole year before then/that
for a whole year after that

The placement of temporal adverbs within the clause is quite free. They can be clause-initial, clause-final,
or appear between the verb and any of its noun phrase dependents, unless the latter is unmarked for case,
since unmarked noun phrases must be adjacent to the verb (see 4.6). For instance, the following sentence
variants are all possible, and mean more or less the same thing. Notice that the only place where elohka
cannot occur is between kytu and uktiyi.
(8.157) Elohka
Sakialma
ihai
kytu uktiyi
yesterday Sakial.erg woman.dat gift give.pv
Yesterday Sakial gave a present to the woman
Sakialma elohka ihai kytu uktiyi
Sakialma ihai elohka kytu uktiyi
Sakialma ihai kytu uktiyi elohka
When a temporal adverbial precedes the verb, it must also precede any degree adverbials (8.4.3, 8.4.5)
that modify the same verb, as illustrated below: reversing the order of hial`
o and teusu renders this sentence
ungrammatical (though hial`
o can also be placed before iman, or after euoita).
4 The Okuna new year is on the winter solstice. Hence an expression like halai hiolhmo (lit. summer this year) means next
summer, this coming summer if uttered in the winter or spring, and this past summer if uttered in the fall.

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

(8.158) Iman hial`

o teusu ehakti
iauoita
1sloc today very
sbj.tired.dep:sbj prg.rel.feel:res.ipv
Im feeling very tired today
Note that temporal adverbials cannot inflect for case. However, they can combine with the relational noun
heku time, when: e.g., elohfoi heku tomorrow, the time tomorrow, when (it is) tomorrow. Heku, being a
nominal element, heads a noun phrase and is capable of taking case endings. Note the following examples:
(8.159) Ma
elohfoi
hekoua
iase ekpyi
1serg tomorrow time.all food bring.pv
I brought some food for tomorrow
(8.160) Ne
ielmehka
hekou
su
imouta
3anom last:month time.abl ever:since prg.sick.ipv
She has been sick ever since last month
(8.161) Iman ihmet iolhmofoi hekoi
sik`
a mokna
tehihpa
1sloc spring next:year time.dat until hearth.loc stay.intend.ipv
I intend to stay with my family until spring of next year
Remarks on the meanings of certain temporal adverbials
There are two adverbials in Okuna which translate English always: mulhe and hoti. These are essentially
equivalent in meaning, except that mulhe is used only with stative verbs belonging to Class I (4.4.1), whereas
hoti tends to be used with eventive verbs belonging to Class II and Class III (4.4.2, 4.4.3):
(8.162) Sakialna
mulhe kestanka
Sakial.loc always happy.ipv:pst
Sakial was always happy
(8.163) Isane miuama hoti
osek
palahpa
13all cat.erg always mouse catch.icpl.ipv
Our cat is always trying to catch mice
A number of temporal adverbs refer to the moment of speaking, among them takan now, empiolhna nowadays, sihka just now, up until now, and sifoi starting now, from now on (the aspectual adverbial kas,
discussed in 8.4.2, can also be used to translate now under certain circumstances). Of these, takan is
the most neutral, meaning simply at this time. Sihka is used of an event which began in the past and
terminates at (or just before) the present moment, while sifoi is used of an event which is just beginning.
Sifoi is similar in meaning to takan (or kas), but indicates explicitly that the state of affairs in question did
not hold in the past.
(8.164) Ihka
s`
u
kahpyi, le
takan aho ilaina
earlier rain fall.pv but now
sun prg.shine.ipv
It rained earlier, but now its sunny
(8.165) Kimima sihka
imuelhanka
baby.erg until:now prg.sleep.ipv:pst
The baby was just sleeping (but has now woken up)
(8.166) Kimima sifoi
imuelha
baby.erg starting:now prg.sleep.ipv
The baby is now sleeping (but was not earlier)
or The baby has now begun to sleep

8.4. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS

223

Note finally that the adverbial ela in any case, in any situation, anyhow is often used in combination
with imperfect marking on the verb to express a generic event or property. Also, when ela precedes a
phrase containing an indefinite correlative (6.7.1), it indicates that that phrase has a free choice reading
(equivalent to a stressed any form in English). In this latter construction the verb is generally in the
conditional form.
(8.167) Kotiemima ela
hunna
tunkuma
raccoon.erg in:any:case night.loc be:active.ipv
Raccoons are active at night (more lit. In any situation, the raccoon is active at night)
(8.168) Na
ela
miohme
etsampike
3aerg in:any:case someone.inst talk.act.cond
He would talk to (just) anyone
more lit. In any situation, he would talk to someone
(8.169) Tan
ela
miohna
mutlike
that:nom in:any:case someone.loc understand.cond
Anyone could understand that
more lit. In any situation, someone would understand that
(8.170) Motlana
ela
sasei
efos
mai
lahyipike
Motla.loc in:any:case encounter.tnzr:sbj problem some.dat solve.able.cond
Motla can solve any problem he encounters
more lit. In any situation, Motla could solve some problem that (he) would encounter

8.4.5

Other degree adverbials

Degree adverbials combine with stative verbs belonging to Class I, and express the (subjective) degree or
extent to which the property denoted by the verb holds. A large number of degree adverbials are derived
by adding the suffix -pi to mass noun quantifiers: e.g., han much, a lot > hampi very, to a great degree;
tsomo most > tsomopi mostly, for the most part. These forms are listed and discussed in 8.4.3 above.
Other degree adverbials are given below.
Degree adverbials can be divided into two subclasses. Forms in the first subclass are related to quantificational adverbials with -pi listed in 8.4.3, and may be used interchangeably with them. These are listed
below, with the -pi variants given in parentheses. Elements in this subclass require that the following verb
carry the relative prefix a-, discussed in 7.6.
miai
mu
tlai
tsuo
tsyi

(miampi )
(muhpi )
(tlampi )
(tsuompi )
(tsyimpi )

how (much); somewhat, to a certain degree

enough, sufficiently
so, that, (by) that much
too
not ... enough, insufficiently

Adverbials in the second subclass, listed below, are not derived from (or related to) quantifiers. A verb
modified by one of these elements does not carry the relative prefix a-.
atsafe
ienapi
kipehi
pehi
teusu
tohi
totohi
uteupi
ytapi

very, truly, terribly, horribly

very, well, to a good degree
slightly, barely, just
a little, a bit, somewhat
very, a lot, quite; really, truly, certainly
extremely, exceedingly; especially
extraordinarily, immensely
almost, nearly (uteupi ntse hardly, barely)
truly, really

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CHAPTER 8. MINOR WORD CLASSES

Normally a degree adverbial will immediately precede the verb it modifies, regardless of which subclass it
belongs to:
(8.171) Kamale
miai ak`lhan?
knife.nom how rel.sharp.ipv.qu
How sharp is the knife?
(8.172) Kamale
tohi
kilha
knife.nom extremely sharp.ipv
The knife is extremely sharp
(8.173) Kamale
ntse miai akilho
knife.nom neg much rel.sharp.ipv:neg
The knife is not very sharp
Additional examples:
Kamale
Kamale
Kamale
Kamale

mu akilha
tsuo akilha
tsyi akilha
tlai akilha

The
The
The
The

knife
knife
knife
knife

is
is
is
is

sharp enough
too sharp
not sharp enough
so sharp or Thats how sharp the knife is

A verb modified by a degree word such as mu, tsuo, or tsyi can select a converb (cf. 10.4), or a clause
headed by a subjunctive dependent verb inflected for allative case (cf. 10.2.1), equivalent to an infinitival
clause in English. In the former case, the converb immediately precedes the degree word; in the latter case,
the clause is usually postposed to the end of the sentence (see 9.2.3).
(8.174) Toml`
a
kule
tsuo alamankat
mountain.nom see:res.cv too rel.far.ipv:pst.pl
The mountains were too far away to see
(8.175) Toml`
a
tsuo alamankat
isane ekuleia
mountain.nom too rel.far.ipv:pst.pl 13all sbj.see:res.dep:sbj.all
The mountains were too far away for us to see
Note that the intensifying degree particles teusu and ytapi, like English really or truly, can be used both
to assert the truth of some proposition, and to indicate that a property holds to a great degree. Ienapi and
atsafe also function as intensifiers, where ienapi tends to be used with verbs that have a positive connotation:
e.g., ienapi kesta very happy, ienapi huala very healthy. By contrast, atsafe is used with verbs that have
a negative connotation: e.g., atsafe lulha very bad, atsafe mouta very sick. (Note that the choice between
ienapi and atsafe depends on the speakers subjective assessment of the situation. For example, while
Sakial is very happy would normally be expressed as Sakialna ienapi ikesta, if for some reason the speaker
disapproved of Sakials happiness or considered it unfortunate, Sakialna atsafe ikesta could be used.)

Chapter 9

Clause Structure
9.1

Introduction

This chapter deals broadly with the constituent structure of simple sentencesthat is, sentences which do
not involve the embedding of one clause within another (clausal embedding and related phenomena are dealt
with in chapter 10).
In 9.2 I give an overview of word order within the clause. Clauses consist minimally of a clausal nucleus
(usually headed by the verb), and can also include preposed and postposed constituents. Each of these is
dealt with in turn. In 9.3 I consider the formation of special types of clauses, including copular clauses,
questions, and commands. Finally, in 9.4 I deal with issues related to the number of noun phrase arguments
in a clause, including the formation of causative, reflexive, and reciprocal constructions.

9.2

Word order within the clause

Although word order within noun phrases is fairly fixed (see 6.9), the relative order of noun phrases and
other constituents within the clause is quite free, especially in clauses which can stand on their own as
complete utterances. Consider a sentence such as (9.1), consisting of a transitive verb along with its ergative
and dative arguments:
(9.1) Moihama halmai
itala
girl.erg book.dat prg.read.ipv
The girl is reading the book
Although the most common order is the one shown above, where the ergative argument precedes the dative
argument and the verb occurs at the end of the sentence, other orders are also acceptable. In the case of
the three-word sentence in (9.1), all six logically possible orders are allowed. The sentences below are all
grammatical, and all describe the same event.
Moihama halmai itala
Moihama itala halmai
Halmai moihama itala
Halmai itala moihama
Itala moihama halmai
Itala halmai moihama
In part, this flexibility reflects the fact that word order does not play a role in distinguishing grammatical
relations like subject and object, which are instead encoded by case inflection on the noun phrases. This is
not to say that order is unimportant, however. As the discussion in the following sections makes clear, the
225

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

placement of noun phrases relative to the verb, and to each other, can determine how they are interpreted
with regard to pragmatic features like topic and focus, old versus new information, et cetera.
In 9.2.1 I give an overview of the factors that dictate word order in basic clauses. 9.2.2 deals with
preposed (left-dislocated) constituents, such as contrastive topics; while 9.2.3 deals with the postposing of
constituents to a position following the verb.

9.2.1

Word order and topicality

An Okuna sentence consists minimally of a clausal nucleus, comprised of a verb preceded by zero or more
dependent constituents (noun phrases denoting arguments of the verb, adverbials and other modifiers, focus
particles, etc.). The clausal nucleus is sometimes preceded by a preposed constituent, often separated from
the clausal nucleus by a pause. Constituents can also follow the verb under certain circumstances, in which
case they are said to be postposed. I discuss preposed and postposed constituents in 9.2.2 and 9.2.3,
respectively. In this section I summarize the rules governing constituent order within the clausal nucleus.
Within the clausal nucleus, the order of certain elements is fixed. By definition, the verb is always the
final element in the clausal nucleus. Moreover, as discussed in detail in 5.4, if the clause includes a clitic
pronoun or clitic cluster, the latter will occur at the left edge of the clausal nucleus, preceding all of the
other (non-preposed) constituents. This is illustrated by the examples below, which differ with regard to
which of the verbs arguments (ergative, nominative, or dative) is encoded by a clitic pronoun. In each case
the clitic must come first in the clause.
(9.2) Na
halm`
a
totsait
teunyi
3aerg book.nom table.dat put.pv
S/he put the book on the table
(9.3) Hi
Motlama
totsait
teunyi
3inom Motla.erg table.dat put.pv
Motla put it on the table
(9.4) To
Motlama
halm`
a
teunyi
3irdat Motla.erg book.nom put.pv
Motla put the book there (lit. on it)
In the following sentences, the clause contains two clitic arguments. These combine to form a clitic cluster
(5.4.1), which obligatorily precedes the full noun phrase.
(9.5) Ima
totsait
teunyi
3inom.1serg table.dat put.pv
I put it on the table
(9.6) Uma
halm`
a
teunyi
3irdat.1serg book.nom put.pv
I put the book there
In addition, when the clause contains a noun phrase which is unmarked for case and functions as a nonreferential argument of the verb (see 4.6.3), that noun phrase immediately precedes the verb. Compare
the sentences below, containing noun phrases denoting a theme (ahotsin corn) and an instrument (natui
pestle). When both the theme and instrument are marked for case (nominative and instrumental, respectively), they can occur in either order (9.7)(9.8). However, if one of the noun phrases appears in its bare
form, the other noun phrase obligatorily precedes it within the clausal nucleus (9.9)(9.10).
(9.7) Ma
natuime
ahotsine tlulyi
1serg pestle.inst corn.nom pound.pv
I ground the/some corn with a/the pestle

9.2. WORD ORDER WITHIN THE CLAUSE

227

(9.8) Ma
ahotsine natuime
tlulyi
1serg corn.nom pestle.inst pound.pv
I ground the/some corn with a/the pestle
(9.9) Ma
natuime
ahotsin tlulyi
1serg pestle.inst corn
pound.pv
I ground corn with a/the pestle
(9.10) Ma
ahotsine natui tlulyi
1serg corn.nom pestle pound.pv
I ground the/some corn with a pestle
Apart from these restrictions on the placement of clitics and unmarked noun phrases, constituents within
the clausal nucleus are ordered according to their degree of topicality (or aboutness), with more topical
elements preceding less topical elements. Typically the clausal nucleus can be thought of as having a bipartite
structure, where the first constituent identifies a particular discourse-salient referent, while the rest of the
clausal nucleus predicates something about that referent. We can refer to this first element as the topic
of the clause. If the clause contains a clitic pronoun, the clitic is the topic; otherwise, the topic can be a
full noun phrase, interpreted as definite or generic (in clitic clusters, the first clitic is understood to be the
topic). When the clause contains multiple noun phrases capable of functioning as topics, the choice of topic
will depend on the discourse context within which the clause is uttered, as well as the communicative point
of view from which the speaker chooses to present the situation. Consider the following pair of examples,
which differ only in the order of the ergative and dative noun phrases:
(9.11) Mo
miahtema
olh
kotu utai
utiespa
1srdat grandfather.erg dist house that:rdat pf.build.ipv
My grandfather build that house over there
(9.12) Olh kotu utai
mo
miahtema
utiespa
dist house that:rdat 1srdat grandfather.erg pf.build.ipv
My grandfather build that house over there
These sentences have the same propositional contentthat is, they describe the same event. The difference
between them is one of aboutness. The order in (9.11) is preferred if the speaker is presenting information
about his/her grandfather, while (9.12) is the preferred order if the speaker is presenting information about
the house. A sentence like (9.11) would typically be used in a context where the speakers grandfather was
under discussion, as in the following dialogue:
Speaker A:
Speaker B:

What did your grandfather do?

Well, for one thing, my grandfather built that house.

A sentence like (9.12) would be used if the house were the topic of discussion, as in this situation:
Speaker A:
Speaker B:

What can you tell me about that house over there?

Well, for one thing, my grandfather built that house.

As noted in 9.4.1 below, varying the order of noun phrases to reflect relative topicality can achieve effects
similar to those of activepassive alternations in other languages (Okuna does not have a passive construction
per se). Compare the sentences below, where the first asserts something about the agent (the hunter) while
the second asserts something about the patient (the deer). It is natural to translate the second sentence
with an English passive, reflecting the fact that the patient is more topical than the agent.
(9.13) Lakiakama hastein
tahyi
hunter.erg deer.dat kill.pv
The hunter killed the deer

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.14) Hastein lakiakama tahyi

deer.dat hunter.erg kill.pv
The deer was killed by the hunter
As discussed in 7.2, topic noun phrases are distinguished from non-topic noun phrases not only by the fact
that they appear at the left edge of the clausal nucleus, but by how they trigger number agreement on the
verb. When a topic noun phrase is marked for nominative, dative, or ergative case and is interpreted as
plural, the verb carries the plural topic suffix -t. Core arguments other than the topic trigger different plural
agreement morphology: e.g., the suffix -ne, which marks a non-topic ergative argument as plural. Compare:
(9.15) Lakiakama hastein
tahyit
hunter.erg deer.dat kill.pv.pl
The hunters killed the deer
(9.16) Hastein lakiakama tahyine
deer.dat hunter.erg kill.pv.epl
The deer was killed by the hunters
Word order and topic choice can affect the interpretation of missing arguments (see 5.5). All else being
equal, when a sentence consists of two conjoined clauses with a noun phrase omitted from the second clause,
the omitted argument is interpreted as coreferring with the topic the first clause. The following pair of
sentences illustrates this:
(9.17) Mikalma ikei
kahtyi kiompe nkilhyi
boy.erg dog.dat hit.pv run.cv go:away.pv
The boy hit the dog, and then ran away (i.e, the boy ran away)
(9.18) Ikei
mikalma kahtyi kiompe nkilhyi
dog.dat boy.erg hit.pv run.cv go:away.pv
The boy hit the dog, and then it ran away (i.e, the dog ran away)
or The dog was hit by the boy, and then ran away
Just as highly topical noun phrases tend to occur at the left edge of the clausal nucleus, highly focal noun
phrasesthat is, noun phrases which are interpreted contrastively, and/or provide important or salient new
information about the eventtend to occur at the right edge of the clausal nucleus, immediately preceding
the verb (or the unmarked noun phrase, if any). For instance, compare the sentences below:
(9.19) Sakialma
tausi
kamalme kyuatyi
Sakial.erg spoon.dat knife.inst carve.pv
Sakial carved the spoon with a knife
(9.20) Sakialma
kamalme tausi
kyuatyi
Sakial.erg knife.inst spoon.dat carve.pv
Sakial carved a spoon with the knife
(9.21) Tausi
kamalme Sakialma
kyuatyi
spoon.dat knife.inst Sakial.erg carve.pv
Sakial carved the spoon with the knife
The order in (9.19) would be preferred in a context where it is understood that Sakial carved the spoon, and
the fact that this activity was carried out with a knife is the most salient piece of new information. On the
other hand, if it is presupposed that Sakial carved something (or did something) with a knife, and the new
information is that he carved the spoon, the order in (9.20) would be used. Finally, the order in (9.21) is

9.2. WORD ORDER WITHIN THE CLAUSE

229

appropriate if it is presupposed that the spoon was carved (or that something happened to the spoon), and
the identity of the carver is whats being focused on. In each case, the main stress in the sentence falls on
the stressed syllable of the argument immediately preceding the verb.
Other possible orders are shown below, with approximate English translations. In each of the sentences
in (9.19)(9.24), the most topical noun phrase comes first, while the most focal noun phrase immediately
precedes the verb.1
(9.22) Tausi
Sakialma
kamalme kyuatyi
spoon.dat Sakial.erg knife.inst carve.pv
The spoon was carved by Sakial with a knife
(9.23) Kamalme Sakialma
tausi
kyuatyi
knife.inst Sakial.erg spoon.dat carve.pv
The knife was used by Sakial to carve a spoon
(9.24) Kamalme tausi
Sakialma
kyuatyi
knife.inst spoon.dat Sakial.erg carve.pv
The knife was used by Sakial to carve the spoon
In content questions (see 9.3.2), the interrogative element stands in for the focused constituent. Hence, interrogative words normally come immediately before the verb (or before an unmarked noun phrase dependent,
if any). Compare the content questions below with the sentences in (9.19)(9.21) above.
(9.25) Sakialma
tausi
mahme
kyuatyin?
Sakial.erg spoon.dat what.inst carve.pv.qu
What did Sakial carve the spoon with?
(9.26) Sakialma
kamalme mai
kyuatyin?
Sakial.erg knife.inst what.dat carve.pv.qu
What did Sakial carve with the knife?
(9.27) Tausi
kamalme miohma kyuatyin?
spoon.dat knife.inst who.erg carve.pv.qu
Who carved the spoon with the knife?
Besides topic and focus, preverbal word order also reflects semantic scope: quantifiers and operators take
scope over the portion of the clausal nucleus to their right, up to (and sometimes including) the verb itself.
Word order can thus have a noticeable effect on the interpretation of sentences with scope-bearing elements.
For example, as mentioned in 6.8, when a clause contains two quantificational phrases preceding the verb,
the first quantificational phrase takes scope over the second one. Compare the sentences below. In (9.28), pyi
unket scopes over kietam hen: the meaning is that every child was shown two (possibly different) pictures. In
(9.29), where the relative scope of the quantifiers is reversed, it is understood that there are two (particular)
pictures which I showed to every child.
(9.28) Ma
pyi
unket
kietam hen
tafyima
1serg child every:rdat picture two:nom show.pv.dpl
I showed every child two pictures
1 Note

that in each of these sentences, tausi can be interpreted as either definite (the spoon) or indefinite (a spoon),
depending on whether the spoon is already familiar to the addressee at the point in the discourse when the sentence is
utteredand likewise for kamalme (with a knife versus with the knife). My translations of these sentences are approximate,
and reflect the generalization that noun phrases expressing new information tend to be indefinite.

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.29) Ma
kietam hen
pyi
unket
tafyima
1serg picture two:nom child every:rdat show.pv.dpl
I showed two (particular) pictures to every child
The same principle applies to scope-bearing adverbials. Compare (9.30) and (9.31), which differ in the
relative order of the temporal modifier ehenna twice and the manner modifier nakapme accidentally, by
chance. In (9.30), ehenna scopes over nakapme, and the sentence may be paraphrased On two occasions, I
accidentally hit him (I may have hit him deliberately on other occasions). In (9.31), nakapme scopes over
ehenna, and the sentence may be paraphrased It was an accident that I hit him on two occasions (I may
have intended to hit him only once).
(9.30) Unma
ehenna nakapme
ukahta
3ardat.1serg twice
chance.inst pf.hit.ipv
Twice, I hit him accidentally
(9.31) Unma
nakapme
ehenna ukahta
3ardat.1serg chance.inst twice
pf.hit.ipv
I accidentally hit him twice
As a final example of the relationship between word order and scope, consider the sentences below. As
discussed in 8.2.1, focus particles like tiefu only scope over the portion of the clausal nucleus to their right,
up to (and perhaps including) the verb. In (9.32) tiefu scopes over the verb itlulanka was grinding, and
the sentence means that grinding is the only thing the girl was doing to the corn. In (9.33) tiefu scopes over
either ahotsine corn or ahotsine itlulanka was grinding the corn. This sentence asserts that the corn is
the only thing that the girl was grinding, or that grinding the corn is the only thing that the girl was doing.
Finally, in (9.34) tiefu scopes over moihama the girl, or moihama itlulanka the girl was grinding. This
sentence means that the girl is the only one who was grinding the corn, or that being ground by the girl is
the only thing that was happening to the corn.
(9.32) Moihama ahotsine tiefu itlulanka
girl.erg corn.nom only prg.pound.ipv:pst
The girl was only grinding the corn
(9.33) Moihama tiefu ahotsine itlulanka
girl.erg only corn.nom prg.pound.ipv:pst
The girl was only grinding the corn
(9.34) Ahotsine tiefu moihama itlulanka
corn.nom only girl.erg prg.pound.ipv:pst
Only the girl was grinding the corn
or The corn was only being ground by the girl
In rare cases, the verb may be preceded by two or more noun phrases which fail to differ from one another
in relative topicality, focus, or scopee.g., when the clause contains no scope-bearing elements, and is being
used to present a situation out of the blue (e.g, in response to the question What happened?). In clauses
of this type, which we might refer to as pragmatically neutral, the relative order of noun phrases is
essentially free. However, there is a tendency for ergative noun phrases to come at the beginning of the
clause, for noun phrases with human referents to precede those with non-human referents, and for noun
phrases interpreted as definite to precede those interpreted as indefinite.

9.2. WORD ORDER WITHIN THE CLAUSE

9.2.2

231

Preposed constituents

Certain types of phrases properly precede the clausal nucleus, occurring at the left edge of the sentence. Such
phrases are said to be preposed. Note that preposed constituents are confined to main clauses: preposing
is not allowed in dependent and participial clauses (10.2, 10.3), or in nominalized clauses such as gerunds
and participant nominals (10.5, 10.6).
One class of constituents which can be preposed includes temporal adverbials (e.g., elohka yesterday,
halai ekina every summer) and oblique case-marked noun phrases (e.g., muohfe kahpise ohpeu because of
the heavy snowfall), when these elements are used to set the scene or establish the general context (time,
place, reason, etc.) for the situation or event described in the clausal nucleus. Examples are given below.
That the constituents in question are preposed is shown by the fact that they come before the (boldfaced)
clitic pronouns: clitics always occur at the left edge of the clausal nucleus, and are thus normally sentenceinitial (5.4, 9.2.1). Note that when the preposed constituent is internally complex, as in (9.37), it generally
forms its own prosodic unit, and is separated from the clausal nucleus by a short pause, indicated here by a
comma.
(9.35) Elohka
ma
Sakialme
etsampyi
yesterday 1serg Sakial.inst tell.act.pv
Yesterday I spoke with Sakial
(9.36) Halai
ekina
sa
kahame ka tus`
o
tsulauat
Kemotlasina
summer every:time 13erg aunt
and uncle.nom visit.ipv.npl.pl Kemotlasi.loc
Every summer we visit our aunt and uncle in Kemotlasi
(9.37) Muohfe
kahpise ohpeu,
na
otupyit
mokna
tehat`
a
heavy.tnzr snowfall cause.abl 3aerg decide.pv.pl home.loc stay.dep.pl.nom
Because of the heavy snowfall, they decided to stay home
Constituents may be preposed only if they provide background or contextualizing information. If the adverbial or oblique noun phrase constitutes a focal part of what is being asserted, and especially if it is being used
contrastively, it must appear within the clausal nucleus. For example, (9.35) above would not be appropriate
as an answer to the question in (9.38), which is specifically asking for the time of the event; instead, the order
in (9.39) is required, with elohka coming immediately before the verb, in the position normally associated
with focused constituents. Likewise (9.41), but not (9.37), is an acceptable response to the question in (9.40).
(9.38) Ko
Sakialme
emi
etsampyin?
2erg Sakial.inst when tell.act.pv.qu
When did you speak with Sakial?
(9.39) Ma
Sakialme
elohka
etsampyi
1serg Sakial.inst yesterday tell.act.pv
I spoke with Sakial yesterday
(9.40) Na
ymiohpa otupyit
ne mokna
tehat`
a?
3aerg why
decide.pv.pl qu home.loc stay.dep.pl.nom
Why did they decide to stay home?
(9.41) Na
muohfe
kahpise ohpeu
otupyit
mokna
tehat`
a
3aerg heavy.tnzr snowfall cause.abl decide.pv.pl home.loc stay.dep.pl.nom
They decided to stay home because of the heavy snowfall
or Its because of the heavy snowfall that they decided to stay home
In the example below, the oblique case-marked pronoun it`e is preposed, preceding the clitic ma. The preposed
pronoun functions here much like a topic, referring back to an entity mentioned in the previous clause:

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.42) Im`e
kamale
itsupa:
it`e
ma
eun imuna ukpiha
1sall knife.nom prg.missing.ipv 3iall 1serg place all.loc pf.search.ipv
My knife is missing: Ive looked for it everywhere (lit. for it, Ive searched everywhere)
In addition to noun phrases and adverbials, certain kinds of subordinate clauses are commonly preposed.
These include participial clauses (10.3) and dependent clauses marked with oblique case or used in combination with a relational noun (10.2.1, 10.2.2). Like preposed adverbials, preposed subordinate clauses
introduce background informationspecifically, they identify an (actual or hypothetical) situation that provides the temporal context, purpose, rationale, etc., for the situation named by the main clause. Conditional
clauses headed by aunme if and concessive clauses headed by alhme thoughwhose function is to identify a situation which is (or is not) required in order for the situation named by the main clause to come
aboutare also typically preposed. Examples are given below (as above, the left edge of the clausal nucleus
is indicated by the boldfaced clitic pronoun).
(9.43) Sakohmima losak
itake,
ma
mekule
pauyia
spouse.erg firewood prg.chop.pt 1serg dish.nom wash.pv.npl
While (my) husband chopped firewood, I washed the dishes
(9.44) Homa epusuki
elhkoua,
ko
kamne
ahotsine sofoi
tluloksa
bread sbj.make.dep:sbj purpose.all 2erg beforehand corn.nom flour.dat pound.must.ipv
In order to make bread, you must first grind the corn into flour
(9.45) Ikun im`
o
aleute
euokfi
aunme, ko
eski
tiuha
2loc 1sabl help.nom sbj.want.dep:sbj if.inst 2erg sbj.request.dep:sbj necessary.ipv
If you want my help, youll have to ask (for it)
A final class of preposed constituents are contrastive topics, consisting of a noun phrase (unmarked for
case) followed by aunme. The function of a contrastive topic is to introduce a new subject of discussion into
the discourse, or reintroduce a subject from earlier in the discourse. Contrastive topics typically correspond
to English expressions of the form as for X, as far as X is concerned, with respect to X, etc. Note that
the clausal nucleus typically contains a resumptive clitic or oblique pronoun which encodes the participant
referred to by the contrastive topic.
(9.46) Sakial aunme, nami
ntsuta utsokuo
Sakial if.inst 3anom.1sdat not:yet pf.meet.ipv:neg
As for Sakial, I havent met him yet
As shown in (9.45) above, aunme is also used to form conditional clauses, where it corresponds to English
if or when(ever). It is possible that contrastive topics should be analyzed as a special kind of conditional
clause, in which everything except a focused constituent has been elidede.g., Sakial aunme might be
thought of as meaning if/when (its) Sakial (that were talking about).

9.2.3

Postposed constituents

Noun phrases, dependent clauses, and adverbials which follow the verb are said to be postposed. In the first
example below, the temporal adverb elohfoi tomorrow has been postposed, while in the second example,
the nominative noun phrase Elimu lihpa Elims sister has been postposed:
(9.47) Sa
lakiat
elohfoi
13erg hunt.ipv.pl tomorrow
Were going hunting tomorrow

9.2. WORD ORDER WITHIN THE CLAUSE

233

(9.48) Ntsuta uniokto

Elimu
lihp`
a
not:yet pf.return.ipv:neg Elim.abl sister.nom
(She) hasnt returned yet, Elims sister
Postposed noun phrases normally denote individuals whose existence and relevance to the discourse is presupposed. For instance, (9.48) above is appropriate only in a context where Elims sister has already been
established as one of the individuals under discussion. Like preposed constituents, postposed constituents are
associated with background information. Thus a noun phrase (especially one marked with oblique case) will
often be postposed when it conveys information which is supplementary or tangential to the main assertion
of the sentence. Compare the following sentences, which differ in the placement of the locative noun phrase:
(9.49) Lhatima
sihilalna
ilaliat
children.erg riverbank.loc prg.play.ipv.pl
The children are playing by the river
(9.50) Lhatima
ilaliat
sihilalna
children.erg prg.play.ipv.pl riverbank.loc
The children are playing by the river
These sentences are roughly equivalent in meaning, but differ in the informational status of the locative noun
phrase. In (9.49), where sihilalna is immediately preverbal, greater focus is placed on the location of the
event. Here the fact that the children are by the river is judged by the speaker to be significantindeed,
it may constitute the only new piece of information in the utterance, as when (9.49) is used in answer to
the question Where are the children playing?. In (9.50), on the other hand, where sihilalna is postposed,
the location of the action is somewhat de-emphasized. This sentence might be used if the location of the
event were already known to the addresseee.g., in answer to the question What are the children doing by
the river?. Alternatively, the speaker might be presenting the location of the event as new but incidental
information, perhaps an afterthought.
Note that first and second person oblique pronouns are frequently postposed, at least in main clauses.
This may be because first and second person pronouns refer to participants in the discourse, who are often
backgrounded since their relevance to the discourse is taken for granted. For the most part, these pronouns
precede the verb only if they are topicalized or focused. Compare the following:
(9.51) Sakiale
huata
im`e
Sakial.erg like.ipv 1sall
I like Sakial
(9.52) Im`e
Sakiale
huata
1sall Sakial.erg like.ipv
I like Sakial or As for me, I like Sakial
(9.53) Sakiale
im`e
huata
Sakial.erg 1sall like.ipv
Im the one who likes Sakial
The order in (9.51), with the oblique experiencer im`e following the verb, is pragmatically neutral, and would
be used when uttering the proposition out of the blue. In (9.52), im`e occurs at the beginning of the clause
and is likely to be interpreted as a topic. This sentence would be appropriate in a context where the speaker
is already under discussione.g., it might be uttered in answer to the question Who do you like?. Finally,
in (9.53), where im`e immediately precedes the verb, the pronoun is likely to be interpreted as focused (cf.
9.2.1 above). This last sentence might be used in answer to the question Who likes Sakial?.
Even if it does not represent backgrounded or peripheral information, a constituent will often be postposed
if it is prosodically heavyi.e., long and internally complex. Complement clauses, for instance, are often

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

postposed, as in (9.55) below. Here the embedded question pyie elohfoi nioktuta aun if the children will
return tomorrow appears to the right of the verb iona know, which selects the clause as its theme argument.
Compare this sentence with (9.54), where the theme argument, consisting of a single word (the noun nioksot
answer), most naturally precedes the verb.
(9.54) Elimna
nioksote
i`
onan?
Elim.loc answer.nom know.ipv.qu
Does Elim know the answer?
(9.55) Elimna
i`
onan
pyie
elohfoi
enioktita
aun?
Elim.loc know.ipv.qu child.nom tomorrow sbj.return.dep:sbj.pl if
Does Elim know if the children will return tomorrow?
In fact, dependent clauses normally precede the verb only under special circumstances, such as when the
clause is topicalized, or contains within it a constituent which is topicalized or focused. Compare the examples
below: (9.56), where the dependent clause is postposed, represents the most neutral order. In (9.57), the
dependent clause is topicalized, and so precedes the verb. Likewise in (9.58), the dependent clause contains a
clitic pronoun (ne) which refers back to the preposed topic of the clause (the latter marked with aunme; see
9.2.2, 10.2.3). Finally, in (9.59), the dependent clause is fronted because it contains a focused constituent
specifically, the interrogative element emi when, which scopes over the entire sentence, turning it into a
content question (see 6.7.1, 9.3.2). (Notice that in the sentences where the dependent clause precedes the
verb, the noun phrase Elimna has been postposed. With verbs of thinking or saying, there is a tendency
for the dependent clause complement to occur on the opposite side of the verb from its other arguments,
perhaps so as to make sentences with dependent clauses easier to process.)
(9.56) Elimna
opa
pyie
elohfoi
nioktat`
a
Elim.loc think.ipv child.nom tomorrow return.dep.pl.nom
Elim thinks that the children will return tomorrow
(9.57) Pyie
elohfoi
nioktat`
a
ytapi opa
Elimna
child.nom tomorrow return.dep.pl.nom truly think.ipv Elim.loc
That the children will return tomorrow, Elim definitely thinks (so)
(9.58) Pyi aunme, ne
elohfoi
nioktat`
a
opa
Elimna
child if.inst 3anom tomorrow return.dep.pl.nom think.ipv Elim.loc
As for the children, Elim thinks that they will return tomorrow
(9.59) Pyie
emi
nioktat`
a
`
opan
Elimna?
child.nom when return.dep.pl.nom think.ipv.qu Elim.loc
When does Elim think that the children will return?

9.3

Special clause types

Having reviewed word order in basic clauses, I consider certain clause types and special constructions that
require additional discussion. In 9.3.1 I introduce the copula he and discuss different types of copular
clauses. The remaining subsections provide an overview of various speech act types: in 9.3.2 I discuss the
formation of questions, while 9.3.3 deals with imperatives, and 9.3.4 with direct versus indirect quotation.

9.3.1

Copular sentences

When a noun phrase forms the main predicate of a clause, it can combine with the copula he, corresponding
to be in English. The copula immediately follows the predicate noun phrase, which may be unmarked for
case (4.6), or marked for one of the oblique cases (4.5):

9.3. SPECIAL CLAUSE TYPES

235

(9.60) Sakiale
mo
suhpa
he
Sakial.nom 1srdat brother be:ipv
Sakial is my brother
(9.61) Halm`
a
totsatna
he
book.nom table.loc be:ipv
The book is on the table
The Okuna copula has a much more limited distribution than its English counterpart. In English, be is
used to form predicates not just from noun phrases (Sakial is a doctor), but also from adjective phrases
(Sakial is tall). In Okuna, however, adjectives pattern as a subclass of verbs, and form predicates without
the need for a copula: e.g., Sakiale pata Sakial is tall.
The copula he inflects for tense/aspect/mood and polarity (7.4) and number agreement (7.2), and can
combine with the aspectual and modal suffixes discussed in 7.5 and 7.7.1, as well as the non-finite and
nominalizing morphology discussed in chapter 10. In this respect it behaves as a verb (specifically, a Class
I verb; cf. 4.4.1). However, he has an irregular conjugation, and only makes certain aspectual distinctions:
perfective and progressive forms do not occur. Below is the complete tense/aspect/mood/polarity and
agreement paradigm for the copula, as it occurs in main clauses. Note that, as a Class I verb, he can take
at most one plural agreement suffix, either the topic plural marker -t (pl) or the nominative plural marker
-ua (npl).

imperfect
perfect
past imperfect
past perfect
imperfect conditional
perfect conditional

sg
he
heu
nka
heunka
heike
heuke

positive
pl
hit
heut
nkat
heunkat
heikit
heukit

npl
heua
heua
nkaua
heunkaua
heikeua
heukeua

sg
ho
hou
hunka
hounka
hoike
heuoike

negative
pl
npl
hot
houa
hout
houa
hunkat
hunkaua
hounkat hounkaua
hoikit
hoikeua
heuoikit heuoikeua

Notice the vowel alternation whereby he becomes hi- when the agreement suffix -t is attached. He also
becomes hi- when it combines with the question marker -n:
(9.62) Halm`
a
totsatna
hin?
book.nom table.loc be:ipv.qu
Is the book is on the table?
In addition, the copula takes the form hi- when it combines with an aspectual or modal suffix (with lowering
of the suffix vowel when the latter is high), e.g.:
-ihp
-ot
-t
-uh
-yip

hiehpa
hiota
hita
hioha
hiyipa

intend to be
continue to be
begin to be, become
want to be
able to be

The copula also has an irregular conjugation in dependent clauses (10.2), and in participial clauses (10.3).
The dependent and participial forms of the copula are given in the following tables:

dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
ha
hu
hi
hoi

imperfect
pl
npl
hata
haua
huta
houa
hita
heua
hoita hoia

sg
heua
heuo
heue
heuoi

perfect
pl
heuata
heuota
heueta
heuoita

npl
heuaua
heuoua
heueua
heuoia

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

pt
pt:neg
pt:sbj
pt:sbj:neg

sg
hi
hu
hai
hau

imperfect
pl
npl
hit
heia
hut
houa
hait
haia
haut haua

sg
heue
heuo
heuai
heuau

perfect
pl
heuet
heuot
heuait
heuaut

npl
heueia
heuoua
heuaia
heuaua

The copula appears in three types of predication structures. In the first type, the copula combines with a bare
noun phrasei.e., a noun phrase which does not take any case markingto form a predicate denoting an
individual or class of individuals. This predicate in turn takes a nominative case-marked theme noun phrase
as its argument, which may (but need not) function as the topic of the clause. Examples of this construction
are given below. (Concerning (9.64), note that colour words pattern as nouns in Okunahemak is literally
grey one or thing which is greyand thus require the copula in order to form predicates.)
(9.63) Koin
nin
so
kuna hit
person those:nom 13rdat friend be:ipv.pl
Those people are our friends
(9.64) Sieme
moheu
hemak
nka
sky.nom cloud.abl grey:one be:ipv:pst
The sky was grey with clouds
When the copular predicate is negated, the predicate noun phrase is preceded by the negative marker ntse
(or some other particle incorporating negation, such as ntsilas not only, ntseima no longer, ntsemi never,
etc.), and the negative form of the copula is used:
(9.65) Koin
nin
ntse so
kuna hot
person those:nom neg 13rdat friend be:ipv:neg.pl
Those people are not our friends
(9.66) Tehefoi
sieme
ntseima moheu
hemak
hunka
presently sky.nom no:longer cloud.abl grey:one be:ipv:pst:neg
After a while the sky was no longer grey with clouds
In non-past tense main clauses the copula is very often omitted, leaving just the noun phrase, unless the
copula is required to carry number agreement or host one of the modal and aspectual suffixes discussed in
7.5 and 7.7.1. Compare the examples below. Here, he and ho are optional, and typically left out, while
their past tense and plural counterparts are not.
(9.67) Sakiale
mo
kuna (he)
Sakial.nom 1srdat friend be:ipv
Sakial is my friend
(9.68) Sakiale
ntse mo
kuna (ho)
Sakial.nom neg 1srdat friend be:ipv
Sakial is not my friend
(9.69) Sakiale
mo
kuna nka
Sakial.nom 1srdat friend be:ipv:pst
Sakial was my friend
(9.70) Sakial ka Elime
mo
kuna hit
Sakial and Elim.nom 1srdat friend be:ipv.pl
Sakial and Elim are my friends

9.3. SPECIAL CLAUSE TYPES

237

The copula is also overt in the following examples, where it is needed to host the modal suffix -uh and the
telic inchoative suffix -t, respectively:
(9.71) Sakialna
mo
kuna hioha
Sakial.loc 1srdat friend be.want.ipv
Sakial wants to be my friend
(9.72) Sakiale
mo
kuna hityi
Sakial.nom 1srdat friend be.tinc.pv
Sakial became my friend (lit. began to be my friend)
An important condition on copula deletion is that the predicate containing the copula must denote an
inherent attribute of the theme, one which is integral to the theme and/or resistant to change. If the
predicate instead denotes a non-integral property of the theme, the copula is never omitted, even when it is
not needed to host any verb suffixes. Compare the examples below. Being grey is a more-or-less permanent
property of the dogs coat, but a transitory property of the sky: hence the copula is normally omitted in
(9.73) but remains overt in (9.74).
(9.73) Ikena
luane
hemak
(he)
dog.loc coat.nom grey:one be:ipv
The dogs coat is grey
(9.74) Sieme
hemak
he
kotsim
hial`
o
sky.nom grey:one be:ipv morning today
The sky is grey this morning
When the copula is omitted, questions are formed by adding the particle ne to the end of the sentence:
(9.75) Ku
mi`
o ne?
2nom who qu
Who are you (sg)?
(9.76) Sakiale
kuo
kuna ne?
Sakial.nom 2rdat friend qu
Is Sakial your friend?
Besides combining with an unmarked noun phrase to form a predicate, the copula can combine with a
noun phrase marked for one of the oblique cases, as shown below. Here the predicate identifies the location,
possessor, beneficiary, etc., of the nominative-marked theme argument. Note that the copula is never omitted
when the predicate noun phrase is in one of the oblique cases.
(9.77) Nil`
o
sane hutana
he
net.nom red basket.loc be:ipv
The net is in the red basket
(9.78) Kamale
Sakialme
hin?
knife.nom Sakial.inst be:ipv.qu
Does Sakial have the knife? (lit. Is the knife with Sakial?)
(9.79) Halma tan
ntse ikoi
ho
book
that:nom neg 2sall be:ipv:neg
That book is not for you or That book is not yours

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Finally, the copula is used to form existential clauses, where it corresponds to English there is.... Here
the copula combines with an unmarked noun phrase (denoting the entity whose existence is being asserted)
preceded by a noun phrase in the locative case (denoting the location). This same construction can also
be used to express a possession relation, but with an instrumental noun phrase (denoting the possessor) in
place of the locative noun phrase. The copula may not be omitted in this construction.
(9.80) Totsatna es halma he
table.loc one book be:ipv
There is a book on the table
(9.81) Totsatna ntse halma ho
table.loc neg book be:ipv:neg
There are no books on the table
(9.82) Sakialme
es halma nka
Sakial.inst one book be:ipv:pst
Sakial had a book (lit. There was a book with Sakial)

9.3.2

Questions

Questions can be divided into four broad classes, along two dimensions: yes/no questions versus content
questions (also known as wh questions), and direct questions versus indirect questions. In a direct
yes/no question, such as Are the children playing?, the speaker presents a complete proposition and solicits
confirmation or denial from the addressee. In a direct content question, such as Who is playing?, the
speaker presents an incomplete proposition and asks for the addressee to complete it. Indirect yes/no and
content questions function as the complements of predicates with meanings like ask and wonder (e.g., I
wonder if/whether the children are playing, I wonder who is playing). In this section I summarize how
these different types of questions are formed in Okuna.
Direct yes/no questions
To form a direct yes/no question, the unstressed particle ne (glossed qu) is usually added to a main clause.
This particle immediately follows the verb. (Other question particles can be used in place of ne under certain
circumstances; these are discussed in 8.2.2.) As the examples below show, the word order in a direct yes/no
question is the same as in the corresponding statement. Note that direct yes/no questions are pronounced
with a high pitch on the syllable bearing sentence-level stress, followed by a drop to a mid-level or slightly
rising pitch extending to the end of the sentence (statements, by contrast, end in a falling pitch contour).
(9.83) Lhatima
ilaliat
children.erg prg.play.ipv.pl
The children are playing
(9.84) Lhatima
ilaliat
ne?
children.erg prg.play.ipv.pl qu
Are the children playing?
When ne comes after a verb ending in a vowel, it undergoes contraction with the verb and surfaces as
the bound element -n. This is illustrated below. Note that attaching -n to the verb does not affect stress
assignment (see 3.4): if the verb is stressed on the penultimate syllable without -n, then penultimate stress
is retained when -n is added. In such cases, the stressed vowel is marked with a diacritic, as shown in (9.88).
(9.85) Moihama elohka
kihoin
siehpyi
girl.erg yesterday letter.dat write.pv
The girl wrote the letter yesterday

9.3. SPECIAL CLAUSE TYPES

239

(9.86) Moihama elohka

kihoin
siehpyin?
girl.erg yesterday letter.dat write.pv.qu
Did the girl write the letter yesterday?
(9.87) Sakialma
hutai
itapa
Sakial.erg basket.dat prg.weave.ipv
Sakial is weaving a basket
(9.88) Sakialma
hutai
it`
apan?
Sakial.erg basket.dat prg.weave.ipv.qu
Is Sakial weaving a basket?
As in non-questions, word order in questions is sensitive to discourse structure. If a particular constituent
in the clause is the focus of the questioning, that constituent will generally appear immediately before
the verb, following constituents denoting information which the speaker takes for granted. Compare the
examples below, which differ in the order of elements preceding the verb: (9.89) might be used if the speaker
presupposes that Elim sent the letter, and wants to know whether it happened yesterday as opposed to some
other day; (9.90) might be used if the speaker presupposes that Elim sent something yesterday, and wants
to know if it was the letter; and (9.91) might be used if the speaker presupposes that someone sent the letter
yesterday, and wants to know if it was Elim.
(9.89) Elimma
kihune
elohka
lastyin?
Elim.erg letter.nom yesterday send.pv.qu
Did Elim send the letter yesterday?
(9.90) Elimma
elohka
kihune
lastyin?
Elim.erg yesterday letter.nom send.pv.qu
Did Elim send the letter yesterday?
(9.91) Kihune
elohka
Elimma
lastyin?
letter.nom yesterday Elim.erg send.pv.qu
Was it Elim who sent the letter yesterday?
Direct content questions
Direct content questions are formed in the same way as direct yes/no questions, using the question particle
ne (or -n). Here, however, the preverbal focus position is occupied by an indefinite correlative such as m`
a
what, mi`
o who, or emi when (cf. 6.7.1), or by a larger noun phrase containing an indefinite correlative.
Okuna content questions differ in this respect from their English counterparts, where the wh-phrase normally
moves to the front of the sentence. Compare the yes/no questions in (9.89)(9.91) above with the related
content questions below:
(9.92) Elimma
kihune
emi lastyin?
Elim.erg letter.nom when send.pv.qu
When did Elim send the letter?
(9.93) Elimma
elohka
m`
a
lastyin?
Elim.erg yesterday what:nom send.pv.qu
What did Elim send yesterday?
(9.94) Kihune
elohka
miohma lastyin?
letter.nom yesterday who.erg send.pv.qu
Who sent the letter yesterday?

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Note that because indefinite correlatives can be used either as interrogatives (who) or as simple indefinite
quantifiers (someone/anyone), the above sentences are potentially ambiguous between a content question
reading and a yes/no question reading. For example, given the proper context, (9.94) can mean Did someone
send the letter yesterday?. In actual practice, these readings can usually be distinguished by intonation.
When (9.94) is a yes/no question, lastyin is pronounced with a level or slightly rising pitch on the second
syllable. When it is a content question, lastyin is pronounced with a falling pitch on the second syllable.
Additional examples of content questions are given below. In these examples the indefinite correlative is
part of a larger interrogative phrase: yhkuna mi`
o which guest(s), mekul miante how many bowls, mioha
kotu whose house, and huta m`
a which basket.
(9.95) Kima yhkuna mioha
eima ipeutat
ne?
12erg guest
which.all still prg.wait.ipv.pl qu
Which guest(s) are we still waiting for?
(9.96) Na
mekul miante
ketyit
ne?
3aerg bowl how:many:nom bring:here.pv.pl qu
How many bowls did they bring?
(9.97) Mioha
kot`
o
eu`
olhan?
who.all house.nom be:over:there.ipv.qu
Whose house is over there?
(9.98) Ma
kepehotse huta
mai
elhihp`
auan?
1serg acorn.nom basket what.dat put:in.intended.ipv.npl.qu
Which basket am I supposed to put the acorns in?
When the indefinite correlative is embedded inside a dependent clause (see 10.2.1), that dependent clause
precedes the verb in the main clause. This is in contrast to the usual order, where dependent clauses are
postposed to the end of the sentence (9.2.3). Compare the examples below:
(9.99) Sakialna
opa
Elimma
kamale
napei
auokti`
a
Sakial.loc think.ipv Elim.erg knife.nom daughter.dat pv.give.dep.nom
Sakial thinks that Elim gave the knife to (his) daughter
(9.100) Elimma
kamale
mioi
auokti`
a
`
opan
Sakialna?
Elim.erg knife.nom who.dat pv.give.dep.nom think.ipv.qu Sakial.loc
Who does Sakial think that Elim gave the knife to?
Note that when the addressee is the topic of a yes/no or content question, the second person clitic pronoun
may be omitted. However, if the topic has a plural referent and would trigger plural agreement, the verb
carries the appropriate agreement marking (7.2) even when the pronoun is dropped, as shown in (9.103).
(9.101) Kihune
elohka
lastyin?
letter.nom yesterday send.pv.qu
Did you (sg) send the letter yesterday?
(9.102) Paloi
emi
ni`
oktan?
village.dat when return.ipv.qu
When will you (sg) return to the village?
(9.103) Paloi
emi
nioktat
ne?
village.dat when return.ipv.pl qu
When will you (pl) return to the village?

9.3. SPECIAL CLAUSE TYPES

241

Indirect questions
Indirect questions in Okuna take the form of a clause headed by a verb in the dependent form (10.2),
followed by the element aun (here glossed if; see 10.2.3). To form an indirect yes/no question, the verb
takes the dependent subjunctive form. Here aun corresponds to if or whether in English. Verbs which
select indirect questions as complements include nesapa ask, untsapa wonder, and iona know. As the
following examples show, the indirect question is normally postposed to the right of the selecting verb.
(9.104) Ma
untsapa
elohfoi
s`
u
ekahpi
aun
1serg wonder.ipv tomorrow rain sbj.fall.dep:sbj if
I wonder if/whether it will rain tomorrow
(9.105) Ma
Sakiail
nesapyi Motlama
kihoin
uta
iosiehpi
aun
1serg Sakial.dat ask.pv Motla.erg letter.dat already sbj:pf.write.dep:sbj if
I asked Sakial if/whether Motla had written the letter yet
Aun may also form indirect content questions by combining with a dependent clause containing an indefinite
correlative, as illustrated below. Notice that in indirect content questions, aun does not correspond directly
to any element in the English translation. When the content question refers to an actual event or state of
affairs, the verb is in the dependent indicative form rather than the dependent subjunctive:
(9.106) Ma
untsapa
Motlama
mai
isiehpa
aun
1serg wonder.ipv Motla.erg what.dat prg.write.dep if
I wonder what Motla is writing
(9.107) Ma
Sakiail
nesapyi Motlama
kihoin
emi
asiehpa
aun
1serg Sakial.dat ask.pv Motla.erg letter.dat when pv.write.dep if
I asked Sakial when Motla wrote the letter
Additional examples are given below. Sentence (9.108) shows a direct yes/no question which in turn contains
an indirect content question. In (9.110), the verb in the indirect question is negated, and appears in the
negative form of the dependent indicative, marked with the suffix -i.
(9.108) Inkuo
etsyit
ne ih`
a
miei
ita
aun?
3aerg.2rdat say.pv.pl qu woman.nom where.dat prg.go.dep if
Did they tell you where the woman is/was going?
(9.109) Iman miono
kimi inat
ymiohpa ihisata
aun
1sloc neg.know.ipv:neg child those:erg why
prg.cry.dep.pl if
I dont know why those children are crying
(9.110) Na
nesapyit ma
ymiohpa mutoi
ntsuta utoku
aun
3aerg ask.pv.pl 1serg why
fence.dat not:yet pf.repair.dep:neg if
They asked why I hadnt fixed the fence yet
When the indirect content question refers to a hypothetical event or state of affairs, the verb appears in
the dependent subjunctive, as in (9.111). (This sentence is actually ambiguous: because the verb is in the
dependent subjunctive, it is also possible to interpret it as an indirect yes/no question with the correlative
m`
a functioning as an indefinite element: Its not clear if theres anything to be done.)
(9.111) Ntsilo
m`
a
esuki
aun
neg.clear.ipv:neg what sbj.do.dep:sbj if
Its not clear what to do or Its not clear what one would/should do

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Note that indirect questions pattern like noun phrases, insofar as aun can take a case ending. In the examples
below, for instance, aun takes the allative case ending -a. The form auna, meaning roughly about or about
whether, is used with verbs of thinking and saying to indicate a question which is being debated:
(9.112) Sa
ikyitsampauot
elohfoi
elakieta
auna
13erg prg.talk:about.act.ipv.recip.pl tomorrow sbj.hunt.dep:sbj.pl if.all
Were talking about whether to go hunting tomorrow
(9.113) Na
sokastyiot
ineu
mi`
o anasohta
auna
3aerg argue.pv.recip.pl 3apabl who rel.strong.comp.dep if.all
They argued about which of them was stronger
Finally, note the demonstrative element tiaun if so, if that. This element forms indirect questions from
which everything except a focused constituent has been elided. Often the focused constituent is an indefinite
correlative, as in (9.115)(9.117), in which case tiaun forms what is called a sluicing construction.
(9.114) Na
etsyi
no
mi`
o
utsoku`
a;
miono
Elime
tiaun
3aerg say.pv 3ardat who:nom pf.meet.dep.nom neg.know.ipv:neg Elim.nom if:that
She said that she just met someone; (I) dont know if (it was) Elim
(9.115) Sakiail
laisne mi`
o
utsokua,
le
miono
mi`
o
tiaun
Sakial.dat just
who:nom pf.meet.ipv but neg.know.ipv:neg who:nom if:that
Sakial just met someone, but (I) dont know who
(9.116) Im`e
halm`
a
laisne uskoha,
le
miono
miohma tiaun
1sall book.nom just
pf.steal.ipv but neg.know.ipv:neg who.erg if:that
My book was just stolen, but (I) dont know by whom or ... but I dont know who did it
(9.117) Sakialna
iohiyna
le,
le
miono
ymiohpa tiaun
Sakial.loc prg.sad.ipv it:seems, but neg.know.ipv:neg why
if:that
Sakial seems to be sad, but I dont know why

9.3.3

Imperatives

Imperative sentences, which express commands or wishes, are formed with the verb in the non-past imperfect
form, discussed in 7.4.2. Examples of positive and negative imperatives are given below. Since the non-past
imperfect is also used to express future tense, we might paraphrase these examples more literally as You
will wash your hands and You will not touch the pot.
(9.118) Ko
temie paua!
2erg hands wash.ipv
Wash (your) hands!
(9.119) Ko
pankotoi
ntse silh
teuno,
eima ikaila
ha!
2erg cooking:pot.dat neg finger put.ipv:neg still prg.hot.ipv in:fact
Dont touch the pot, (its) still hot!
Notice that both of these examples, the imperative clause includes an overt second person clitic pronoun.
As in English, the second person argument of an imperative clause can be omitted, as in (9.120) below.
However, omission of this argument is less common in Okuna than it is in English. In particular, the second
person argument is typically overt when it is part of a clitic cluster, as in (9.121), and necessarily overt when
it is being focussed, as in (9.122). In the latter case it takes the form of a full (non-clitic) pronoun.

9.3. SPECIAL CLAUSE TYPES

243

(9.120) Temie paua!

hands wash.ipv
Wash (your) hands!
(9.121) Iko
amai uktia!
3inom.2erg 1sdat give.ipv
You give it to me!
(9.122) Hi
ik`
o
suka!
3inom 2serg do.ipv
You do it! (or Its you who must do it!)
Note that even when the second person pronoun is omitted in an imperative, it still triggers number agreement
as necessary. When the second person argument is plural, the verb carries the appropriate agreement suffix
even when the pronoun is left out. For instance, the examples above would all be used when addressing a
single individual, whereas (9.123) and (9.124) below would be used when addressing two or more individuals.
Here the verb takes the plural topic agreement suffix -t regardless of whether ko is included as an overt topic
or not.
(9.123) Ko
temie pauat!
2erg hands wash.ipv.pl
You wash (your (pl)) hands!
(9.124) Temie pauat!
hands wash.ipv.pl
Wash (your (pl)) hands!
Imperative sentences are often marked as such by adding the emphatic particle na or nem after the verb. Na
(glossed imp) is used when the speaker is issuing a command or expressing a strong wish that a particular
event come about, while nem is used when the speaker is suggesting a possible course of action. The contrast
is illustrated below:
(9.125) Losak
anohte teunaua
na hauait
firewood more
put.ipv.npl imp fire.dat
Put more wood on the fire!
(9.126) Losak
anohte teunaua
nem
hauait
firewood more
put.ipv.npl why:not fire.dat
Why dont (you) put more wood on the fire?
The particle iak occurs in place of na in negative commands:
(9.127) Ku
mankilho
iak
2nom neg.leave.ipv:neg neg:imp
Dont leave!
Imperatives formed with na, iak, or nem are regarded as informal, and sound rather brusque when addressed
to someone with whom one is unfamiliar, or to whom one is expected to show respect or deference. To express
a polite command or request, the verb-like element eskuke please is used in place of an emphatic particle.2
Eskuke immediately follows the main verb, which appears in the converb form (suffixed with -e). When the
main verb takes one or more plural core arguments, the number agreement suffixes attach not to the verb
itself, but to eskuke (which takes the form eskuki- before a consonant: e.g., eskuke + -ma dpl > eskukima).
2 Eskuke may have originated as a reduced form of eske ukia may (you) perform a request, or eske uktia may (you) grant
a request (eske request).

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.128) Temie paue

eskuke
hands wash.cv please
Please wash (your) hands
(9.129) Temie paue
eskukit
hands wash.cv please.pl
Please wash (your (pl)) hands
(9.130) Huiloie
lime
eskukeua
window.nom open.cv please.npl
Please open the windows (addressed to one person)
(9.131) Huiloie
lime
eskukeuat
window.nom open.cv please.npl.pl
Please open the windows (addressed to two or more people)
To form polite prohibitives, eskuke combines with a verb in the negative participial form, suffixed with -u:
(9.132) Pankotoi
ntse silh
teunu
eskuke
cooking:pot.dat neg finger put.pt:neg please
Please dont touch the pot
(9.133) Huiloie
malimu
eskukeuat
window.nom neg.open.pt:neg please.npl.pl
Please dont the windows
Note that imperatives in Okuna can have a first person or third person topic in place of a second person
topic, in which case it is more or less obligatory that the clause include some overt imperative marking
(either a particle or a form of eskuke). Imperatives with first or third person topics are usually translated
with a construction involving let or may (it be that):
(9.134) Kim
etat
na!
12nom go.ipv.pl imp
Lets go!
(9.135) Inkue
aleut uktiat
na!
3aerg.2dat help give.ipv.pl imp
Let them help you! or May it be that theyll help you!
(9.136) Kimima pankotoi
ntse silh
teuno
iak!
baby.erg cooking:pot.dat neg finger put.ipv:neg neg:imp
Dont let the baby touch the pot!
(9.137) Me
takan nkilhe
eskuke
1snom now leave.cv please
Please let me leave now

9.3.4

Direct quotation

With verbs of saying such as etsa say, tell, the propositional content of the saying event (i.e., what is said)
is usually expressed by a dependent clause, functioning as the nominative case-marked argument of the verb
(cf. 10.2.1). Likewise verbs such as nesapa ask can take a dependent clause headed by aun if, whether
(cf. 9.3.2, 10.2.3) to express the content of the question.

9.3. SPECIAL CLAUSE TYPES

245

(9.138) Sakialma
etsyi
in`e
aleut itiuh`
a
Sakial.erg say.pv 3aall help prg.need.dep.nom
Sakial said that he needed help
(9.139) Sakialma
nesapyi ikimna elohfoi
ahotsin enalhihpi
aun
Sakial.erg ask.pv 12loc tomorrow corn
sbj.plant.intend.dep:sbj if
Sakial asked if we intend(ed) to plant corn tomorrow
In the examples above, the person uttering the sentence is reporting the content of what Sakial said or asked
(indirect quotation), rather than Sakials exact words (direct quotation). To express direct quotation, the
construction illustrated below is used. Here the direct quotation, which takes the form of a main clause,
follows the verb of asking or saying and is introduced by the quotative particle ia (glossed quot):
(9.140) Sakialma
etsyi
ia,
Im`e
aleut itiuha
Sakial.erg say.pv quot 1sall help prg.need.ipv
Sakial said, I need help
(9.141) Sakialma
nesapyi ia,
Ikuna elohfoi
ahotsin nalh`hpan?
Sakial.erg ask.pv quot 2ploc tomorrow corn
plant.intend.ipv.qu
Sakial asked, Do you intend to plant corn tomorrow?
In informal speech and writing, the verb of saying or asking may be omitted in this construction, leaving
just the quotative particle preceded by a noun phrase in the ergative case giving the identity of the speaker.
(9.142) Sakialma
ia,
Im`e
aleut itiuha
Sakial.erg quot 1sall help prg.need.ipv
I need help, (said) Sakial
The quotative particle need not be used with a complete sentence, but can also precede any word or phrase
to indicate that it is being cited or quoted rather than used to refer:
(9.143) Ma
ia
hi`
o etsyi
1serg quot yes say.pv
I said yes
This particle is also used to introduce a proper name in one of the two appositive constructions found in
Okuna. In appositives a proper name (such as Elim) is juxtaposed with a descriptive noun phrase (such as
mo suhpa my brother) which picks out the same individual. In Okuna the proper name can either precede
or follow the descriptive noun phrase. When the name precedes, there is no special marking: e.g., Elim
mo suhpa my brother Elim (lit. Elim my brother). When the name follows the descriptive noun phrase,
it is introduced by the quotative particle ia: e.g., mo suhpa ia Elim my brother Elim. Note that in the
former construction, any case marking appears on the final word of the descriptive noun phrase; while in
the latter construction the case marker is repeated on both the descriptive noun phrase and the name. For
example, with my brother Elim is Elim mo suhpame (with the instrumental ending -me attaching to mo
suhpa) or mo suhpame ia Elimme (with -me attaching to both mo suhpa and Elim). Further examples of
the appositive ia construction include:
(9.144) Mo
kasuhp`
a
ia
Elime
itskana
etsuleia
elohfoi
1srdat cousin.nom quot Elim.nom prg.arrive.ipv sbj.visit.dep:sbj.all tomorrow
My cousin Elim is coming to visit tomorrow
(9.145) Euolhna
es koinma
ia
Elimma
tsuhpa
over:there.loc one person.erg quot Elim.erg live.ipv
Over there lives a man (named) Elim

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.146) Takisma
ia
Tenmotlaima
minta
m`
a
`ekpan?
name.erg quot Tenmotlai.erg meaning what carry.ipv.qu
What does the name Tenmotlai mean?
lit. What meaning does the name Tenmotlai carry?

9.4

Valence

In this section I discuss clause structure with respect to alternations in valencethat is, in the number
of overt core arguments in a clause. In 9.4.1 I discuss valence reduction and counterparts to the English
passive construction. In 9.4.2 I discuss causative constructions. And in 9.4.3 and 9.4.4 I discuss reflexive
and reciprocal clauses, respectively.

9.4.1

Decreasing valence: Equivalents of the passive

The passive construction in English and other languages fulfills various functions. It enables the patient
noun phrase to be foregrounded (made more salient), and the agent noun phrase to be backgrounded, or
even be omitted from the clause if its referent is unknown or unimportant. In some cases, passivization may
also express stativity, emphasizing the complete(d)ness of the action.
Okuna does not have a passive construction, so the pragmatic effects of passivization must be achieved
in other ways. For example, foregrounding of the patient and backgrounding of the agent may be achieved
simply by making the patient into the topic of the clause (so long as it is definite), in which case it will
precede the agent noun phrase. Compare the following examples. In (9.147) the agent is the topic, while in
(9.148) the patient is the topic. The former sentence would be used in a discourse context where the hunter
is being discussed, while the latter would be used if the deer were the focus of attention. To highlight the
fact that the patient is more topical than the agent in (9.148), we may choose to translate this sentence
using an English passive construction, even though it differs from (9.147) only in word order.
(9.147) Lakiakama hastein
tahyi
hunter.erg deer.dat kill.pv
The hunter killed the deer
(9.148) Hastein lakiakama tahyi
deer.dat hunter.erg kill.pv
The deer was killed by the hunter
Suppression of the agent is achieved simply by dropping the ergative-marked noun phrase from the sentence,
as in (9.149). No special passive morphology is required here. That the deer is the patient of the action is
shown by the fact that hastin takes dative case marking (if the deer had been doing the killing, rather than
being killed, it would have appeared in the ergative case: hastinma).
(9.149) Hastein tahyi
deer.dat kill.pv
The deer was killed or Someone killed the deer
Below are additional examples illustrating the optionality of ergative arguments. Notice that when the
ergative argument is absent, the sentence is often ambiguous between a passive-like interpretation, where
the action has an implicit agent (The door was closed), and a middle-like interpretation, where there is no
agent at all and the event is viewed as spontaneous (The door closed).
(9.150) Mikalma hitole
mukyi
boy.erg door.nom close.pv
The boy closed the door

9.4. VALENCE

247

(9.151) Hitole
mikalma mukyi
door.nom boy.erg close.pv
The door was closed by the boy
(9.152) Hitole
mukyi
door.nom close.pv
The door (was) closed
(9.153) Hauatma lotsain
kiospyi
fire.erg wood.dat burn.pv
The fire burned up the wood
(9.154) Lotsain
hauatma kiospyi
wood.dat fire.erg burn.pv
The wood burned up in the fire
(9.155) Lotsain
kiospyi
wood.dat burn.pv
The wood (was) burned up
Suppression of the ergative argument is just a special case of a more general pattern in Okuna. In principle,
any core argument can be omitted from a clause if its referent is unknown or unimportant to the discourse.
Consider the pairs of sentences below, for example. In the second sentence of each pair, the non-ergative
argument is left out, yielding the equivalent of an absolute or antipassive construction in other languages.
Again, note that the form of the verb does not change when an argument is omitted.
(9.156) Na
kot`
o
ieutat
3aerg house.nom prg.clean.tinc.ipv.pl
They are cleaning the house
(9.157) Na
ieutat
3aerg prg.clean.tinc.ipv.pl
They are cleaning
(9.158) Motlaua
ikema
pyie
kilhtyi
Motla.all dog.erg child.dat bite.pv
Motlas dog bit the child
(9.159) Motlaua
ikema
kilhtyi
Motla.all dog.erg bite.pv
Motlas dog bit (someone or other)
It is even possible, in the appropriate context, to omit all core arguments from the clause, leaving just the
verb. For example, coming across a patch of scorched earth in a forest clearing, one might remark:
(9.160) Ekan
kiospyi le
here:loc burn.pv apparently
Someone must have burned something here
or Something must have burned here
Perhaps the closest structural equivalent to a passive is the resultative (res) construction discussed in 7.5.1.
As the examples below illustrate, resultative morphology is added to a Class II or III verb denoting an action
to derive a Class I verb expressing the state resulting from that action. In the process, the verbs ergative
argument (if any) is suppressed, while the dative argument (if any) loses its status as a delimiter and appears
instead in the locative or allative case:

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.161) Kalma
kotoi
itiespat
man.erg house.dat prg.build.ipv.pl
The men are building the house
(9.162) Kotuna
tieispa
house.loc build:res.ipv
The house is built/finished
However, even the resultative construction is not fully comparable to the English passive. See 7.5.1 for
some discussion on this point.

9.4.2

Increasing valence: Causative constructions

A causative construction is any construction in which an external actor participant directly or indirectly
brings about an event: e.g., Sakial made Elim write the letter is a causative proposition, where Sakial
is the external actor (or causer) who brings about the writing eventin this case by compelling a more
immediate actor (Elim, the causee) to carry out the action. Below I discuss some of the ways of expressing
causation in Okuna.
Monoclausal causatives
To begin with, any Class III verb which normally describes a spontaneous or self-directed action may be
causativized simply by adding an actor argumenta noun phrase marked with ergative casewithout
the need for any special causative marking. The participant denoted by the actor argument is usually
understood to be acting directly on the participant denoted by the theme/delimiter argumentthat is,
physically manipulating it so as to cause it to undergo a change of state or location. Compare the following
examples, featuring the Class III verb uihta. Although this verb normally expresses a self-directed action
(sit down), it can also express an externally-caused action (set down) when an actor argument is included
in the clause:
(9.163) Pyie
tsoil
uihtyi
child.nom bed.dat sit:down.pv
The child sat down on the bed
(9.164) Amema
pyie
tsoil
uihtyi
mother.erg child.nom bed.dat sit:down.pv
The mother set the child down on the bed
Compare also the following examples, featuring the Class III verb tiausa fall/drop:
(9.165) Palaht`
a tiausyi
tree.nom fall.pv
The tree fell
(9.166) Kalma
palaht`
a
tiausyit
man.erg tree.nom fall.pv.pl
The men felled the tree
Certain Class II verbs show a somewhat different valence alternation. These include kiompa, illustrated
below, which means run, move quickly when used intransitively and chase (i.e., cause to move quickly)
when used transitively. Here, however, the transitive variant is formed by adding a nominative-marked theme
argument denoting a causee, rather than an ergative-marked actor argument denoting a causer.

9.4. VALENCE

249

(9.167) Ikema
ikiompa
dog.erg prg.run.ipv
The dog is running
(9.168) Ikema
sekite
ikiompa
dog.erg rat.nom prg.run.ipv
The dog is chasing a rat
Class I verbs, which are generally stative, cannot take an actor argument at all. However, a Class I verb
can be converted into a Class II verb by adding the atelic inchoative suffix -im or the telic inchoative suffix
-(e)t (e.g., nuha be cold > enuhima make/get colder, cool down, nuhta make/get cold; cf. 7.5.3). These
derived verbs are capable of taking an ergative-marked actor argument, as in (9.171), in which case they
denote an externally-caused change of state.
(9.169) Mupatl`e
ihalhkat
clothes.nom prg.dry.ipv.pl
The clothes are dry
(9.170) Mupatl`e
halhketyit
clothes.nom dry.tinc.pv.pl
The clothes became dry or The clothes dried
(9.171) Na
mupatl`e
halhketyia
3aerg clothes.nom dry.tinc.pv.npl
He dried the clothes (i.e., caused the clothes to become dry)
Class I verbs denoting an emotion or physical sensation, such as ohiyna be sad, can be converted into Class
II verbs using the active suffix -amp (7.5.2). Like verbs derived with -im or -(e)t, these are capable of
taking an actor argument denoting the causer of the emotion/sensation.
(9.172) Motlana
iohyina
Motla.loc prg.sad.ipv
Motla is sad
(9.173) Sliahte it`
a
Motlana
ohyinampa
story
that:erg Motla.loc sad.act.ipv
That story saddens Motla or That story makes Motla sad
For verbs denoting an emotion or sensation, the -im and -(e)t causatives tend to imply that the actor is
doing something (consciously or unconsciously) to bring about an emotional reaction in the experiencer,
whereas the -amp causative is used when some characteristic of the actor triggers the emotion, without the
actor necessarily having to do anything. For example, X saddens Y, X makes Y sad can be expressed using
ohiynta, euohiynima, or ohiynampa, depending on the intended sense: ohiynta means X does something to
make Y sad and euohiynima means X does something to increase Ys level of sadness, whereas ohyinampa
has the sense of X inspires sadness in Y.
Biclausal causatives
A verb cannot have more than one actor argument, and hence a verb cannot take more than one noun phrase
marked for ergative case. Consider clauses headed by a Class II or III verb and containing an ergative actor,
such as (9.174) and (9.175) :
(9.174) Kimima ailyi
baby.erg cry.pv
The baby cried

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.175) Sakialma
kihoin
siehpyi
Sakial.erg letter.dat write.pv
Sakial wrote the letter
Sentences like these cannot be causativized simply by adding another ergative noun phrase to express the
causer. Suppose we wanted to form a sentence meaning A loud noise caused the baby to cry: we could
not do this by adding the ergative noun phrase lhonkoma noise to (9.174). *Lhonkoma kimima ailyi is no
more grammatical in Okuna than The noise cried the baby is in English: aila cry cannot combine directly
with a causer because its actor argument function has already been filled by kimi baby. The mono-clausal
causative construction is unavailable for such verbs.
In order to express an externally-caused action, the Class II/III verb is placed in the dependent indicative
form, and the clause containing that verb (marked for nominative case) is selected as the theme argument
of a causative verb such as lohka, which takes the causer as its ergative argument. This construction, which
I will refer to as the biclausal causative construction, is illustrated in (9.176) and (9.177):
(9.176) Lhonkoma
lohkyi
kimima
ail`
a
loud:noise.erg cause.pv baby.erg cry.dep.nom
A loud noise made the baby cry (more lit. caused the baby[s] crying)
(9.177) Ma
lohkyi
Sakialma
kihoin
siehp`
a
1serg cause.pv Sakial.erg letter.dat write.dep.nom
I made Sakial write the letter
The biclausal causative construction is available quite generally for expressing external causation of an event.
In cases where one has the option of using the biclausal causative construction or simply adding an ergative
argument to a clause which does not already have one, the choice between the two depends on how directly
the causer is acting on the causee. Consider the examples below, featuring the verb nkilha leave, go away.
Both the mono-clausal causative in (9.179) and the biclausal causative in (9.180) describe a situation where
Sakial caused the child to leave. In (9.179), however, it is understood that Sakial acted directly on the child
to bring about the event, by carrying or leading the child away. In (9.180), by contrast, it is more likely that
Sakial acted indirectlye.g., ordering or persuading the child to leave, tricking the child into leaving, etc.
(9.178) Pyie
nkilhyi
child.nom leave.pv
The child went away
(9.179) Sakialma
pyie
nkilhyi
Sakial.erg child.nom leave.pv
Sakial took/led the child away
(9.180) Sakialma
lohkyi
pyie
nkilh`
a
Sakial.erg cause.pv child.nom leave.dep.nom
Sakial made the child leave or Sakial got the child to leave
Note that if the noun phrase denoting the causee is in the nominative or dative case, as in (9.180) above, the
verb denoting the caused event may also appear in the converb form, immediately preceding the causative
verb (see 10.4 on the converb construction). Hence, (9.181) below is acceptable as an alternative to (9.180).
Crucially, this converb construction is not available for causatives like (9.176) or (9.177), where the causee
is in the ergative case.
(9.181) Sakialma
pyie
nkilhe
lohkyi
Sakial.erg child.nom leave.cv cause.pv
Sakial made the child leave or Sakial got the child to leave

9.4. VALENCE

251

In the examples of the biclausal construction seen so far, the causee functions as an argument of the dependent
verb. It is also possible for the causee to function as the dative-marked delimiter argument of lohka, as
illustrated by the examples below (causative verbs like lohka belong to Class III). When the causee is an
argument of the causative verb, its function within the dependent clause is usually expressed by a missing
argument.
(9.182) Ma
Sakiail
lohkyi
kihoin
siehp`
a
1serg Sakial.dat cause.pv letter.dat write.dep.nom
I made Sakial write the letter
(9.183) Sakialma
pyie
lohkyima
nkilhat`
a
Sakial.erg child.dat cause.pv.dpl leave.dep.pl.nom
Sakial made the children leave
(9.184) Kimei
lhonkoma
lohkyi
ail`
a
baby.dat loud:noise.erg cause.pv cry.dep.nom
A loud noise made the baby cry
(9.185) No
nkilhe
lohkyit
3ardat leave.cv cause.pv.pl
They were made to leave
Lohka is a semantically neutral causative verb, roughly equivalent to make or cause in English. Other
causative verbs which can occur in the biclausal construction discussed above include teuohka and somita:
teuohka is similar to lohka, but connotes a degree of coercion on the part of the causer, making it closer to
English force or compel; while somita is used when the causer verbally influences the causee to act, and
thus corresponds to persuade or convince (the latter requires a dependent subjunctive complement when
used as a causative verb).
(9.186) Ma
Sakiail
teuohkyi kihoin
siehp`
a
1serg Sakial.dat force.pv letter.dat write.dep.nom
I forced Sakial to write the letter
(9.187) Ma
Sakiail
somityi
kihoin
esiehp`e
1serg Sakial.dat convince.pv letter.dat sbj.write.dep:sbj.nom
I convinced Sakial to write the letter
Another pair of verbs which occur in causative constructions are mehka and tsuhka. These verbs take a
nominative argument denoting an event and an optional dative argument denoting the experiencer of that
event. Normally they are used as equivalents of English happen/occur or take place, as in the examples
below. Note that mehka is neutral, while tsuhka is used when the event which happens is unfortunate or
unpleasant, and can sometimes be translated go wrong.
(9.188) Esimoitatse
elohfoi
mehka
naming:ceremony.nom tomorrow happen.ipv
The naming ceremony will take place tomorrow
(9.189) Kuo
m`
a
mehkyin?
2rdat what:nom happen.pv.qu
What happened to you? (neutral)
(9.190) Kuo
m`
a
tsuhkyin?
2rdat what:nom happen:badly.pv.qu
What happened to you? (negative) or Whats wrong?

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.191) Mo
tsuhkyi
naua han`
a
1srdat happen:badly.pv palm cut.dep.nom
I happened to cut my hand (lit. [My] hand being cut happened to me)
Mehka and tsuhka can take an actor argument as well as a theme and a delimiter, in which case they
function as causative verbs. Mehka, when used in place of lohka, usually emphasizes that the causer is acting
indirectly and/or unintentionally to bring about the event, and corresponds roughly to English have:
(9.192) Ma
Sakiail
mehkyi
kihoin
siehp`
a
1serg Sakial.dat happen.pv letter.dat write.dep.nom
I had Sakial write the letter (more lit. I made writing the letter happen to Sakial)
(9.193) Me
Elimma
nehtyi,
elh mo
it`
a
tsuhkyi
naua han`
a
1snom Elim.erg startle.pv and 1srdat that:erg happen:badly.pv palm cut.dep.nom
Elim startled me, and thats what caused me to cut my hand
Note finally that the theme argument of a causative verb need not be a dependent clause, but can be a
regular noun phrase or pronoun denoting an action, event, or office:
(9.194) Ko
Sakiail
ymiohpa tan
lohkyin?
2erg Sakial.dat why
that:nom cause.pv.qu
Why did you make Sakial do that?
(9.195) Sa
Sakiail
talo lohkyit
13erg Sakial.dat chief make.pv.pl
We made Sakial our chief

9.4.3

The reflexive construction

Reflexive clauses are formed using the noun tsan, glossed self in the examples below. Tsan normally occurs
immediately before the verb, replacing one of the verbs arguments:
(9.196) Mikalma ikei
kahtyi
boy.erg dog.dat hit.pv
The boy hit the dog
(9.197) Mikalma tsan kahtyi
boy.erg self
hit.pv
The boy hit himself
Tsan is the functional counterpart of a reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, themselves, etc.). Unlike the
English reflexive pronouns, however, tsan takes the same form regardless of the person and number of its
antecedent:
ma tsan kahtyi
ko tsan kahtyi
na tsan kahtyi

I hit myself
you hit yourself
s/he hit him/herself

sa tsan kahtyit
ko tsan kahtyit
na tsan kahtyit

we hit ourselves
you hit yourselves
they hit themselves

When used as a reflexive element, tsan is normally unmarked for case (see 4.6). Being unmarked, tsan does
not trigger number agreement on the verb (7.2), even when its antecedent is plural. Compare the examples
below: In the first sentence, the dative-marked topic argument (women) and the nominative argument
(children) are both plural, and so the verb carries both the plural topic suffix -t and the nominative plural
suffix -ua. In the second sentence, however, tsan stands in for the nominative argument; here, -ua is absent
and the verb carries only plural topic agreement:

9.4. VALENCE

253

(9.198) Ihai
pyie
kilauat
woman.dat child.nom see.ipv.npl.pl
The women see the children
(9.199) Ihai
tsan kilat
woman.nom self see.ipv.pl
The women see themselves
The reflexive construction is actually a variant of the body part construction discussed in 4.6.3. When a
clause denotes an event where the actor acts on a part of his/her own body, the noun which denotes the
body part appears in its bare form, unmarked for case and without a possessive pronoun, as with temie
hands in (9.200) below. Tsan patterns with body part terms in this respect (9.201). In fact, tsan can be
used to mean body, so an alternate translation for (9.201) would be The children washed (their) bodies.3
(9.200) Pyima
temie pauyit
child.erg hands wash.pv.pl
The children washed their hands
(9.201) Pyima
tsan pauyit
child.erg self wash.pv.pl
The children washed themselves
The distribution and function of tsan depend on the class to which the verb belongs. I consider the various
possibilities below.
Reflexive clauses with Class I verbs
Verbs belonging to Class I may take tsan as an argument if they express a relationship between an experiencer
(marked for one of the oblique cases) and a theme argument (marked for nominative case). When a verb of
this type is reflexivized, tsan replaces the nominative noun phrase, while the oblique noun phrase names the
individual who bears the relationship to him/herself. Compare:
(9.202) Elima
Sakiale
huata
Elim.all Sakial.nom like.ipv
Elim likes Sakial (lit. To Elim, Sakial is liked)
(9.203) Elima
tsan huata
Elim.all self like.ipv
Elim likes himself
Reflexivization of Class II verbs
Class II verbs can take up to two core arguments, one marked with ergative case and the other with
nominative. When tsan is used with a Class II verb, it usually replaces the nominative noun phrase, and
the clause denotes an event whereby the actor carries out an action on him/herself or stands in a particular
relation to him/herself. Compare:
(9.204) Moihama mikale
iksona
girl.erg boy.nom prg.look:at.ipv
The girl is looking at the boy
3 Tsan also means thing, object, entity. To express body, the more usual word is koitsan (for the body of a person) or
lino (for the body of an animal, vessel, etc.).

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.205) Moihama tsan iksona

ailotna
girl.nom self prg.look:at.ipv mirror.loc
The girl is looking at herself in the mirror
Tsan can, in principle, appear with any Class II verb. This includes verbs like muelha sleep, tupa walk,
and ekpiha search, which normally do not take a nominative argument because they denote events involving
only one (core) participant. It is not always easy to articulate the function of tsan when used with such
verbs. Roughly speaking, the reflexive serves to emphasize that the actor is involving him/herself fully in
the action, or performing the action for his/her own benefit:
(9.206) Sakialma
tsan muelhyi
Sakial.erg self sleep.pv
Sakial got himself some sleep (lit. Sakial slept his body)
(9.207) Sakialma
tsan ihosta
Sakial.erg self prg.dance.ipv
Sakial is dancing vigorously (lit. Sakial is dancing his body)
(9.208) Sakialma
kamala
tsan ikpiha
Sakial.erg knife.all self prg.search.ipv
Sakial is looking for a knife for himself or ... a knife that he can use
Occasionally the ergative argument is replaced by tsan while the nominative argument remains. This construction may be used to emphasize that the event happened spontaneously, without any external cause.
Compare the sentences below: (9.209) is a regular transitive clause, with muka close taking an ergative
argument and a nominative argument. In (9.210)(9.211) only the nominative argument is present. (9.210)
is ambiguous between an agentive reading, where the event is caused by an implicit agent or force separate
from the undergoer, and a non-agentive reading, where the event happens spontaneously.4 When tsan is
included, as in (9.211), only the non-agentive reading is possible. In this usage, tsan has a similar sense to
English by itself, on its own, of its own accord, etc.
(9.209) Ihama
hitole
mukyi
woman.erg door.nom close.pv
The woman closed the door
(9.210) Hitole
mukyi
door.nom close.pv
The door (was) closed
(9.211) Hitole
tsan mukyi
door.nom self close.pv
The door closed (by itself)
Consider also the examples below, featuring the verb tiausa. This verb means drop [transitive] when used
to describe an agentive action, and fall or drop [intransitive] when it describes a non-agentive action:
(9.212) Kitoleuma
kepehotse palahtau tiausyi
squirrel.erg acorn.nom tree.abl fall/drop.pv
The squirrel dropped an acorn from the tree
4 To indicate unambiguously that the event has an agent, an ergative noun phrase must be included in the clause. When
the identity of the actor is unknown, an indefinite element such as mi`
o someone may be used: e.g., Hitole miohma mukyi
Someone closed the door or The door was closed by someone.

9.4. VALENCE

255

(9.213) Kepehotse palahtau tiausyi

acorn.nom tree.abl fall/drop.pv
An acorn fell/dropped from the tree or An acorn was dropped from the tree
(9.214) Kepehotse palahtau tsan tiausyi
acorn.dat tree.abl self fall/drop.pv
An acorn fell/dropped from the tree
Reflexivization of Class III verbs
Class III verbs are those which can take up to three core arguments (ergative, dative, and nominative).
With Class III verbs expressing the transmission of an object, image, idea, etc., from one individual to
another, tsan typically replaces the nominative argument. Here, either the ergative or the dative argument
can be interpreted as the antecedent in the reflexive relation, depending on which one functions as the topic.
Compare the following:
(9.215) Sakialma
Eleim
pyie
kilyi
Sakial.erg Elim.dat child.nom show.pv
Sakial showed the child to Elim
(9.216) Sakialma
Eleim
tsan kilyi
Sakial.erg Elim.dat self show.pv
Sakial showed himself to Elim
(9.217) Eleim
Sakialma
tsan kilyi
Elim.dat Sakial.erg self show.pv
Elim was shown himself by Sakial
With verbs denoting an action whereby an agent (in the ergative case) brings about a change of state in a
patient (in the dative case), tsan normally stands in for the dative argument, with the ergative argument
acting as its antecedent. Compare:
(9.218) Ihama
kail
kahtyi
woman.erg man.dat hit.pv
The woman hit the man
(9.219) Ihama
tsan kahtyi
woman.erg self hit.pv
The woman hit herself
(9.220) Pyima
totsait
mulme
patlyi
child.erg table.dat cloth.inst cover.pv
The child covered the table with a cloth
(9.221) Pyima
mulme
tsan patlyi
child.erg cloth.inst self cover.pv
The child covered herself with a cloth
However, it is also possible for tsan to replace the ergative argument, with the dative argument acting as the
antecedent. In this construction, the speaker indicates that the dative-marked undergoer (rather than some
other individual) is ultimately responsible for the action coming about. Compare the following sentences,
for example: (9.222) is a regular transitive clause with actor and undergoer both expressed overtly and the
undergoer functioning as the topic of the clause. In (9.223) and (9.224) the actor is unspecified, causing the
ergative noun phrase to be omitted. These sentences differ in that (9.224) implies that the dog played a
crucial role in its own death, whereas (9.223) carries no such implication.

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.222) Elima
ikei
sisliankama
kaihyi
Elim.all dog.dat rattlesnake.erg kill.pv
Elims dog was killed by a rattlesnake
(9.223) Elima
ikei
kaihyi
Elim.all dog.dat kill.pv
Elims dog was killed
(9.224) Elima
ikei
mitunke tsan kaihyi
Elim.all dog.dat somehow self kill.pv
Elims dog got itself killed somehow
Compare also the examples below. In (9.225), where Sakial is in the ergative case, it is implied that Sakial
is performing a deliberate action on himself. Here, the focus is on Sakial as the initiator of the action. In
(9.226) Sakial is in the dative case, and the focus is on Sakial as the undergoer of the action. In the latter
sentence, the presence of tsan signals that, although Sakial did not intend the event to happen, his actions
are nonetheless responsible for bringing it about.
(9.225) Sakialma
tsan kahtyi
Sakial.erg self hit.pv
Sakial (deliberately) hit himself
(9.226) Sakiail
tsan kahtyi
Sakial.dat self hit.pv
Sakial (accidentally) hit himself or Sakial got himself hit
Occasionally a Class III change-of-state verb will take tsan in addition to an overt ergative argument and an
overt dative argument, as in the examples below. Here, the presence of the reflexive element specifies that
the actor is exerting him/herself, or acting for his/her own benefit. In other words, tsan emphasizes that
the individual performing the action is also affected by the action. Verbs of ingestion such as iasa eat and
sepa drink often appear with tsan, since the action has an effect not only on the substance being ingested,
but also on the person doing the ingesting.
(9.227) Ihama
satei
tsan iepamat
woman.erg meal.dat self prg.prepare.ipv.pl
The women are preparing themselves a meal
(9.228) Na
homai
tsan iasyi
3aerg bread.dat self eat.pv
He ate (himself) some bread
Although it normally appears in its unmarked form, tsan occasionally takes core case marking, especially
when it is being used contrastively. Note the example below, where tsan, marked with the ergative case
ending -ma, is contrasted with the ergative argument inmot everyone.
(9.229) Sakiale
inmot
ufonane,
ohkina
tsanma
Sakial.nom everyone:erg pf.praise.ipv.epl including self.erg
Sakial was praised by everyone, including himself
Tsan can also appear in one of the oblique cases, used when an oblique argument is coreferential with a
core argument in the same clause. In the following examples, tsan appears in the allative case, taking the
ergative argument as its antecedent. In the first sentence, tsan expresses the topic or subject matter of the
event denoted by kyitsa talk about, discuss, while in the second sentence it functions as a possessor. Used
as a possessor, tsan corresponds to (ones) own in English (e.g., tsana kotu ones own house, tsanu pyimit
ones own children).

9.4. VALENCE

257

(9.230) Sakialma
tsana
ikyitsanka
Sakial.erg self.all prg.talk:about.ipv:pst
Sakial was talking about himself
(9.231) Sakialma
ymiohpa tsana
kotoi
ukiosp`kin?
Sakial.erg why
self.all house.dat pf.burn.cond.qu
Why would Sakial have burned down his own house?
In addition to occurring as a noun phrase by itself, tsan can also appear as an emphatic modifier within a
larger noun phrase, as illustrated below. Emphatic tsan follows a noun (e.g., talo tsan the chief himself)
but precedes a pronoun, which takes the non-clitic form (e.g., tsan nin they themselves).
(9.232) Hynukiale talo tsanma ukia
play.nom chief self.erg perform.ipv
The chief himself will perform (in) the play
Used as a noun modifier, tsan often has the sense of English the same.5 In combination with a following
demonstrative, tsan may be translated that very (or, in a larger sentence, thats the same...):
(9.233) Sa
mekul tsanu
sepat
13erg bowl self.abl drink.ipv.pl
We drink from the same bowl
(9.234) Mo
koin
tsan nan
sasyi
1srdat person self that:nom meet.pv
I met that very person or Thats the same person I met
(9.235) Kuo
es koine
usase,
tsan nan
husu umai
2rdat one person.nom pf.meet.pt self that:nom also 1srdat
I met the same person that you met
lit. You having met a person, that same one I also (met)
A pronoun modified by tsan can be used as a sort of long-distance reflexive, explicitly marking a coreference
relation between an argument of an embedded clause and an argument of a higher clause. This is illustrated
below. The first sentence, like its English counterpart, is ambiguous: the embedded pronoun na may refer
to Sakial, or to some other individual not named in the sentence. On the other hand, when na is replaced
by tsan in`
a, as in the second sentence, the only interpretation is that Sakial said that he, Sakial, would write
the letter.
(9.236) Sakialma
etsyi
na
kihoin
esiehp`e
Sakial.erg say.pv 3aerg letter.dat sbj.write.dep:sbj.nom
Sakial said that s/he would write the letter
(9.237) Sakialma
etsyi
tsan in`
a
kihoin
esiehp`e
Sakial.erg say.pv self 3aserg letter.dat sbj.write.dep:sbj.nom
Sakial said that he himself would write the letter
5 Another way of expressing the same is with kelefe or keliale preceding the noun. Both kelefe and keliale mean shared
one, but the former is used of objects that can be possessed (e.g., Sa kelefe kotuna tsuhpat We live in the same house), while
the latter is used of people, animals, and attributes (e.g., Ne keliale amema upaksonat They were raised by the same mother).

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9.4.4

CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

Reciprocal clauses

Reciprocal (each other) clauses are formed by suffixing the reciprocal morpheme -(u)o (glossed recip) to
the verb. This morpheme takes the form -o after a glide and -uo elsewhere, as illustrated below. In (9.238)
the reciprocal suffix follows the imperfective suffix -a, while in (9.239) it follows the perfective suffix -yi,
which ends in a glide:
(9.238) Pyie
kilauot
child.dat see.ipv.recip.pl
The children will see each other
(9.239) Pyie
kilyiot
child.dat see:res.pv.recip.pl
The children saw each other
The reciprocal marker occupies the same suffix slot as the nominative, dative, and ergative plural agreement
suffixes (see 7.2), and is thus mutually exclusive with them. Compare:
(9.240) Kalma
pyie
iksonat
man.erg child.nom prg.look:at.ipv.pl
The men are looking at the child
(9.241) Kalma
pyie
iksonauat
man.erg child.nom prg.look:at.ipv.npl.pl
The men are looking at the children
(9.242) Kalma
iksonauot
man.erg prg.look:at.ipv.recip.pl
The men are looking at each other
The examples above show that when the antecedent of the reciprocal is the topic of the clause, and appears
in one of the core cases (nominative, dative, ergative), the verb takes the plural topic suffix -t in addition to
-(u)o. Compare these examples with (9.243) below: in the latter case, -t is absent because kalma the men
is not the topic of the clause, but is instead interpreted contrastively or as providing new information.
(9.243) Kalma
iksonauo
man.erg prg.look:at.ipv.recip.pl
There are some men looking at each other
or Its the men who are looking at each other
A reciprocal-marked verb is sometimes augmented by the collective particle kele all, together, or the
distributive particle la each, in turn. Adding kele emphasizes that the participants are acting on each
other simultaneously, while adding la emphasizes that they are acting separately or in succession. For
example, (9.244) would be used if the men hit each other at the same time, while (9.245) would be used if
A hit B first, after which B hit A:
(9.244) Kalma
kele
kahtyiot
man.erg together hit.pv.recip.pl
The men hit each other or The men fought / came to blows
(9.245) Kalma
la
kahtyiot
man.erg each hit.pv.recip.pl
The men each hit the other (in turn)

9.4. VALENCE

259

Adding reciprocal morphology to the verb usually reduces its valence, with the reciprocal marker standing
in for one of the core arguments in the clause. With Class I verbs, reciprocal morphology replaces the
nominative (theme) argument, and the antecedent for the reciprocal is a noun phrase in one of the oblique
cases (typically denoting an experiencer):
(9.246) Isane Sakiale
niokoihtyi
13all Sakial.nom recognize.tinc.pv
We recognized Sakial
(9.247) Isane niokoihtyio
13all recognize.tinc.pv.recip
We recognized each other
With Class II verbs, the nominative argument is again suppressed while the ergative argument functions as
the antecedent for the reciprocal:
(9.248) Me
lhatima
tsulyine
1snom children.erg visit.pv.epl
The children visited me
(9.249) Lhatima
tsulyiot
children.erg visit.pv.recip.pl
The children visited each other
With Class III verbs, either the nominative or the dative argument is usually suppressed, with one of the
other core arguments acting as antecedent (typically the one functioning as the topic). In (9.251), for
example, reciprocal morphology replaces a nominative argument with a dative topic as antecedent, while in
(9.253) it replaces a dative argument with an ergative topic as antecedent.
(9.250) No
es tsokoimp`
a
sasyit
Uilumaua
tulona
3ardat one stranger.nom meet.pv.pl Uiluma.all road.loc
They met a stranger on the road to Uiluma
(9.251) No
Uilumaua
tulona
sasyiot
3ardat Uiluma.all road.loc meet.pv.recip.pl
They met (each other) on the road to Uiluma
(9.252) Na
Sakiail
kytu uktiyit
3aerg Sakial.dat gift give.pv.pl
They gave gifts to Sakial
(9.253) Na
kytu uktiyiot
3aerg gift give.pv.recip.pl
They gave each other gifts
Occasionally the reciprocal suffix is added to a Class II or Class III verb without replacing any of its core
arguments. Here the presence of reciprocal morphology may indicate that two or more individuals are acting
for one anothers benefit:
(9.254) Ihama
iase ititiankauot
woman.erg food prg.gather.ipv:pst.recip.pl
The women were gathering each other food
Compare also the examples below, where reciprocal marking alternates with an instrumental noun phrase:

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CHAPTER 9. CLAUSE STRUCTURE

(9.255) Sa
Sakialme
isokastankat
it`e
13erg Sakial.inst prg.argue.ipv:pst.pl that:all
We were arguing with Sakial about that
(9.256) Sa
isokastankauot
it`e
13erg prg.argue.ipv:pst.recip.pl that:all
We were arguing (with each other) about that
(9.257) Elim ka im`
a
efosa
so
kuname
kyitsampyit
Elim and 1serg problem.all 13rdat friend.inst mention.act.pv.pl
Elim and I talked over the problem with our friends
(9.258) Elim ka im`
a
efosa
kyitsampyiot
Elim and 1serg problem.all mention.act.pv.recip.pl
Elim and I discussed the problem or ... talked with one another about the problem
Note that reciprocal marking is optional in (9.256) and (9.258). For example, Elim ka im`
a efosa kyitsampyit
is also an acceptable way to say Elim and I discussed the problem. The presence of the reciprocal suffix
in (9.258) serves to emphasize that Elim and the speaker both participated actively in the discussion (and
implies that nobody else participated). In other cases, however, reciprocal marking is not optional: Note that
there are several verbs in English which describe reciprocal actions when used intransitively (e.g., meet,
fight). Their Okuna counterparts, however, must take the reciprocal suffix in such cases:
(9.259) So
laisne utsokuauot
13rdat just
pf.meet.ipv.recip.pl
We just met (each other)
Reciprocal clauses with la iap and la iahte
When a core argument bears a reciprocal relation to an argument in a more peripheral function (e.g., verb
modifier, possessor), the latter may be expressed using the noun phrase la iap (lit. each the other) or la
iahte (lit. each the others) inflected for oblique case, rather than by adding reciprocal morphology to the
verb. Often the antecedent noun phrase contains a distributive universal quantifier meaning each (see 5.6).
Examples are given below. The form la iap is used in contexts where two individuals stand in a relation to
one another, while la iahte is used when more than two individuals each stand in a relation to the others.
(9.260) Na
la
iapa
ikyitsankat
3aerg each other:all prg.mention.ipv:pst.pl
They were talking about each other
(9.261) Ne
la
iapa
kotuna
tehyit
3anom each other:all house.loc stay.pv.pl
They stayed at each others houses
(9.262) Lhati
nket
la
iahteu
amema
fonyinit
children 3a:each:nom each others:abl mother.erg praise.pv.epl.pl
The children were praised by each others mothers or ... each praised by the others mothers
more lit. Each child was praised in turn by the others mothers
La iap and la iahte can also appear as core arguments, together with reciprocal marking on the verb, when
it is necessary to place special emphasis on the reciprocal nature of the event. Compare the examples below,
where (9.263) is focus-neutral, while (9.264) features narrow focus on the delimiter participant. In the latter
case, the dative noun phrase la iaip is included in order to give the focus particle tiefu something to take
scope over. (If la iaip were omitted from (9.264), giving Pyima tiefu kahtyiot, the sentence would mean that
hitting each other is the only thing that the children did.)

9.4. VALENCE
(9.263) Pyima
kahtyiot
child.erg hit.pv.recip.pl
The children hit each other
(9.264) Pyima
tiefu la
iaip
kahtyiot
child.erg only each other.dat hit.pv.recip.pl
The children only hit each other (not anyone else)

261

Chapter 10

Nominalization and Complex Clauses

10.1

Introduction

In this chapter I discuss various ways of forming complex sentences by embedding one clause inside another.
In Okuna, as in many head-final languages, subordinate clauses are not marked by a separate class of function
wordse.g., there are no complementizers comparable to English that. Instead, subordinate clauses are
formed by adding special morphology to the verb.
For example, compare the main clause in (10.1) with its subordinate clause counterparts in (10.2)
(10.4). In (10.2) the verb stem ital- be reading carries the nominalizing suffix -a, which marks the so-called
dependent (dep) form. The dependent clause, which patterns like a noun phrase, inflects for nominative
case and is selected as the complement of the verb iona know. Here the dependent clause functions as a
theme argument, denoting the proposition known by Sakial. In (10.3) and (10.4) the verb appears in two of
its participle (pt) forms, marked by the suffixes -e (for the indicative mood) and -ai (for the subjunctive
mood). Indicative participles form adverbial clauses which provide a temporal context for the event in the
main clause, while subjunctive participles form conditional (if) clauses.
(10.1) Pyima
halmai
italanka
child.erg book.dat prg.read.ipv:pst
The child was reading the book
(10.2) Sakialna
ionanka
pyima
halmai
ital`
a
Sakial.loc know.ipv:pst child.erg book.dat prg.read.dep.nom
Sakial knew that the child was reading the book
(10.3) Pyima
halmai
itale,
no
amema
sati ipamyi
child.erg book.dat prg.read.pt 3ardat mother.erg meal prepare.pv
While the child was reading the book, her mother made dinner
(10.4) Pyima
halmai
italai,
no
amena
kestampa
child.erg book.dat prg.read.pt:sbj 3ardat mother.loc happy.act.ipv
If the child is reading the book, her mother will be pleased
The dependent form and its uses are discussed in 10.2, while participles are discussed in 10.3. The
remaining sections of this chapter deal with other kinds of verb inflection for deriving subordinate verbs
and clauses. In 10.4 I discuss the formation of converbs, which modify another verb by specifying the
means or manner in which the event denoted by the verb is carried out (e.g., from tlynk- push we can
form the converb tlynke by pushing, which can then combine with the main verb lima open to form the
compound predicate tlynke lima open by pushing, push open). Nominalized verbs denoting types of events,
262

10.2. THE DEPENDENT FORM

263

called gerunds, are discussed in 10.5. Finally 10.6 deals with participant nominals, nominalized verbs
referring to individuals involved in actions or states (people, objects, places, times, etc.). These include
agentive nouns, formed by adding the suffix -ka to the dependent form of the verb (e.g., muelha sleep >
muelhaka sleeper, one who sleeps). Participant nominals play a crucial role in Okuna grammar, since they
constitute the main class of noun modifiers, functioning much as adjectives and relative clauses do in English
(e.g., muelhaka pyi sleeping child or child who sleeps).

10.2

The dependent form

There are various types of subordinate clauses in Okuna which are characterized by the appearance of
special aspect/mood/polarity inflection on the verb, largely distinct from the inflection found on verbs
in main clauses (see 7.4 for discussion). Verbs which carry this special inflection are said to be in the
dependent form (abbreviated dep in the examples). Clauses headed by a verb in the dependent form are
called dependent clauses. Example (10.5) below gives an ordinary main clause, which can stand on its
own as a complete sentence, while (10.6) gives its dependent counterpart. Notice that these clauses differ
solely in the form of the verb: palyiat versus apalauata.
(10.5) Lhatima
kah`
o
palyiat
children.erg fish.nom catch.pv.npl.pl
The children caught the fish
(10.6) lhatima
kah`
o
apalauata
children.erg fish.nom pv.catch.dep.npl.pl
(the fact that) the children caught the fish
or (the event where) the children caught the fish
Verbs in the dependent form behave just like verbs in main clauses, in that they can combine with arguments
and modifiers and assign case in the same way as main clause verbs. However, dependent clauses as a whole
behave like noun phrases, in that they can inflect for case and act as arguments of a verb. They can also
combine with certain types of nouns to form adverbial clauses denoting time, reason, manner, etc. Before
discussing these functions, I give an overview of dependent verb morphology.
Suffixal morphology
Verbs in the dependent form are characterized by special inflectional suffixes, used in place of the suffixes
found on main clause verbs for marking tense, aspect, mood, and polarity. Like verbs in main clauses,
dependent verbs inflect for polarity, with separate suffixes for positive and negative clauses (the latter being
those that contain negation: see 7.3). In addition, dependent verbs inflect for mood, making a two-way
distinction between indicative and subjunctive (the differences between these two moods are discussed
later in this section). The following table gives the dependent verb suffixes. For each suffix, the abbreviation
used in the example sentences is given in parentheses.

dependent indicative
dependent subjunctive

-a
-i

positive
(dep)
(dep:sbj)

-u
-oi

negative
(dep:neg)
(dep:sbj:neg)

In accordance with the vowel hiatus rules given in 3.5.3, the suffixes -i and -u undergo lowering (becoming -e
and -o, respectively) when immediately preceded or followed by a glide: e.g., e.tsoku.i > etsokue meet.sbj,
m.tsoku.u > ntsokuo meet.dep:neg.
In most constructions involving dependent verbs, the verb agrees in number (singular versus plural) with
its nominative, dative, and ergative arguments, if any (see 7.2 for more on number agreement). Number
agreement inflection on dependent verbs is the same as on main clause verbs, except that the plural topic

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

marker has a slightly different form: on main clause verbs plural topic agreement is marked by the suffix
-t, whereas for dependent verbs the suffix is -ta. For reference, the following table lists all of the possible
combinations of dependent endings with agreement marking.
dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
-a
-u
-i
-oi

pl
-ata
-uta
-ita
-oita

npl
-aua
-oua
-eua
-oia

npl+pl
-auata
-ouata
-euata
-oiata

dpl
-ama
-uma
-ima
-oima

dpl+pl
-amata
-umata
-imata
-oimata

epl
-ane
-une
-ine
-oine

epl+pl
-anita
-unita
-inita
-oinita

In addition, verbs in the dependent form can take the reciprocal suffix -(u)o (see 9.4.4), either by itself or
in combination with the plural topic marker -ta:
dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

recip
-auo
-ouo
-euo
-oio

recip+pl
-auota
-ouota
-euota
-oiota

Prefixal morphology
Verbs in the dependent form also take prefixes to mark mood and aspect, and can host the bound negative
marker m(a)- (see 7.3). Like verbs in main clauses, dependent verbs inflect for one of four aspects: imperfect, progressive (prg), perfect (pf), and perfective (pv) (see 7.4 for discussion of the meanings
of these terms). However, unlike verbs in main clauses, all four aspects are marked by prefixes. There are
separate prefixes depending on whether the dependent verb is in the indicative or subjunctive (hence mood
is redundantly marked on dependent verbs by prefixation and suffixation). The following table gives the
mood/aspect prefixes, both separately and in combination with the negative marker m(a)-:
imperfect
progressive (prg)
perfect (pf)
perfective (pv)

indic

iua-

neg+indic
m(a)memoma-

sbj
eieioia-

neg+sbj
memiemiomia-

To illustrate these prefixes, in combination with the dependent suffixes discussed above, the complete set of
dependent forms for ma tupa I walk is given below. I also include rough English equivalents for each form:
ma
ma
ma
ma

tupa
itupa
utupa
atupa

(that)
(that)
(that)
(that)

I
I
I
I

walk, (that) I will walk

am/was walking, (that) I have/had been walking
have/had walked
walked, (that) I had walked

ma
ma
ma
ma

ntupu
metupu
motupu
matupu

(that)
(that)
(that)
(that)

I
I
I
I

dont/wont walk
am/was not walking, (that) I have/had not been walking
have/had not walked
didnt/hadnt walked

ma
ma
ma
ma

etupi
ietupi
iotupi
iatupi

(that)
(that)
(that)
(that)

I
I
I
I

would
would
would
would

ma
ma
ma
ma

metupoi
mietupoi
miotupoi
miatupoi

(that)
(that)
(that)
(that)

I
I
I
I

wouldnt
wouldnt
wouldnt
wouldnt

walk, for me to walk

be walking, (that) I would have been walking, for me to be walking
have walked (at some point), for me to have walked
have walked (then)
walk, for me not to walk
be walking, (that) I wouldnt have been walking
(ever) have walked, for me not to have walked
have walked (then)

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265

When the aspect/mood prefixes attach to a verb beginning with a vowel, certain phonological changes take
place in accordance with the vowel hiatus rules outlined in 3.5.3:
1. When progressive i- and perfect u- attach to stems beginning with a non-glide high vowel, that vowel
undergoes lowering (e.g., i- + ipama prepare > iepama; u- + uktia give > uoktia). When i- and
u- attach to a stem beginning with a glide, the prefixes themselves undergo lowering (e.g., i- + uohta
sit > euohta; u- + uohta > ouohta).
2. When negative progressive me- and negative perfect mo- attach to a stem beginning with a non-glide
vowel, they become mi- and mu-, respectively (e.g., me- + olu hear > miolu, mo- + olu > muolu).
When the stem begins with a high vowel, that vowel undergoes lowering, as in (1) above (e.g., me- +
ipamu prepare > miepamu). Note that these rules apply to the negative progressive me-, but not to
the homophonous negative subjunctive imperfect me-, which follows the rules in (4) below.
3. When a prefix ending in a attaches to a stem beginning with a, the two vowels fuse into a single vowel
(e.g., a- + atia approach > atia; mia- + atioi > miatioi ).
4. If a prefix ending in a, e, or o attaches to a stem beginning with a non-glide vowel, and rules (2) and (3)
do not apply, then a glide is inserted between the prefix and the stem. When one or both of the vowels
is rounded, a u glide is inserted between them; and if the stem-initial vowel is i or u, it undergoes
lowering (e.g., a- + otsa dig > auotsa; io- + atia approach > iouatia; ie- + uktie give > ieuoktie,
mio- + ipama prepare > miouepama). Otherwise an i glide is inserted between the prefix and the
stem, and if the stem vowel is i it lowers to become e (e.g., a- + elila hug, embrace > aielila; mia+ ylhoi defeat > miaiylhoi ; ie- + imla smile > ieiemla).
The following eight verbs constitute an exception to the above rules:
ekpa
eska
esta
eta
etsa
etskana
etskasta
etskopa

carry, bring/take, hold

ask, request
reach, succeed
go, come
say, tell
arrive, appear
summon, call, produce
realize

For these verbs, the initial e of the stem is dropped (except in the imperfect indicative) and replaced with
the appropriate aspect/mood prefix. This is illustrated by the following partial paradigm for ekpa:
ma
ma
ma
ma

ekpa
ikpa
ukpa
akpa

(that)
(that)
(that)
(that)

I
I
I
I

carry, (that) I will carry

am/was carrying, (that) I have/had been carrying
have/had carried
carried, (that) I had carried

ma
ma
ma
ma

mekpu
mekpu
mokpu
makpu

(that)
(that)
(that)
(that)

I
I
I
I

dont/wont carry
am/was not carrying, (that) I have/had not been carrying
have/had not carried
didnt/hadnt carried

ma
ma
ma
ma

ekpi
iekpi
iokpi
iakpi

(that)
(that)
(that)
(that)

I
I
I
I

would
would
would
would

carry, for me to carry

be carrying, (that) I would have been carrying, for me to be carrying
have carried (at some point), for me to have carried
have carried (then)

The dependent forms for the copula he (9.3.1), which has a highly irregular conjugation, are listed below.
Note that this verb makes only a two-way aspectual distinction, between imperfect and perfect, and can host
the agreement suffixes -ta (plural topic) and -(u)a (nominative plural).

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dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
ha
hu
hi
hoi

imperfect
pl
npl
hata
haua
huta
houa
hita
heua
hoita hoia

sg
heua
heuo
heue
heuoi

perfect
pl
heuata
heuota
heueta
heuoita

npl
heuaua
heuoua
heueua
heuoia

The deictic verbs ts`

a be here (near me) and k`
a be here/there (near us/you) (discussed briefly in 5.3.2)
also show irregular dependent inflection. The table below gives the dependent forms for ts`
a and k`
a in the
imperfect aspect; to express the progressive and perfect aspects, the appropriate prefixes are added to these
forms.
dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
tsaua
tsauo
etsaie
etsauoi

pl
tsauata
tsauota
etsaieta
etsauoita

npl
tsauaua
tsauoua
etsaieua
etsauoia

sg
kaua
kauo
ekaie
ekauoi

pl
kauata
kauota
ekaieta
ekauoita

npl
kauaua
kauoua
ekaieua
ekauoia

Although they inflect for aspect and mood, dependent verbs are not marked for tense. No morphological
distinction is made between past and non-past (except indirectly: verbs in the perfective aspect receive a
past tense interpretation by default). Consequently, the time of the event denoted by a dependent clause
must usually be inferred from the context in which that clause appears. Typically, the tense of a dependent
clause is calculated relative to the tense of the main clause in which it appears. Compare the examples
below, where the dependent clause Sakialma losak itaka (that) Sakial is/was chopping firewood combines
with the relational noun himna while (lit. inside) to form a temporal modifier:
(10.7) Sakialma
losak
itaka
himna,
ma
sati ipanta
Sakial.erg firewood prg.cut.dep inside.loc 1serg meal prepare.tinc.ipv
While Sakial is chopping firewood, Ill begin preparing dinner
(10.8) Sakialma
losak
itaka
himna,
ma
sati ipantyi
Sakial.erg firewood prg.cut.dep inside.loc 1serg meal prepare.tinc.pv
While Sakial was chopping firewood, I began preparing dinner
In (10.7) the dependent clause is translated using the present tense (is chopping) because it combines with
a main clause in the non-past imperfect; whereas in (10.8) it combines with a main clause in the perfective
and receives a past tense translation (was chopping). However, the form of the dependent verb is the same
in both sentences. Progressive aspect marking on taka indicates that the time of the chopping event overlaps
with the time of the event denoted by the main clause, but without specifying whether the chopping event
occurs in the past, present, or future.
The various uses of the dependent form are discussed below. In 10.2.1 I discuss case marking on
dependent verbs and the use of dependent clauses as arguments of verbs and modifiers of main clauses.
In 10.2.2 I discuss dependent clauses as complements of relational nouns (such as himna in (10.7) and
(10.8) above). In 10.2.3 I discuss the elements aun and alh, which also combine with dependent clause
complements. Finally, 10.2.4 deals with verbs which can select a dependent subjunctive verb (without case
marking) as their complement to form complex predicates.
Note that dependent verb inflection also provides the stems from which gerunds and most participant
nominals are constructed. Gerunds and participant nominals are discussed in 10.5 and 10.6, respectively.

10.2.1

Dependent clauses as arguments

Verbs in the dependent form behave syntactically like nouns, insofar as they can inflect for case. Case endings
attach to the end of the dependent verb, following the dependent suffix and any number agreement suffixes
which come after it.

10.2. THE DEPENDENT FORM

267

Dependent verbs inflect like regular nouns, according to the rules summarized in 4.2. Some sample case
paradigms, featuring dependent verbs formed from the stem kaht- hit, are given in the table below. The first
four columns show the paradigms for singular verbs in the dependent indicative (positive and negative) and
the dependent subjunctive (positive and negative), respectively. The fifth column gives the case paradigm
for kahtuta (kaht- hit + -u del:neg + the plural topic agreement suffix -ta). Finally, the sixth column
gives the case paradigm for kahtane (kaht- + -a dep + the ergative plural agreement suffix -ne, which
becomes -ni when followed by a consonant).

nom
dat
loc
all
abl
inst

kahta
(dep)
kaht`
a
kahtai
kahtana
kahtaua
kahtau
kahtame

kahtu
(dep:neg)
kaht`
o
kahtoi
kahtuna
kahtoua
kahtou
kahtume

ekahti
(dep:sbj)
ekaht`e
ekahtei
ekahtina
ekahteia
ekahteu
ekahtime

ekahtoi
(dep:sbj:neg)
ekahtoie
ekahtoie
ekahtoina
ekahtoia
ekahtoio
ekahtoime

kahtuta
(dep:sbj.pl)
kahtut`
a
kahtutai
kahtutana
kahtutaua
kahtutau
kahtutame

kahtane
(dep.epl)
kahtan`e
kahtanei
kahtanina
kahtaneia
kahtaneu
kahtanime

Notice that dependent verbs do not take the ergative case ending -ma: dependent clauses never play the
actor role. In addition, some of the forms which do occur are quite rare. For example, dependent indicative
verbs rarely appear in the allative case, while dependent subjunctive verbs rarely appear in the ablative.
The functions of the different case forms are summarized and illustrated below.
Dependent clauses in the nominative
Dependent clauses appear most often in the nominative case. A dependent clause is marked for nominative
case when it acts as the (theme) argument of a higher predicate in place of a regular noun phrase. For
example, compare the following sentences, featuring the Class I verb oukuta be troubling, which takes a
nominative argument denoting the object or source of the troubling feeling. In (10.9) the nominative role
is filled by the noun kefihusot news, while in (10.10) the same role is filled by the dependent clause Elime
eima imouta (the fact) that Elim is still sick, denoting a proposition and referring to a particular state of
affairs.
(10.9) Kefihusote oukuta
im`e
news.nom troubling.ipv 1sall
The news troubles me
(10.10) Elime
eima imout`
a
oukuta
im`e
Elim.nom still prg.sick.dep.nom troubling.ipv 1sall
(The fact) that Elim is still sick troubles me or It troubles me that Elim is still sick
Typically dependent clauses in the nominative function as complements of verbs like iona know, etsa
say, tell, opa believe, tiyla seem, appear, etc. Like noun phrase complements, a dependent clause may
precede the verb that selects it. This is especially common when the dependent clause is being topicalized
or contrastively focused, as in (10.11):
(10.11) Pyima
halmai
ital`
a
iona
iman
child.erg book.dat prg.read.dep.nom know.ipv 1sloc
(The fact) that the child is reading the book (is what) I know
Much more frequently, the dependent clause is postposed, and follows the verb that selects it (cf. 9.2.3).
Examples of sentences with postposed dependent clauses include:
(10.12) Iman iona
pyima
halmai
ital`
a
1sloc know.ipv child.erg book.dat prg.read.dep.nom
I know that the child is reading the book

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(10.13) Tiyla
pyima
halmai
ital`
a
appear.ipv child.erg book.dat prg.read.dep.nom
It appears that the child is reading the book
(10.14) Ma
Sakiail
etsyi
pyima
halmai
metal`
o
1serg Sakial.dat tell.pv child.erg book.dat neg.prg.read.dep:neg.nom
I told Sakial that the child was not reading the book
As shown below, postposition of dependent clauses can be iterated. That is, a postposed dependent clause
complement may itself contain an postposed dependent clause complement.
(10.15) Ma
etsyi
Motlana
ion`
a
pyima
halmai
ital`
a
1serg say.pv Motla.loc know.dep.nom child.erg book.dat prg.read.dep.nom
I said that Motla knows that the child is reading the book
In all of the examples above, the complement clause is in the indicative mood. Complement clauses can
also be formed from dependent verbs in the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive is used when the event
or situation referred to by the dependent clause is hypothetical (possible, counterfactual, contingent, etc.)
rather than actual or expected. Many verbs regularly select a subjunctive dependent clause complement.
These include modal verbs (expressing possibility, necessity, desirability, etc.) such as okfa wish, want,
tiuha be needed, necessary, and so on. Other verbs which take a subjunctive complement include eska ask,
request and sohompa order, where the complement denotes a wished-for event. Examples:
(10.16) Itiuha
Elime
elohfoi
enkilh`e
prg.needed.ipv Elim.nom tomorrow sbj.leave.dep:sbj
It is necessary that Elim leave tomorrow or It is necessary for Elim to leave tomorrow
(10.17) Itiuha
elohfoi
enkilh`e
prg.needed.ipv tomorrow sbj.leave.dep:sbj
It is necessary to leave tomorrow or It is necessary that (one) leave tomorrow
(10.18) Iman okfa
Elime
elohfoi
enkilh`e
1sloc want.ipv Elim.nom tomorrow sbj.leave.dep:sbj
I wish that Elim (would) leave tomorrow or I want Elim to leave tomorrow
(10.19) Ma
Eleim
eskyi
ne
elohfoi
enkilh`e
1serg Elim.dat ask.pv 3anom tomorrow sbj.leave.dep:sbj
I asked Elim to leave tomorrow (more lit. I asked Elim that he should leave tomorrow)
(10.20) Aniohta Elime
elohfoi
enkilh`e
best.ipv Elim.nom tomorrow sbj.leave.dep:sbj
It would be best if Elim left tomorrow
As these examples show, clauses in the dependent subjunctive correspond closely to embedded subjunctive
or conditional clauses in English (that Elim leave, that Elim would leave). Often they are most naturally
translated using an infinitive construction (to leave, for Elim to leave). In a few cases, as with aniohta
be best, a subjunctive dependent clause corresponds to a conditional clause (if Elim left).
Certain verbs can select either an indicative or a subjunctive dependent clause. For example, the dependent clause complement of etsa say, tell is in the indicative when it denotes a reported event, and in the
subjunctive to express an indirect command:
(10.21) Ma
Sakiail
etsyi
kimima
ihis`
a
1serg Sakial.dat say.pv baby.erg prg.cry.dep
I told Sakial that the baby is/was crying

10.2. THE DEPENDENT FORM

269

(10.22) Ma
Sakiail
etsyi
losak
etiti`
e
1serg Sakial.dat say.pv firewood sbj.gather.dep:sbj
I told Sakial to gather firewood or ... that (he) should gather firewood
Consider also the following minimal pair, showing that the verb uota feel, sense, perceive can take either an
indicative or a subjunctive complement. As the translations of these sentences show, the indicative is used
when the clause denotes an actual perceived event, while the subjunctive is used when it denotes a non-actual
or possible event (note that the first sentence entails that somebody did in fact touch the speakers arm,
while the second sentence does not):
(10.23) Mo
uotyi
mo
nailh
miohma
silh
iteun`
a
1srdat feel.pv 1srdat arm.dat someone.erg finger prg.put.dep
I felt someone touch my arm or I felt that someone was touching my arm
(10.24) Mo
uotyi
mo
nailh
miohma
silh
ieteun`
e
1srdat feel.pv 1srdat arm.dat someone.erg finger sbj:prg.put.dep:sbj
I felt as though someone were touching my arm
Recall that, in addition to distinguishing indicative and subjunctive mood, verbs in the dependent form
inflect for aspect (imperfect, progressive, perfect, or perfective). When a dependent clause in the nominative
case is selected by a higher verb, the choice of aspect depends on whether the state of affairs denoted by
the dependent clause temporally precedes, follows, or overlaps with the state of affairs denoted by the main
clause. For instance, if the progressive aspect is used, this indicates that the state of affairs denoted by the
dependent clause overlaps with the state of affairs denoted by the main clause. This is true regardless of the
tense/aspect of the main clause verb. Compare the following:
(10.25) Sakialna
iona
Elime
imout`
a
Sakial.loc know.ipv Elim.nom prg.sick.dep.nom
Sakial knows that Elim is sick
(10.26) Sakialna
ionanka
Elime
imout`
a
Sakial.loc know.ipv:pst Elim.nom prg.sick.dep.nom
Sakial knew that Elim was sick
These sentences are identical except for the tense of the main verb know: iona (non-past) versus ionanka
(past). In both sentences, the time at which Sakial knows Elim to be sick overlaps with the time at which
Elim is sick. Because of the difference in the tense of the main clause, the dependent clause is translated
that Elim is sick in (10.25), but that Elim was sick in (10.26).
Likewise, when the dependent verb appears in the perfect or perfective aspect, this signals that the event
or situation denoted by the dependent clause properly precedes the event or situation denoted by the main
clauseagain, regardless of whether the main clause is in the past or the non-past tense (perfect aspect is
generally used when the dependent clause denotes a previous state or habitual action, while the perfective is
used when it denotes a single completed event). In the following examples, perfect marking on the dependent
verb indicates that Sakials knowledge of Elims sickness came about only after Elim had recovered:
(10.27) Sakialna
iona
Elime
umout`
a
Sakial.loc know.ipv Elim.nom pf.sick.dep.nom
Sakial knows that Elim was sick or ... that Elim has/had been sick
(10.28) Sakialna
iontyi
Elime
umout`
a
Sakial.loc know.tinc.pv Elim.nom pf.sick.dep.nom
Sakial found out that Elim had been sick

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Compare also the following examples, which differ in the aspect of the dependent verb. In (10.29), with the
dependent verb in the imperfect, it is understood that the woman witnessed the pot being smashedi.e, the
seeing event and the smashing event occurred simultaneously. In (10.30), with the dependent verb in the
perfective, it is understood that the woman witnessed the consequences of the action (say, a smashed pot
lying on the ground) rather than the action itself. Here, the smashing event properly precedes the seeing
event.
(10.29) Ihai
kilyi
mikalma kopoi
tsitsp`
a
woman.dat see.pv boy.erg pot.dat smash.dep.nom
The woman saw the boy smash the pot
(10.30) Ihai
kilyi
mikalma kopoi
atsitsp`
a
woman.dat see.pv boy.erg pot.dat pv.smash.dep.nom
The woman saw that the boy (had) smashed the pot
As an additional example, observe the three-way contrast below. In (10.31), where the dependent verb is
in the imperfect, it is understood that Elim witnessed the entire mending event from beginning to end: the
temporal span of the seeing event coincides with the temporal span of the mending event. In (10.32), by
contrast, with the dependent verb in the progressive, the meaning is that Elim saw the man engaged in the
activity of mending the net, but may not have witnessed the complete event: in other words, the seeing
event merely overlaps with the mending event. Finally, in (10.33), with the dependent verb in the perfect,
it is understood that Elim observed the after-effects of the mending event (and was thus able to conclude
that the event had taken place at some earlier point in time), but did not witness the event itself.
(10.31) Eleim
kilyi
kalma
niloi
namuoht`
a
Elim.dat see.pv man.erg net.dat mend.dep.nom
Elim saw the man mend the net
(10.32) Eleim
kilyi
kalma
niloi
inamuoht`
a
Elim.dat see.pv man.erg net.dat prg.mend.dep.nom
Elim saw the man mending the net
(10.33) Eleim
kilyi
kalma
niloi
unamuoht`
a
Elim.dat see.pv man.erg net.dat pf.mend.dep.nom
Elim saw that the man had mended the net
When the state of affairs expressed by the dependent clause is interpreted as following the state of affairs
expressed by the main clause, the dependent verb appears in the imperfect aspect, usually accompanied by
an adverb expressing futurity, such as efoi later or oke by and by (be going to):
(10.34) Sakialna
iona
Elime
oke
nkilh`
a
Sakial.loc know.ipv Elim.nom going:to leave.dep.nom
Sakial knows that Elim will leave
(10.35) Sakialna
ionanka
Elime
oke
nkilh`
a
Sakial.loc know.ipv:pst Elim.nom going:to leave.dep.nom
Sakial knew that Elim was going to leave
Dependent clauses in the dative and oblique cases
Dependent clauses can appear in other cases besides the nominative. For instance, dependent indicative
clauses may inflect for dative case to express the resulting state, or temporal cut-off point, for some state
of affairs. They often correspond to until clauses in English. As the example below illustrates, dependent
clauses in the dative are often followed by the particle sik`
a, roughly equivalent to as far as.

10.2. THE DEPENDENT FORM

271

(10.36) Se
kauotat
lhat`e
nioktatai
sik`
a
13nom be:here.dur.ipv.pl children.nom return.dep.pl.dat as:far:as
We will stay here until the children return
Besides the nominative and the dative, dependent clauses can appear in one of the four oblique cases: locative,
allative, ablative, instrumental. Oblique case-marked dependent clauses have various adverbial functions,
many of which can also be expressed in other wayse.g., by using a participial clause (10.3), or with a
constituent consisting of a relational noun (10.2.2) or aun (10.2.3) taking a dependent clause (unmarked
for case) as its complement.
A dependent indicative clause in the locative case denotes an event which acts as a temporal reference for
the event expressed by the main clause. Such expressions, which function similarly to indicative participial
clauses (10.3.1), are equivalent to when/while/as clauses in English:
(10.37) Ne
ma
imuelhana
nkilhyit
3anom 1serg prg.sleep.dep.loc leave.pv.pl
They left while I was sleeping
When inflected for the allative case, a dependent subjunctive clause indicates the purpose or goal of an
actionexpressed in English using so that, in order for/to/that, or a bare infinitival clause. Dependent
subjunctive clauses also take the allative when they co-occur with degree markers like tsuo too and muhpi
enough.
(10.38) Na
makai
ksapatlyi tuhsaua
elanteia
3aerg meat.dat salt.pv
winter.all sbj.preserve.dep:sbj.all
She salted the meat (in order) to preserve (it) for the winter
(10.39) Elime
keuli
tolhyi
isane ekuleia
Elim.nom chair.dat stand.pv 13all sbj.see:res.dep:sbj.all
Elim stood on a chair so that we could see (him)
or ... in order for us to see (him)
(10.40) Kohote
tsuo alhuta
(Sakialma) etiyiseia
chest.nom too rel.heavy.ipv Sakial.erg sbj.lift.dep:sbj.all
The chest is too heavy (for Sakial) to lift
Dependent indicative clauses in the ablative case express the cause or reason for an event, or the beginning
point of an event or state, and are equivalent to since or because clauses in English. When expressing a
beginning point, the dependent clause may be followed by the emphatic particle su, here equivalent to ever
(e.g., iome alimau su ever since the world began).
(10.41) Tomla
tin
ieuolhat
iome
alimau
mountain those:nom prg.be:there.ipv.pl world.nom pv.begin.dep.abl
Those mountains have been there since the world began
(10.42) Pyie
Elimma
meun uktiyi
inan
ihalhkonau
child.dat Elim.erg milk give.pv 3asloc prg.thirsty.dep.abl
Elim gave the child milk because she was thirsty
Finally, dependent clauses (both indicative and subjunctive) can inflect for instrumental case. In the indicative mood, an instrumental dependent clause denotes a secondary event or state which co-occurs with the
event denoted by the main clause. This is illustrated in (10.43), where ihisame describes an action which
accompanies the event of the child running out of the room. More commonly, secondary events are expressed
using a participial clause (10.3), as in (10.44):

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(10.43) Pyie
halou
kiompe suhyi
ihisame
child.nom room.abl run.cv go:out.pv prg.cry.dep.inst
The child ran out of the room crying (lit. with crying)
(10.44) Pyie
halou
kiompe suhyi
ihise
child.nom room.abl run.cv go:out.pv prg.cry.pt
The child ran out of the room crying
Indicative clauses in the instrumental case can also express the action by means of which a given result is
achieved:
(10.45) Na
nasats
tafyi
lhute
nak`
a
tiyisame
3aerg strength show.pv heavy.tnzr rock.nom lift.dep.inst
He showed his strength by lifting a heavy rock
When combined with a stative verb in the dependent form, instrumental case forms the equivalent of a
manner adverb in English: e.g., kiota be quick > kiotame quickly, by being quick. (Manner modification
can also be done with converbs; see 10.4 for discussion.)
(10.46) Pyie
halou
kiotame
kiompe suhyi
child.nom room.abl quick.dep.inst run.cv go:out.pv
The child ran quickly out of the room
Subjunctive dependent clauses can also combine with instrumental case to express a hypothetical condition,
corresponding to a conditional (if) clause in Englishor, when the dependent verb is negated, an unless
clause. This is illustrated in (10.47) and (10.48). (Conditional clauses can also be formed using aunme or a
subjunctive participle, as discussed in 10.2.3 and 10.3.2, respectively). The locative case can also be used
in place of the instrumental, as in (10.49), but this is less common.
(10.47) Ma
aleut uktia
etiuhime
1serg help give.ipv sbj.necessary.dep:sbj.inst
I will help if necessary
(10.48) Lhat`e
ntse tehefoi enioktoitame,
inane
ekpihoksa
le
children.nom neg soon
sbj.return.dep:sbj:neg.pl.inst 3apall search.must.ipv it:seems
If the children dont return soon, I guess (we) will have to go look for them
or Unless the children return soon...
(10.49) S`
u ekahpina,
kim
Kemotlasei
metot
rain sbj.fall.dep:sbj.loc 12nom Kemotlasi.dat neg.go.ipv:neg.pl
If it rains, we wont go to Kemotlasi

10.2.2

Dependent clauses as complements of relational nouns

As discussed in 6.5, relational nouns are a special class of nouns which express a spatio-temporal or abstract
relation between two or more objects, locations, or events. These nouns normally carry dative or oblique
case marking, and combine with a preceding noun or noun phrase complement to form a larger noun phrase.
In the following example, him interior is a relational noun (inflected for locative case), and tohmi kotu is
its complement:
(10.50) tohmi
kotu himna
large:one house inside.loc
inside the large house (lit. at the large house[s] interior)

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273

In addition to noun phrase complements, a number of relational nouns can take dependent clause complements to form adverbial modifiers. The most common of these are listed below, suffixed with the appropriate
case ending (note that talhkou and ohpeu are essentially synonymous):
elhkoua
hekuna
himna
isna
kamna
ohpeu
talhkou
usna

in order to/that, so that

because, since, given that; when
while
after
before
because
because
instead of

Elhkoua, which forms purpose clauses, selects a complement containing a verb in the dependent subjunctive,
as does usna:
(10.51) kihoin
esiehpi
elhkoua...
letter.dat sbj.write.dep:sbj in:order:to.all
in order to write the letter...
(10.52) Sakialma
kihoin
esiehpi
elhkoua...
Sakial.erg letter.dat sbj.write.dep:sbj in:order:to.all
in order for Sakial to write the letter... or in order that Sakial (would) write the letter...
(10.53) Sakialma
kihoin
esiehpi
usna,
na
atuyi
Sakial.erg letter.dat sbj.write.dep:sbj instead.loc 3aerg rest.pv
Instead of writing the letter, Sakial took a nap
more lit. Instead of Sakial writing the letter, he took a nap
The other relational expressions normally select complements with a verb in the dependent indicative:
(10.54) s`
u
ikahpa
talhkou...
rain prg.fall.dep cause.abl
because it is/was raining...
(10.55) no
am`e
atioka
isna...
3ardat mother.nom pv.die.dep after.loc
after her mother died...
(10.56) Kima hauat pusukata
kamna,
losak
titioksa
12erg fire
make.dep.pl before.loc firewood gather.must.ipv
Before we build a fire, (we) have to gather firewood
The relational noun heku, inflected for locative case, corresponds to English when (expressing a time) or
since, given that (expressing a presupposed state of affairs). Note also the expression hulne hekuna, meaning
by the time that..., where hulne is literally no more, no later (than):
(10.57) Me
niokta
hulne
hekuna,
ne
uta
unkilhankat
1snom return.dep no:later when.loc 3anom already pf.leave.ipv:pst.pl
By the time I returned, they had already left
In the examples above, the dependent clause complement immediately precedes the relational noun and is
unmarked for case. It is also possible for the dependent verb to take ablative case marking:

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(10.58) s`
u
ikahpau
talhkou...
rain prg.fall.dep.abl cause.abl
because it is/was raining...
(10.59) Elime
Kemotlasei
eteu
usna...
Elim.nom Kemotlasi.dat sbj.go.dep:sbj.abl stead.loc
instead of Elim going to Kemotlasi...
Ablative marking on the complement is rare when the dependent clause immediately precedes the relational
noun. However, when the two are separated by intervening material, ablative marking becomes obligatory.
For instance, the dependent clause must take ablative marking when it is separated from kamna before
or isna after by an adverb or instrumental noun phrase expressing temporal duration (e.g., etsipi a little
while, ilme henme for two months):
(10.60) no
am`e
atiokau
etsipi
isna...
3ardat mother.nom pv.die.dep.abl for:a:while after.loc
a little while after her mother died...
(10.61) no
am`e
atiokau
ilme henme
kamna...
3ardat mother.nom pv.die.dep.abl moon two.inst before.loc
two months before her mother died...
It is likely that the elements aun and alh, which inflect for case and select dependent clause complements,
also belong to the class of relational nouns. However, since these elements require special discussion, I deal
with them in a separate subsection.

10.2.3

Dependent clauses as complements of aun and alh

Dependent clauses may be selected as complements by the noun-like elements aun and alh. The former is
used to form conditional clauses and related constructions, while the latter forms concessive clauses and
related constructions. I discuss these elements in turn. For the sake of consistency, aun will be glossed
if in the examples, while alh will be glossed though. Note, however, that if and though are not fully
equivalent to aun and alh, so these glosses are only approximate.
Clauses with aun
An important function of aun is to form indirect questions. Indirect questions are embedded clauses expressing a hypothetical proposition, which are selected by verbs such as nesapa ask, untsapa wonder, and iona
know. When the dependent verb in the aun clause is in the subjunctive mood, the clause is interpreted as
an indirect yes/no question. Here, aun corresponds to if or whether in English. As the examples below
show, indirect questions are normally postposed to the right of the verb that selects them:
(10.62) Ma
untsapa
elohfoi
s`
u
ekahpi
aun
1serg wonder.ipv tomorrow rain sbj.fall.dep:sbj if
I wonder if/whether it will rain tomorrow
(10.63) Ma
Sakiail
nesapyi Motlama
kihoin
iosiehpi
aun
1serg Sakial.dat ask.pv Motla.erg letter.dat sbj:pf.write.dep:sbj if
I asked Sakial if/whether Motla had written the letter
Aun also forms indirect content questions by combining with a dependent indicative clause. Here the clause
contains one or more of the indefinite/interrogative correlative elements discussed in 6.7.1 (e.g., m`
a what,
mi`
o who, emi when, ymiohpa why, etc.). In such cases, aun serves merely to indicate that the clause is
an indirect question and has no direct English equivalent.

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275

(10.64) Ma
untsapa
Motlama
mai
isiehpa
aun
1serg wonder.ipv Motla.erg what.dat prg.write.dep if
I wonder what Motla is writing
(10.65) Ma
Sakiail
nesapyi Motlama
kihoin
emi
usiehpa
aun
1serg Sakial.dat ask.pv Motla.erg letter.dat when pf.write.dep if
I asked Sakial when Motla wrote / had written the letter
Besides expressing indirect questions, clauses headed by aun have other functions as well. For example, an
aun clause with the verb in the dependent subjunctive can be selected by the relational noun elhko purpose,
inflected for allative case. The resulting expression is equivalent to English just in case:
(10.66) ne
menioktoita
aun elhkoua...
3anom neg:sbj.return.dep:sbj:neg.pl if
purpose.all
just in case they dont return ...
Being itself a noun-like element, aun can be suffixed with a case ending under certain circumstances. For example, aun can take the allative case ending -a. Clauses headed by auna, meaning roughly about (whether),
are used with verbs of thinking and saying to indicate a question which is being debated:
(10.67) Sa
ikyitsampauot
elohfoi
elakieta
auna
13erg prg.talk:about.act.ipv.recip.pl tomorrow sbj.hunt.dep:sbj.pl if.all
Were talking about whether to go hunting tomorrow
(10.68) Na
sokastyiot
ineu
mi`
o anasohta
auna
3aerg argue.pv.recip.pl 3apabl who rel.strong.comp.dep if.all
They argued about which of them was stronger
Dependent indicative aun clauses can also take the ablative case ending -u. Ablative aun clauses occur in
comparative constructions (7.6), where they express the standard of comparison, especially when making
comparisons of manner or amount. Typically the aun clause contains a correlative such as miai how, mian
how much, miante how many. As example (10.71) shows, the verb may be omitted from the aun clause
when it is the same as the verb in the main clause.
(10.69) Ma
akut
halma anihte
uktiama
ikune miante
moituha
aunu
1serg 2pdat book as:many give.ipv.dpl 2pall how:many get.want.dep if.abl
Ill give you as many books as you want (lit. ... as how many you want to get)
(10.70) Imem halma anohte he
miante
ekpyipa
aunu
1sinst book more
be:ipv how:many carry.able.dep if.abl
I have more books than I can carry (lit. ... than how many are carryable)
(10.71) Na
ueho ifei
sepyit
ikima miain
aunu
3aerg wine as:much.dat drink.pv.pl 12erg how:much.dat if.abl
They drank as much wine as we did (lit. ... as how much we [drank])
Finally, aun can take the instrumental case ending -me. As shown below, aunme can select a dependent
indicative complement to form a temporal (when) clause, or a conditional (if, whenever) clause expressing
a general precondition for some event. Alternatively, aunme can select a dependent subjunctive complement
to form a conditional (if) clause expressing a hypothetical or counterfactual condition. When introduced
by an aunme clause, the main clause often includes the particle temai then. (Note that aunme clauses
have many of the same functions as participial clauses, discussed in 10.3.)

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(10.72) S`
u kahpa
aunme, me
mokna
teha
rain fall.dep if.inst 1snom home.loc stay.ipv
When(ever) it rains, I stay at home or If it rains...
(10.73) Elohfoi
s`
u
ekahpi
aunme, me
temai mokna
teha
tomorrow rain sbj.fall.dep:sbj if.inst 1snom then home.loc stay.ipv
If it rains tomorrow, then Ill stay at home
(10.74) S`
u ekahpi
aunme, me
mokna
tehike
rain sbj.fall.dep:sbj if.inst 1snom home.loc stay.cond
If it rained, I would stay at home
(10.75) Elohka
s`
u
iokahpi
aunme, me
mokna
utehike
yesterday rain sbj:pf.fall.dep:sbj if.inst 1snom home.loc pf.stay.cond
If it had rained yesterday, I would have stayed at home
When an indicative aunme clause contains an indefinite/interrogative correlative, it functions as a type of
adverbial clause known as an adjunct free relative. Adjunct free relatives in English are introduced by
a wh-element suffixed with -ever (whoever, whatever, whenever, etc.). The main clause often contains
a pronoun or demonstrative correlative (see 6.7.2) which refers back to the proposition expressed by the
aunme clause.
(10.76) Na
m`
a
sukata
aunme, na
etsuali
lehuat
3aerg what:nom do.dep.pl if.inst 3aerg sbj.careful.dep:sbj should.ipv.pl
Whatever they do, they should be careful
more lit. When(ever) they do something, they should be careful
(10.77) Ku
miei
eta
aunme, tiei
husu man
eta
2nom where.dat go.dep if.inst there.dat also 1snom go.ipv
Wherever you go, I will go there too
more lit. When(ever) you go somewhere, I will go there too
(10.78) Hitolna
mi`
o
auotiohta
aunme, hi
in`
a
muke
eskuke
door.loc who:nom rel.close.comp.dep if.inst 3inom 3aerg close.cv please
Whoever is closest to the door, please close it
more lit. When(ever) someone is closest to the door, will that (person) please close it
The verb hutopa depend on, be based on, be linked with often selects an aunme clause:
(10.79) Soniokt`e
hutopa
mioi
nesapa aunme
answer.nom depend.ipv who.dat ask.dep if.inst
The answer depends on who one asks
Aunme clauses can include a quantifier, such as ante many, sepyi a few, tsomote most, etc., which
quantifies over the set of events or cases denoted by the clause. When a quantifier is present, it follows aun
and carries the case ending. The following combinations are particularly common:
aun
aun
aun
aun
Examples:

anteme
ikyime
sepyime
tsomoteme

often when, in many cases when/where

always when, whenever
sometimes when, in some cases when/where
usually when, in most cases when/where

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277

(10.80) Sakialma
ueho sepa
aun tsomoteme, ne
munteta
Sakial.erg wine drink.dep if
most.inst 3aabs drunk.tinc.ipv
When Sakial drinks wine, he usually gets drunk
more lit. In most (cases) when Sakial drinks wine, he gets drunk
(10.81) Ma
imuelhta
aun sepyime, iman opa
lohan ul`
a
1serg prg.sleep.tinc.dep if
some.inst 1sloc believe.ipv voice hear:res.dep.nom
Sometimes when Im going to sleep, I think (I can) hear voices
Note finally that, in addition to combining with a dependent clause, aunme can follow a noun phrase
(unmarked for case) to mark that noun phrase as a contrastive topic. The contrastive topic construction is
used to introduce a new (or newly relevant) participant into the discourse, and is more or less equivalent to
English as for X or as far as X is concerned:
(10.82) Elim aunme, na
peutoksa
kim
nioktutaua
Elim if.inst 3aerg wait.must.ipv 12nom return.dep:sbj.pl.all
As for Elim, he will have to wait for us to return
Clauses with alh
Like aun, alh is a nominal element which normally selects a dependent clause as its complement. Unlike aun,
which can appear in various cases, alh always takes the instrumental ending -me. When alhme combines with
a dependent clause in the indicative mood, the result is a concessive clause, equivalent to a clause headed
by although, (even) though, or despite (the fact that). The main clause often includes the contrastive
particle anin still, nevertheless, even so.
(10.83) Hi
teusu lhutata
alhme,
anin tekelhyipankat
iman
3inom very heavy.dep.pl though.inst still pick:up.able.ipv:pst.pl 1sloc
Although theyre quite heavy, I was still able to pick (them) up
(10.84) Mi
Motl`
a
motsokuo
alhme,
in`e
han
iona
iman
1sdat Motla.nom neg.pf.meet.dep:neg though.inst 3aall much know.ipv 1sloc
Even though Ive never met Motla, I know a lot about him
When the alhme clause includes an indefinite correlative (6.7.1), it usually corresponds to an indirect
question introduced by despite, in spite of or no matter:
(10.85) Ikuna m`
a
opa
alhme,
suklute
ntsemiai nukano
2ploc what:nom believe.dep though.inst work.nom not:so
dangerous.ipv:neg
Despite what you think, the work is not so dangerous
(10.86) Na
miampi
nika
alhme,
na
manamuohto
3aerg how:much try.dep though.inst 3aerg neg.succeed.ipv:neg
No matter how hard she tries, she wont succeed
When the dependent verb is in the subjunctive mood, the alhme clause is interpreted as a concessive
conditional, corresponding to a clause with even if or whether (or not). Sometimes the alhme clause
contains two predicates combined using the repeated coordinator lo or, as in (10.88) and (10.89) below.
Here, the concessive clause indicates that the choice among alternative situations makes no difference to the
situation denoted by the main clause.
(10.87) Na
hampi ioiespi
alhme,
nesaip
mosonioktyipoike
3aerg much sbj:pf.study.dep:sbj though.inst question.dat neg.pf.answer.able.cond:neg
Even if he had studied hard, (he) would not have been able to answer the question

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(10.88) Lo s`
u
ekahpi
lo aho elaini
alhme, topuole
elohfoi
nkilha
or rain sbj.fall.dep:sbj or sun sbj.shine.dep:sbj though ship.nom tomorrow leave.ipv
Whether it rains or shines, the ship will depart tomorrow
(10.89) Ikoi lo euokfi
lo ntsune alhme,
hi
anin sukoksa
2all or sbj.want.dep:sbj or not
though.inst 3inom still do.must.ipv
Whether you want to or not, (you) still have to do it
Finally, like aunme, alhme can combine with an unmarked noun phrase in place of a dependent clause, in
which case it corresponds to English in spite of or notwithstanding:
(10.90) S`
u alhme,
otieuni
seuki tifoksa
hial`
o
rain though.inst garden.dat weed remove.must.ipv today
In spite of the rain, (we) need to weed the garden today

10.2.4

Restructuring: Bare dependent complements of verbs

As discussed in 4.4.1, a number of Class I verbs can take a dependent clause as their nominative argument.
These include verbs like otsena be likely, where the dependent clause is headed by a verb in the subjunctive
mood. In the examples below, etok`e consists of etoki (the dependent subjunctive form of toka fix), plus the
nominative case ending -e; ietok`e and iotok`e are the progressive and perfect forms, respectively. As these
examples show, dependent clauses in the nominative are normally postposed after the verb that selects them
(cf. 9.2.3).
(10.91) Otsena
Elimma
mutoi
etok`e
likely.ipv Elim.erg fence.dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj.nom
It is likely that Elim will fix the fence
(10.92) Otsena
Elimma
mutoi
ietok`e
likely.ipv Elim.erg fence.dat sbj:prg.fix.dep:sbj.nom
It is likely that Elim is fixing the fence
(10.93) Otsena
Elimma
mutoi
iotok`e
likely.ipv Elim.erg fence.dat sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj.nom
It is likely that Elim has fixed the fence
An alternative to this construction is shown below. Here, the dependent subjunctive verb and its dependents
immediately precede otsena, and the dependent verb is not marked for nominative case, but appears instead
in its bare form, without any case marking (e.g., etoki instead of etok`e ).
(10.94) Elimma
mutoi
etoki
otsena
Elim.erg fence.dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj likely.ipv
Elim is likely to fix the fence
(10.95) Elimma
mutoi
ietoki
otsena
Elim.erg fence.dat sbj:prg.fix.dep:sbj likely.ipv
Elim is likely to be fixing the fence
(10.96) Elimma
mutoi
iotoki
otsena
Elim.erg fence.dat sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj likely.ipv
Elim is likely to have fixed the fence

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279

In this construction, the selecting verb and the dependent verb form a kind of complex predicate heading a
single clause, a phenomenon known as restructuring. Here the selecting verb rather than the dependent
verb carries the tense and mood inflection for the clause, and can also take other morphology available to
Class I predicatese.g., it can inflect for the comparative/superlative degree (see 7.6), as in (10.98) below.
(10.97) Elimma
mutoi
etoki
otsenanka
Elim.erg fence.dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj likely.ipv:pst
Elim was likely to fix the fence
(10.98) Elimma
mutoi
etoki
auotsenohta
im`
o
Elim.erg fence.dat sbj.fix.dep:sbj rel.likely.comp.ipv 1sabl
Elim is more likely than me to fix the fence
Crucially in restructuring, the arguments and modifiers of the dependent verb behave as part of the main
clause. Consequently, the predicate as whole can be thought of as inheriting its argument structure properties
from the dependent verb. For instance, although otsena be likely belongs to Class I, etoki otsena be likely
to fix behaves as a Class III predicate because toka fix is a Class III verb. One piece of evidence to show
that the arguments of the dependent verb are part of the main clause comes from number agreement (cf.
7.2): if one of the core arguments of the dependent verb is plural, the number agreement suffixes attach
not to the dependent verb itself, but to the verb that selects it:
(10.99) Elimma
mutoi
iotoki
otsenama
Elim.erg fence.dat sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj likely.ipv.dpl
Elim is likely to have fixed the fences
(10.100) Elim ka Sakialma
mutoi
iotoki
otsenamat
Elim and Sakial.erg fence.dat sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj likely.ipv.dpl.pl
Elim and Sakial are likely to have fixed the fences
Compare (10.99) and (10.100) with the non-restructuring examples below, where otsena takes a (postposed)
dependent subjunctive clause complement in the nominative case. Here the plural noun phrases are properly
part of the dependent clause, and number agreement shows up on the dependent verb rather than on otsena:
(10.101) Otsena
Elimma
mutoi
iotokim`
a
likely.ipv Elim.erg fence.dat sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj.dpl.nom
It is likely that Elim has fixed the fences
(10.102) Otsena
Elim ka Sakialma
mutoi
iotokimat`
a
likely.ipv Elim and Sakial.erg fence.dat sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj.dpl.pl.nom
It is likely that Elim and Sakial have fixed the fences
An additional piece of evidence for restructuring comes from the fact that a verb and its bare dependent
complement can act as a single unit in the formation of a participant nominal (see 10.6), with participant
nominal morphology appearing on the selecting verb. Compare:
(10.103) Elimma
iotokil
mutu
Elim.erg sbj:pf.fix.dep.dnzr fence
(the) fence that Elim has/had fixed
(10.104) Elimma
iotoki
otsenal
mutu
Elim.erg sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj likely.dep.dnzr fence
(the) fence that Elim is/was likely to have fixed

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(10.105) mutoi
utokaka
koin
fence.dat pf.fix.dep.anzr person
(the) person who has/had fixed the fence
(10.106) mutoi
iotoki
otsenaka
koin
fence.dat sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj likely.dep.anzr person
(the) person who is/was likely to have fixed the fence
There are two possible ways to negate a clause containing a restructuring predicate: either the clause as
a whole can be negated, including the selecting verb, or just the dependent verb can be negated. When
just the dependent verb is negated, the negative marker ntse attaches to it as a prefix (m-) if the two are
adjacent. This is illustrated in (10.107). When the entire clause is negated, both verbs inflect for negative
polarity; the negative marker ntse again precedes the dependent verb, but does not attach to it as a prefix,
even when the two are adjacent. This is illustrated in (10.108). Notice how these sentences are translated,
reflecting a subtle difference in interpretation: in the latter sentence negation scopes over likely to have
fixed, while in the former sentence it only scopes over to have fixed.
(10.107) Elimma
mutoi
miotokoi
otsena
Elim.erg fence.dat neg.sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj:neg likely.ipv
Elim is likely not to have fixed the fence
(10.108) Elimma
mutoi
ntse iotokoi
otseno
Elim.erg fence.dat neg sbj:pf.fix.dep:sbj:neg likely.ipv:neg
Elim is not likely to have fixed the fence
Verbs like otsena, which can select a bare dependent subjunctive verb to form a restructuring predicate, all
belong to Class I. They include the modal verbs, listed below (see 7.7.2 for additional discussion). The
glosses give the most literal English equivalents of each verb, while more idiomatic translations are given in
parentheses.
alha
aniohta
etaupa
ksafa
kuia
lehua
lyihpa
okfa
tima
tiuha
toupa

be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be

allowed, permissible (can, may, be allowed to)

better, preferable (better, it would be better/best if...)
predicted (be supposed to)
desired, wished for (want to, wish for)
certain, definite (be sure)
advisable (should, ought to, be supposed to)
possible (can, may, might)
desired/desirable (want)
likely, common (tend to; be liable to)
necessary, needed (need to, have to, must)
presumable, apparent (must)

Examples:
(10.109) S`
u ekahpi
etaupa
elohfoi
rain sbj.fall.dep:sbj predicted.ipv tomorrow
Its supposed to rain tomorrow
(10.110) Ne
hatlam etioki
kuia
3anom soon
sbj.die.dep:sbj certain.ipv
He is certain to die soon
(10.111) Ma
kielna
iotupi
toupa
1serg dream.loc sbj:pf.walk.dep:sbj must.ipv
I must have been dreaming (lit. walking in a dream)

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281

(10.112) Ko
kaine halma atat
etali
lehuamat
mo
2erg first book these:dat sbj.read.dep:sbj advisable.ipv.dpl.pl in:my:opinion
I think you (pl) should read these books first
The following examples, featuring tiuha be necessary, show how the placement of negation affects the
interpretation of sentences with modal predicates. When the entire sentence is negated, the meaning is not
have to, but when only the dependent verb is negated, the meaning is must not. A more literal translation
of (10.114) would be For you it is not necessary to leave now, while (10.115) may be paraphrased For you
it is necessary to not leave now.
(10.113) Ikune takan enkilhi
tiuha
2pall now sbj.leave.dep:sbj necessary.ipv
You (pl) must leave now
(10.114) Ikune ntse takan enkilhoi
tiuho
2pall neg now sbj.leave.dep:sbj:neg necessary.ipv:neg
You (pl) dont have to leave now
(10.115) Ikune takan menkilhoi
tiuha
2pall now neg.sbj.leave.dep:sbj:neg necessary.ipv
You (pl) must not leave now
The following examples further illustrate the interaction between modal verbs and negation in restructuring
predicates:
ntse enkilhoi alho
ntse enkilhoi lyihpo
ntse ionkilhoi toupo

not allowed to leave

cant leave
cant have left

menkilhoi alha
menkilhoi lyihpa
mionkilhoi toupa

allowed not to leave

might not leave
must not have left

Other Class I verbs which form restructuring predicates are listed below. Most of these are the resultative
forms of dynamic perception verbs such as kila see, notice, ola hear, etc., to which the relative prefix ahas been added (see 7.5.1 for more on the resultative aspect, and 7.6 for more on the relative marker).
akula
aloihtsa
amaihtla
aseifa
auoita
auola
iala
koluma
malha
tiapa
tiyla
tuosa

look, appear
smell
taste
feel (to the touch)
feel, seem
sound
know how
be difficult
be worthwhile, worth (doing)
be easy
seem, appear
its time that... (lit. be ripe)

Examples:
(10.116) Mase
hampi eiahenki
ialoihtsa
soup.nom very
sbj.rel.enjoyable.dep:sbj prg.rel.smell:res.ipv
The soup smells very good
(10.117) Halma tan
iman emutli
teusu koluma
book
this:nom 1sloc sbj.understand.dep:sbj very difficult.ipv
This book is very difficult for me to understand

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(10.118) Mo
Motl`
a
empekamna
akile,
inan
iekesti
tiylanka
1srdat Motla.nom most:recently pv.see.pt 3asloc sbj:prg.happy.dep:sbj seem.ipv:pst
The last time I saw Motla, he seemed to be happy
(10.119) Kim
enkilhi
ituosat
12nom sbj.leave.dep:sbj prg.be:time.ipv.pl
Its time for us to leave
(10.120) Halma tan
etali
malha
book
this:nom sbj.read.dep:sbj worthwhile.ipv
This book is worth reading
The verb iala have, be responsible for normally combines with a noun phrase complement and denotes
inalienable possession (e.g., Sakialu suhpa iala Sakial has a brother). However, iala can also combine with
a bare dependent subjunctive complement, in which case it means know how. The individual who possesses
the knowledge is referenced by a noun phrase in the ablative case:
(10.121) Sakialu
etali
tena esiehpi
iala
Sakial.abl sbj.read.dep:sbj and sbj.write.dep:sbj have.ipv
Sakial knows how to read and write
As with other restructuring predicates, either the selecting verb or the dependent verb can be negated,
depending on the scope of negation. Compare the following examples, where the second and third sentences
differ subtly in meaning:
(10.122) Ikun
ytapi
ekesti
iakula
2sloc certainly sbj.happy.dep:sbj prg.rel.look.ipv
You certainly look happy
(10.123) Ikun
ytapi
ntse ekestoi
iakulo
2sloc certainly neg sbj.happy.dep:sbj prg.rel.look.ipv:neg
You certainly dont look happy
(10.124) Ikun
ytapi
mekestoi
iakula
2sloc certainly neg.sbj.happy.dep:sbj:neg prg.rel.look.ipv
You certainly look unhappy
Note that restructuring predicates like ekesti akula look happy are somewhat formal. A more colloquial
alternative would be to use a stative verb preceded by an unmarked noun denoting an abstract quality: e.g.,
akiel kesta, literally be happy (in) appearance. Compare the pairs of sentences below, where the second
sentence in each pair is the more common variant:
(10.125) Ohu`e
eseimi
amaihtla
fruit.nom sbj.sweet.dep:sbj rel.taste:res.ipv
The fruit tastes sweet
(10.126) Ohu`e
amahtle seima
fruit.nom flavour sweet.ipv
The fruit tastes sweet (lit. is sweet in flavour)
(10.127) Elime
ehakti
iakula
hial`
o
Elim.nom sbj.tired.dep:sbj prg.rel.look.ipv today
Elim is looking tired today

10.3. PARTICIPIAL CLAUSES

283

(10.128) Elime
akiel
ihakta
hial`
o
Elim.nom appearance prg.tired.ipv today
Elim is looking tired today (lit. is tired in appearance)
(10.129) Sakialna
ehotsmi
iauola
Sakial.loc sbj.angry.dep:sbj prg.rel.sound.ipv
Sakial sounds angry
(10.130) Sakialna
aule
ihotsma
Sakial.loc sound prg.angry.ipv
Sakial sounds angry (lit. is angry in sound)
Finally, evaluative Class I verbs like henka be enjoyable and huata be appreciated can take a bare dependent subjunctive complement denoting a type of activity. The experiencer is expressed by a noun phrase in
the allative case.
(10.131) Im`e
esihpi
henka
1sall sbj.swim.dep:sbj enjoyable.ipv
I like to swim

10.3

Participial clauses

The term participial clause refers to a type of subordinate clause in Okuna headed by a participle.
Participles are untensed verbs marked with one of a set of special suffixes, listed and discussed below. A
participial clause acts as an adjunct, and names an event or state of affairs which provides the temporal
or logical context for the event or state of affairs denoted by the main clause. In discourse-functional
terms, participial clauses express background (presupposed or scene-setting) information, while main clauses
generally express foregrounded (asserted) information. In narratives, for example, the sequence of events
which constitutes the plot line is encoded by a succession of main clauses, while participial clauses serve to
clarify, modify, or set the scene for events in the plot line. Put another way, the main clauses describe what
happened, while participial clauses describe when it happened or under what conditions.
Consider the following example, where Elimma imuelhe is the participial clause (marked by the suffix
-e on the verb), and Sakiale moktyi is the main clause. Here the participial clause provides context for the
main clause by expressing an event which was ongoing at the time when the main clause event occurred.
(10.132) Elimma
imuelhe
Sakiale
moktyi
Elim.erg prg.sleep.pt Sakial.nom come:home.pv
While Elim was sleeping, Sakial came home
Participles are formed by adding an ending on the verb stem, which replaces the tense/aspect/mood/polarity
endings found in main clauses (cf. 7.4). Like verbs in the dependent form (10.2), participles make a twoway mood distinction between indicative and subjunctive, with separate endings in each mood for positive
and negative participles. Participles also take the same aspectual prefixes found on verbs in the dependent
indicative form (regardless of whether the particle is indicative or subjunctive): progressive i-, perfect u-,
and perfective a-, with the imperfect marked by the absence of an aspect prefix on the participle.
The endings for forming participles are listed in the table below, together with the abbreviations used for
these endings in the glosses. Note that -u becomes -o when preceded by a glide: e.g., m.o.pau.u > mopauo
not having washed.

indicative participle
subjunctive participle

positive
-e/-i (pt)
-ai
(pt:sbj)

-u
-au

negative
(pt:neg)
(pt:sbj:neg)

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Participles agree in number with their subjects and objects, with plural number agreement marked by suffixes
that follow the participial ending. These suffixes are the same as the ones used for verbs in main clauses (see
discussion in 7.2). The complete set of number agreement forms for the participles is given in the following
table. As this table shows, the positive indicative ending, which otherwise takes the form -e, surfaces as -i
when preceded and followed by a consonant.
pt
pt:neg
pt:sbj
pt:sbj:neg

sg
-e
-u
-ai
-au

pl
-it
-ut
-ait
-aut

npl
-eua
-oua
-aia
-aua

npl+pl
-euat
-ouat
-aiat
-auat

dpl
-ima
-uma
-aima
-auma

dpl+pl
-imat
-umat
-aimat
-aumat

epl
-ine
-une
-aine
-aune

epl+pl
-init
-unit
-ainit
-aunit

Participles can also take the reciprocal suffix -(u)o, either by itself or in combination with the plural topic
suffix -t (see 9.4.4 for more on reciprocal clauses):
pt
pt:neg
pt:sbj
pt:sbj:neg

recip
-euo
-ouo
-aio
-auo

recip+pl
-euot
-ouot
-aiot
-auot

The copula he (9.3.1) has an irregular conjugation. The participial forms for the copula are listed below. As
discussed in 7.4.1, the copula makes only a two-way aspectual distinction, between imperfect and perfect,
and can host the agreement suffixes -t (plural topic) and -(u)a (nominative plural).

pt
pt:neg
pt:sbj
pt:sbj:neg

sg
hi
hu
hai
hau

imperfect
pl
npl
hit
heia
hut
houa
hait
haia
haut haua

sg
heue
heuo
heuai
heuau

perfect
pl
heuet
heuot
heuait
heuaut

npl
heueia
heuoua
heuaia
heuaua

The deictic verbs ts`

a be here (near me) and k`
a be here/there (near us/you) (5.3.2) also form their
participles irregularly. The table below gives the imperfect participles for ts`
a and k`
a ; the prefixes i- and
u- are added to these forms to give the corresponding progressive and perfect participles, respectively. For
these verbs, the indicative participles and their subjunctive counterparts are homophonous.

pt
pt:neg
pt:sbj
pt:sbj:neg

sg
tsai
tsau
tsai
tsau

pl
tsait
tsaut
tsait
tsaut

npl
tsaia
tsaua
tsaia
tsaua

sg
kai
kau
kai
kau

pl
kait
kaut
kait
kaut

npl
kaia
kaua
kaia
kaua

Indicative participial clauses generally express a temporal context (when/while) or the presupposed cause or
reason for the event denoted by the main clause (because/since/given that). Subjunctive participial clauses
express a hypothetical condition on which the event in the main clause depends, making them functionally
equivalent to conditional (if) clauses. Indicative participles are discussed and illustrated further in 10.3.1,
while subjunctive participles are dealt with in 10.3.2.

10.3.1

Indicative participles

As noted above, indicative participles are formed by adding the suffix -e (or -i between two consonants) to
the verb stem when the clause is positive, and -u when the clause is negative. The indicative participial form
may be unprefixed, or it may carry the progressive prefix i-, the perfect prefix u-, or the perfective prefix a-.

10.3. PARTICIPIAL CLAUSES

285

Examples of indicative participial clauses are given here (formed from na muelha s/he sleeps, na muelhat
they sleep), while the functions of the different aspectual forms are discussed below.
na
na
na
na

muelhe
imuelhe
umuelhe
amuelhe

when s/he sleeps

while s/he is/was sleeping
once s/he has/had slept
when s/he slept

na
na
na
na

mamuelhu
memuelhu
momuelhu
mamuelhu

when s/he doesnt sleep

without him/her sleeping
without him/her having slept
when s/he didnt sleep

na
na
na
na

muelhit
imuelhit
umuelhit
amuelhit

when they sleep

while they are/were sleeping
once they have/had slept
when they slept

na
na
na
na

mamuelhut
memuelhut
momuelhut
mamuelhut

when they dont sleep

without them sleeping
without them having slept
when they didnt sleep

The progressive participle

Progressive participles generally express an event which is or was ongoing, or a state of affairs which is/was
in effect, at the time when the event denoted by the main clause takes place. The following examples show
a progressive participial clause juxtaposed with a main clause in the perfective aspect. As the glosses for
these sentences indicate, progressive participial clauses are typically translated using a subordinate clause
with while (Okuna also has other ways of forming while clauses, as discussed in 10.2.1 and 10.2.2, but
these are less common). The participial clause and the main clause may occur in either order, though it is
most common for the participial clause to precede the main clause.
(10.133) Elimma
imuelhe
Sakiale
moktyi
Elim.erg prg.sleep.pt Sakial.nom come:home.pv
While Elim was sleeping, Sakial came home
(10.134) Sakialma
kamala
ikpihe
no
utsape
tloke
tlelhyi
Sakial.erg knife.all prg.search.pt 3ardat pf.lose.tnzr shoe.nom find.pv
While Sakial was looking for a/the knife, he found the shoe that (he) had lost
Below, a progressive participial clause is juxtaposed with a main clause in the imperfect or progressive aspect.
Notice that how the participial clause is translated (with is asleep versus was asleep) depends on whether
the main clause is in the past tense or the non-past tense. The participle itself does not show any tense
distinctions.
(10.135) Elimma
imuelhe
ma
suka
Elim.erg prg.sleep.pt 1serg work.ipv
While Elim is asleep, I (will) work
(10.136) Elimma
imuelhe
ma
isuka
Elim.erg prg.sleep.pt 1serg prg.work.ipv
I am working while Elim sleeps / is asleep
(10.137) Elimma
imuelhe
ma
isukanka
Elim.erg prg.sleep.pt 1serg prg.work.ipv:pst
I was working while Elim slept / was asleep
Progressive participial clauses can also correspond to bare participial modifiers in English, especially when
they share a referent with the main clause:
(10.138) Mikale
halou
kiompe suhyi
ihise
boy.nom room.abl run.cv go:out.pv prg.cry.pt
The boy ran out of the room crying

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

In the examples presented above, the participle is an eventive (Class II or Class III) verb. Stative (Class
I) verbs can also form progressive participles, expressing a condition or state of affairs holding at the time
when the main clause event occurs. Stative progressive participles often correspond to secondary predicates
in English:
(10.139) Sakiale
moktyi
muohpi
iahakte
Sakial.nom come:home.pv completely prg.rel.tired.pt
Sakial came home completely exhausted
A progressive participle is often used to express a situation involving two or more actions performed together,
where English would be more likely to use two tensed predicates or clauses conjoined with and:
(10.140) Lhatima
iohnit
hostyit
children.erg prg.sing.pt.pl dance.pv.pl
The children sang and danced (lit. danced while singing)
Although progressive participial clauses usually provide a temporal context for the event denoted by the
main clause, they can also express the cause, reason, or rationale for that event:
(10.141) Sakialna
teusu iekone,
na
iase maha
ekpihtyi
Sakial.loc very prg.hungry.pt 3aerg food some.all search.tinc.pv
Sakial being very hungry, he began to look for something to eat
or Since/given that Sakial (was) very hungry...
Notice that when the main clause and the participial clause share a referent, any full noun phrase which
picks out that referent will appear in the first clause, regardless of whether it is the participial clause or the
main clause. In the second clause, that referent will be picked out by the appropriate pronoun. Compare
the following sentences, which have the same meaning, but with the order of the participial clause and the
main clause reversed: in each case the noun iha woman occurs in the first clause, while the second clause
contains a clitic pronoun which refers to the same referent.
(10.142) Ihama
kop`
o
inakpe
ne
haloi
lhyuyi
woman.erg pot.nom prg.carry:in:hands.pt room.dat 3anom enter.pv
The woman, carrying the pot, came into the room
more lit. While the woman (was) carrying a pot, she came into the room
(10.143) Ih`
a
haloi
lhyuyi
na
kop`
o
inakpe
woman.nom room.dat enter.pf 3aerg pot.nom prg.carry:in:hands.pt
The woman came into the room carrying a pot
more lit. The woman came into the room while she (was) carrying a pot
When the progressive participial clause is negated, it may be translated into English using a without clause:
(10.144) Ne
euolhna
euohtanka
inme
meksonu
3anom there.loc prg.sit.ipv:pst 3aerg.1snom neg.prg.look:at.pt:neg
He sat there without looking at me or He sat there, not looking at me
The progressive participle is also used in the construction illustrated below, where the participial clause
is introduced by the conjunction ka and, such that. Here the participial clause provides background
information about one of the entities mentioned in the preceding clause. In the English counterpart of this
sentence, the noun in question is modified by a non-restrictive (or appositional) relative clause.
(10.145) Me
Uilumai
etyi, ka itan
amema
kas
ulhmo antei
itsuhpe
1snom Uiluma.dat go.pv and 3iloc mother.erg so:far year
many.dat prg.live.pt
I went to Uiluma, where my mother has been living for many years
more lit. I went to Uiluma, and in it (my) mother living for many years

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287

Finally, note the examples below. Here Okuna uses a progressive participle construction where English would
employ a preposition or subordinating conjunction. The progressive participial form of tiyla seem (which
in turn selects a dependent subjunctive clause marked for nominative case) is the equivalent of as if or as
though. In addition, without, when used of an instrument, can be expressed using a negative participial
clause headed by a verb like nyipa use.
(10.146) Na
im`e
kuhinie
etyi,
itiyle
inan
mi
ekahtihp`e
3aerg 1sall dirty:look put.pf prg.seem.pt 3asloc 1sdat sbj.hit.intend.dep:sbj.nom
She glared at me as though she intended to hit me
more lit. She gave me a dirty look, (it) seeming that she intended to hit me
(10.147) Ama
eiasoksanka
ntse taus
inyipu
3idat.1serg prg.eat.must.ipv:pst neg spoon prg.use.pt:neg
I had to eat it without a spoon (lit. not using a spoon)
The perfect participle
As with progressive participial clauses, a perfect participial clause typically provides a temporal context for
the clause it modifies. When the perfect participle is used, the contextualizing event properly precedes the
main event, rather than overlapping with it, as in the case of the progressive participle. As the examples
below illustrate, the main clause can refer to a past or non-past event or state. In either case, the perfect
participle expresses an event/state which properly precedes it. A perfect participial clause is often used
where English would employ a subordinate clause with when, once, or after.
(10.148) Sakiale
umokte
sa
sati iasyit
Sakial.nom pf.come:home.pt 13erg meal eat.pv.pl
Sakial having come home, we ate dinner or After Sakial had come home...
(10.149) Sakiale
umokte
sa
sati iasat
Sakial.nom pf.come:home.pt 13erg meal eat.ipv.pl
When Sakial comes home, we will eat dinner or Once Sakial has come home...
Sometimes there is an implied cause-and-effect relation between the two clauses, where the perfect participial
clause describes an event which acts as a necessary precondition to the event denoted by the main clause:
(10.150) Ihama
ahotsine tlule
uoslit,
homai
pusuktyit
woman.erg corn.nom grind.cv pf.finish.pt.pl bread.dat make.tinc.pv.pl
The women having finished grinding the corn, (they) began to make the bread
or Since the women had finished grinding the corn...
When the perfect participle is negated, as in the examples below, the participial clause is roughly equivalent
to a before, without, or until clause in English, depending on the tense/aspect and polarity of the main
clause:
(10.151) Sakiale
ntsuta umoktu
sa
sati iasyit
Sakial.nom not:yet pf.come:home.pt:neg 13erg meal eat.pv.pl
Before Sakial got home, we ate dinner (lit. Sakial having not yet come home...)
(10.152) Sakiale
momoktu
sa
ntse sati iasot
Sakial.nom neg.pf.come:home.pt:neg 13erg neg meal eat.ipv:neg.pl
Until Sakial comes home, we wont eat dinner
or We wont eat dinner without Sakial having (first) come home

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As with progressive participial clauses, perfect participial clauses may be introduced by the conjunction ka
and, such that, as in the example below. Here the participial clause provides background information about
one of the participants mentioned in the main clausespecifically, by mentioning an event involving that
participant which had occurred at some point prior to the event in the main clause:
(10.153) Ma
Elimme
laisne etsampyi,
ka nami
ntsemihka
usasu
1serg Elim.inst just
say.act.pv and 3anom.1sdat never:before pf.meet.pt:neg
I just spoke to Elim, who I had never met before
lit. I just spoke with Elim, and I never having met him before
The imperfect participle
The imperfect participle is marked by the absence of an aspectual prefix on the verb. It is similar in meaning
to a progressive participle, but is used when the participial clause denotes a generic or habitual event, a
future event, or a permanent or integral property of an individual. A participial clause in the imperfect
nearly always correspond to an English when or since clause with the verb in the simple present, or (when
expressing a cause or reason) a bare participial modifier.
(10.154) Sakiale
mokte
sa
sati iasat
Sakial.nom come:home.pt 13erg meal eat.ipv.pl
When Sakial gets home, we (will) eat dinner
(10.155) Sakiale
nase,
te
in`
a
kot`
a
ekpi
lehuaua
Sakial.nom strong.pt foc 3aerg brick.nom sbj.carry.dep:sbj should.npl
Since Sakial is strong, he should be the one to carry the bricks or Sakial being strong...
The perfective participle
The perfective participle is marked by the prefix a-. Perfective participial clauses normally combine with a
main clause in the past progressive or the past perfect, as shown below. Here the participial clause provides
a temporal context for the main clause by identifying a (usually punctual) event which occurred while the
main clause event was ongoing. Normally the perfective participial clause may be translated into English
using a when clause in the simple past.
(10.156) Ma
Uilumana
itsuhpanka
Motl`
a
atioke
1serg Uiluma.loc prg.live.ipv:pst Motla.nom pv.die.pt
I was living in Uiluma when Motla died
(10.157) Uta
aho ukahpanka
lakiak`
a
paloi
anioktit
already sun pf.descend.ipv:pst hunter.nom village.dat pv.return.pt.pl
The sun had already set when the hunters returned to the village
Note also the following example, where the perfective participial clause is introduced by ka and, such that.
Here the participial clause names a (single) past event which provides background or identifying information
on one of the individuals named in the main clause.
(10.158) Sakial, ka nima
ukoi
laisne asotsokue,
ne
mo
suhpa
Sakial and 3anom.1serg 2srdat just
pv.introduce.pt 3anom 1srdat brother
Sakial, who I just introduced to you, is my brother
more lit. Sakial, and I having just introduced him to you, he is my brother
As a final illustration of the indicative participial construction, compare the examples below. These sentences
describe the same temporal relation between two events, but differ in which event is expressed by the main
clause and which event is expressed by the participial clause:

10.3. PARTICIPIAL CLAUSES

289

(10.159) Sakiale
moktyi
Elimma
imuelhe
Sakial.nom come:home.pv Elim.erg prg.sleep.pt
Sakial came home while Elim was sleeping
(10.160) Elimma
imuelhanka
Sakiale
amokte
Elim.erg prg.sleep.ipf:pst Sakial.nom pv.come:home.pt
Elim was sleeping when Sakial came home

10.3.2

Subjunctive participles

The subjunctive participle is formed by adding the suffix -ai to the verb stem when the clause is positive, and
-au when the clause is negative. Like indicative participles, subjunctive participles may be unprefixed, or
may carry the progressive prefix i-, the perfect prefix u-, or the perfective prefix a-. Examples of subjunctive
participial inflection are given below (na muelha s/he sleeps):
na
na
na
na

muelhai
imuelhai
umuelhai
amuelhai

if
if
if
if

s/he
s/he
s/he
s/he

sleeps
is/was sleeping
has/had slept
slept

na
na
na
na

mamuelhau
memuelhau
momuelhau
mamuelhau

unless
unless
unless
unless

s/he
s/he
s/he
s/he

sleeps
is/was sleeping
has/had slept
slept

Clauses headed by a subjunctive participle denote a precondition for the event denoted by the main clause
that is, a hypothetical state of affairs which must be realized in order for the main event to occur. Subjunctive
participial clauses thus correspond roughly to conditional (if) or means (by) clauses in English. (For other
ways of forming conditional clauses in Okuna, see 10.2.1 and 10.2.3.)
(10.161) Ko
kamala
kotuna
ekpihai,
tiena
etlelhi
otsena
2erg knife.all house.loc search.pt:sbj there.loc sbj.find.dep:sbj likely.ipv
If you look for your knife in the house, (you) are likely to find it there
or By looking for your knife in the house...
(10.162) S`
u ikahpai,
me
mokna
utehike
rain prg.fall.pt:sbj 1snom home.loc pf.stay.cond
Had it been raining, I would have stayed at home
(10.163) Ko
kamala
kotuna
ukpihai,
tiena
utlelhike
2erg knife.all house.loc pf.search.pt:sbj there.loc pf.find.cond
If you had looked for your knife in the house, (you) would have found it there
As the following examples illustrate, how the participial clause is translated depends on the tense (non-past
versus past) and mood (indicative versus conditional) of the verb in the main clause:
(10.164) Me
ihaktai,
ma
muelha
1snom prg.tired.pt:sbj 1serg sleep.ipv
If Im tired, I (will) sleep
(10.165) Me
ihaktai,
ma
muelhike
1snom prg.tired.pt:sbj 1serg sleep.cond
If I were tired, I would sleep
(10.166) Me
ihaktai,
ma
umuelhike
1snom prg.tired.pt:sbj 1serg pf.sleep.cond
If I were tired, I would have slept or Had I been tired...
When the participial clause is negated, it can often be translated using unless or without in English:

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

(10.167) Sakialma
ntse aleut uktiau,
hi
ntsoke
sukyipo
iman
Sakial.erg neg help give.pt:sbj:neg 3inom not:going:to do.able.ipv:neg 1sloc
Unless Sakial helps, I wont be able to do it or Without Sakial helping...

10.4

The converb construction

In the converb construction, a verb carrying the suffix -e modifies a following verb, with the two verbs
forming a kind of complex predicate expressing a single event or type of action. The verb marked with -e is
called the converb (abbreviated cv in the examples), while the verb which it modifies is called the head
verb. An example is lihke tifa cut off, remove by cutting, where the head verb tifa remove is modified by
the converb lihke cutting. Note that converb modification can be iterated, meaning that a converb modifer
may itself consist of a head verb modified by a converb: e.g., kiote kiompe mokta run home quickly, where
kiote being quick modifies kiompe running, and kiote kiompe running quickly in turn modifies mokta go
home.
The converb must be adjacent to the head verb, and the two behave as a single syntactic unit. The head
verb carries all tense/aspect/mood/polarity inflection (7.4), number agreement (7.2), and the nominalizing
morphology discussed elsewhere in this chapter. Consider the following examples, featuring lihke tifa cut
off:
(10.168) Na
lotsane
lihke
itifahpauat
3aerg branch.nom cut.cv prg.remove.icpl.ipv.npl.pl
They are trying to cut the branches off
(10.169) Inan lotsane lihke
tifuhohtanka
3iloc 3asall cut.cv remove.want.comp.ipv:pst
She preferred to cut the branch off
(10.170) Iman iona
na
lotsane
lihke
utifat`
a
1sloc know.ipv 3aerg branch.nom cut.cv pf.remove.dep.pl.nom
I know that they (had) cut the branch off
When a clause containing a converb is negated, the negative particle takes the form ntse, and precedes the
converb, while the head verb takes the negative form of the tense/aspect/mood suffix. Note that ntse never
attaches directly to the converb (in its bound form m(a)-) even when it immediately precedes the converb.
(10.171) Na
lotsane
eima ntse lihke
utifo
3aerg branch.nom still neg cut.cv pf.remove.ipf:neg.
S/he hasnt cut off the branch yet
A complex predicate containing a converb is assigned to the same verb class as the head verb (cf. 4.4). For
example, lihke tifa cut off is a change-of-location predicate belonging to Class III (see 4.4.3) by virtue of
the fact that tifa remove is a Class III change-of-location verb.
Converbs expressing means or manner
Predicates consisting of a head verb modified by a converb express a single unified event. Typically the
converb denotes an activity while the head verb denotes a change of state, and the construction as a whole
expresses an activity that brings about or culminates in the change of state. Consider the examples given
below. In (10.172), with tlynke lima push open (lit. open by pushing), the pushing activity brings about
the opening event; while in (10.173), with solhe kahta pelt, bombard (lit. hit by throwing), the throwing
activity results in the hitting event.

10.4. THE CONVERB CONSTRUCTION

291

(10.172) Sakialma
hitole
tlynke
limyi
Sakial.erg door.nom push.cv open.pv
Sakial pushed the door open
(10.173) Sakialma
sekeit
naka solhe
ikahtama
Sakial.erg rat.dat stone throw.cv prg.hit.ipv.dpl
Sakial is pelting the rats with stones
English resultative constructions, such as hammer the metal flat, may be rendered in Okuna using a converb
construction where the head verb denotes the entry into a state (often formed from a stative verb stem using
the telic inchoative suffix -(e)t, discussed in 7.5.3):
(10.174) Motlama
lhote
konom
tlule
tsaltyi
Motla.erg metal.nom hammer pound.cv flat.tinc.pv
Motla hammered the metal flat
more lit. Motla flattened the metal by pounding (it with a) hammer
In the examples above, the converb is a Class II verb denoting an activity which modifies a Class III verb.
The converb can also be (headed by) a stative Class I verb modifying a Class II or Class III verb, as shown
below. Given that converbs express the manner or means by which an action is carried out, stative converbs
correspond closely to manner adverbs in English (quickly, beautifully, etc.):
(10.175) Na
kiote
etsampyiot
3aerg quick.cv speak.act.pv.recip.pl
They spoke to one another quickly
(10.176) Motlama
elife
uhna
Motla.erg beautiful.cv sing.ipv
Motla sings beautifully
Class II verbs expressing the manner in which something is done appear frequently as converbs modifying
other verbs. Examples of Class II manner verbs include kapua be skillful/accomplished, act with skill, kela
be together, act as a group, and sukana act/happen suddenly or abruptly.
(10.177) Elimma
kapue
siehpa
Elim.erg skillful.cv write.ipv
Elim writes well or Elim is a good writer
(10.178) Lhatima
kele
eiasat
children.erg be:together.cv prg.eat.ipv.pl
The children are eating together
(10.179) Mo
Elimma
sukane
kahtyi
1srdat Elim.erg be:abrupt.cv hit.pv
Elim suddenly hit me (lit. hit me by acting abruptly)
Particularly prevalent are cases where the converb denotes a manner of motion (run, walk, swim, fly,
dance, crawl, jump, etc.) and the head verb denotes a trajectory of motion (go to, come from, enter,
exit, insert, remove, etc.). Examples are given below, showing the converbs iante by jumping and
heulhte by being pulled in combination with various trajectory verbs. Iante atia jump towards is literally
approach by jumping, heulhte otla pull apart is literally separate by being pulled (or cause to separate
by pulling), and so on.

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

atia
eta
hita
kloha
tlisa
tsypa

approach
go to
come over here
go through
cross, traverse, go over
enter [a body of water]

iante
iante
iante
iante
iante
iante

atia
eta
hita
kloha
tlisa
tsypa

elha
kloha
nkilha
otla
teuna
tolha

put into, insert

go through
leave, go away
separate
put, place
stand up

heulhte
heulhte
heulhte
heulhte
heulhte
heulhte

elha
kloha
nkilha
otla
teuna
tolha

jump
jump
jump
jump
jump
jump
pull
pull
pull
pull
pull
pull

towards
to
over here
through
across/over
into [a body of water]

into
through
away
apart
into place
up, pull into a standing position

Example sentences with motion-denoting converb constructions include:

(10.180) Ik`e
halou
kiompe suhyi
dog.nom room.abl run.cv go:out.pv
The dog ran out of the room (lit. exited by running)
(10.181) Hastine
mutume
iante
tlisyi
deer.nom fence.inst jump.cv go:over.pv
The deer jumped over the fence (lit. crossed by jumping)
(10.182) Hesa
naum`
a
klalpe
iatia
rabbit.all cougar.nom move:stealthily.cv prg.approach.ipv
The rabbit is being stalked by a cougar (lit. approached by moving stealthily)
(10.183) Han`e
teneme lokai
kiompe kelhyi
fox.nom hill.inst forest.dat run.cv ascend.pv
The fox ran up the hill (and) into the woods (lit. ascended by running)
(10.184) Na
ketoi
maka heulhte itifama
3aerg bone.dat meat pull.cv prg.remove.ipv.dpl
She is pulling meat off the bones (lit. removing by pulling)
(10.185) Hut`
a
sukuma
lhope
puhtlyi
basket.nom wind.erg blow.cv overturn.pv
The wind blew the basket over (lit. overturned by blowing)
Some trajectory verbs in Okuna refer to a particular direction or type of goale.g., ilalta go to the shore
(from inland), mokta go home, palhta come ashore, sihafa go downstream. These can also combine with
converbs denoting manner of motion to express complex movement events:
tatane ilalta
tupe palhta
sihpe sihafa

wander down to the shore

wade ashore
swim downstream

(lit. go to the shore by wandering)

(lit. come ashore by walking)
(lit. go downstream by swimming)

Additional examples:
(10.186) Ma
nak`
a
sihkunoi tiause
tsypyi
1serg stone.nom river.dat drop.cv submerge.pv
I dropped the stone into the river

10.4. THE CONVERB CONSTRUCTION

293

(10.187) Lhat`e
kiompe imoktat
children.nom run.cv prg.go:home.ipv.pl
The children are running home
Note also the following example, where the converb is selected by the stative verb ohtla resemble. Ohtla
expresses a comparison, and takes a nominative noun phrase denoting the subject of comparison and an
allative noun phrase denoting the object/standard of comparison. Here, the converb expresses a type of
action with respect to which the comparison holds. A more literal translation of this example might be She
resembles a bird by (or with respect to) singing.
(10.188) Ne
pilaua
uhne
ohtla
3anom bird.all sing.cv resemble.ipv
She sings like a bird
Other functions of the converb construction
In the examples above, the converb indicates the manner in which, or means by which, the action denoted
by the main verb is carried out. The converb construction also has a handful of other uses. In certain cases,
for instance, the head verb expresses aspectual modification of the event denoted by the converb. Verbs
which can appear as the head verb in this construction include:
atia
esta
niokta
sehta
tima
uata
usla
ylpa

come close to, almost/nearly do

manage to, succeed in doing
redo, do again, repeat
continue, go on; resume, start again
tend to; be liable to, be likely to
stop, cease
finish
undo

Examples:
(10.189) Ma
ahotsine nalhe
uslyi
1serg corn.nom plant.cv finish.pv
I finished planting the corn
(10.190) Sakialma
halmai
tale
sehtyi
Sakial.erg book.dat read.cv go:on.pv
Sakial resumed/continued reading his book
(10.191) Motlai
itiause
nak`
a
kahte atiyi
Motla.dat prg.fall.tnzr rock.nom hit.cv approach.pv
Motla was nearly hit by a falling rock
more lit. A falling rock approached hitting Motla
When used in this construction, the motion verb niokta return, go back indicates repetition of the action
denoted by the converb, and often translates the English prefix re-: e.g., siehpa write > siehpe niokta
rewrite. Similarly, predicates formed with ylpa (glossed undo) express an action which reverses or undoes
the effects of the action denoted by the converb; hence, ylpa corresponds fairly closely to the English prefixes
un- and de-: e.g., patla cover > patle ylpa uncover; tiespa build, construct > tiespe ylpa unbuild,
deconstruct, disassemble. Compare also:
(10.192) Na
ikei
s`
o
hotyi
3aerg dog.dat rope attach.pv
He tied up the dog

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

(10.193) Na
ikei
s`
o
hote
ylpyi
3aerg dog.dat rope attach.cv undo.pv
He untied the dog (lit. He undid tying up the dog)
(10.194) Na
ikei
s`
o
hote
nioktyi
3aerg dog.dat rope attach.cv return.pv
He retied the dog (lit. He redid tying up the dog)
Crucially, an aspectual verb can select a converb just in case both verbs share the same core arguments. For
instance, the converb construction is allowed in (10.195) because the ergative noun phrase functions as the
actor argument for both verbs: the musicians are responsible for carrying out both the playing event and the
stopping event. In (10.196), by contrast, the playing event and the stopping event have different actors (the
musicians and Sakial, respectively), and so the converb construction is not allowed: uata instead selects as its
complement a postposed dependent clause marked with nominative case, and atlpaka musicians functions
as the ergative argument of the dependent verb:
(10.195) Atlpakama
sukane
atlpe
uatyit
musician.erg sudden.cv play.cv stop.pv.pl
The musicians suddenly stopped playing
(10.196) Sakialma
sukane
uatyi
atlpakama
atlpat`
a
Sakial.erg sudden.cv stop.pv musician.erg play.dep.pl.nom
Sakial suddenly stopped the musicians from playing
Causative verbs, such as one of the ones listed below, can also select a converb. These verbs take an
ergative argument denoting the causer, with the converb and its dependents indicating the event that is
being caused. Crucially, the converb must be a Class II or Class III verb which does not take an ergative
argument; otherwise, the causative verb must select a dependent clause marked with nominative case.
aktapa
kina
lohka
mehka
nana
solohka
somita
teuohka
tsuhka

help, aid (in); let, enable, facilitate

let, enable
make, cause
have, cause, let happen
allow, let, permit; leave
order, command, demand
persuade, convince
force, compel
have, cause, let happen (s.th. bad)

Examples:
(10.197) Me
Sakialma
nkilhe
lohkyi
1snom Sakial.erg leave.cv make.pv
Sakial made me leave
(10.198) Moihama ik`e
suhe
kinyia
girl.erg dog.nom go:out.cv let.pv.npl
The girl let the dogs out
Finally, when a Class I verb expressing a property is modified by certain degree words (such as tsuo too,
mu enough, etc.), the degree word can be preceded by a converb denoting the (type of) action with respect
to which the property holds to the degree indicated.

10.5. GERUNDS

295

(10.199) Toml`
a
kule
tsuo alamat
mountain.nom see:res.cv too rel.far.ipv.pl
The mountains are too far away to see
(10.200) Ohui tin
kas
iase
mu
iatuosat
ne?
fruit those:nom already eat.cv enough prg.rel.ripe.ipv.pl qu
Is that fruit ripe enough to eat yet?

10.5

Gerunds

Gerunds are nominalizations denoting a type of action or state, or an abstract property or characteristic.
Gerunds are formed by suffixing -ts (glossed ger) to a verb stem in the dependent indicative form, which is
marked by the suffix -a in the positive and -u in the negative (see 10.2):
kesta
nkestu

be happy
not be happy

kestats
nkestuts

being happy, happiness

not being happy, unhappiness

The formation of gerunds with -ts is completely productive: any verb is capable of taking this suffix, even
if it also has an irregular nominal form (see 11.2). Examples:
esta
fiha
huetla
kiota
kuola
lalia
lomua
mehka
mouta
tioka
usla

reach, succeed at
be young
be afraid
be fast
meet
play, have fun
crash on shore
happen, occur
be sick
die
end, finish

estats
fihats
huetlats
kiotats
kuolats
laliats
lomuats
mehkats
moutats
tiokats
uslats

success
being young, youth
fear
speed, quickness
meeting, appointment, rendezvous
playing, game, fun, amusement
wave(s)
event, occurrence
sickness, illness, being sick
dying, death
end, conclusion

Gerunds do not inflect for the tense/aspect categories discussed in 7.4. However, gerunds can be formed
from resultative stems (see 7.5.1): e.g., kula be visible (resultative form of kila see) > kulats visibility.
In addition, gerunds can be formed from stems which include the aspectual and modal suffixes discussed
in 7.5 and 7.7.1: e.g., munta be drunk + active aspect -amp > muntampa act drunk > muntampats
acting drunk, drunken behaviour; iona know + -uh want > ionuha want to know > ionuhats wanting
to know, curiosity.
Gerunds formed with -ts are capable of taking arguments, unmarked noun phrase dependents, and other
modifiers to form complex phrases, just like ordinary verbs. However, phrases headed by gerunds cannot
include a topic. Gerunds may be taken to belong to the same argument structure class (I, II, or III) as the
verb from which they are derived, and case-mark their noun phrase arguments accordingly. Examples of
complex gerunds include:
(10.201) hastin lakiats
deer
hunt.dep.ger
hunting deer, deer-hunting
(10.202) Sakialma
mestuts
Sakial.erg neg.succeed.dep:neg.ger
Sakials not succeeding or Sakials lack of success

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

(10.203) iman lianka huetlats

1sloc snake afraid.dep.ger
my being afraid of snakes or my fear of snakes
When plural, ergative, dative, and nominative dependents can even trigger number agreement on the gerund
(cf. 7.2). The number agreement suffix immediately precedes -ts. Compare:
(10.204) pyima
hakatlats
child.erg laugh.dep.ger
the childs laughter
(10.205) pyima
hakatlanits
child.erg laugh.dep.epl.ger
the childrens laughter
In terms of their syntactic distribution, gerunds behave like noun phrases, and hence can inflect for case. In
the first example below, the gerund Elime muntats Elims drunkenness functions as the theme argument of
the verb oukuta bother, and thus carries the nominative case suffix -e. In the second example, the gerund
ikema lakats the dogs barking bears the actor relation with respect to the causative verb lohka, and hence
appears in the ergative case:
(10.206) Elime
muntatse
mulhe oukuta
im`e
Elim.nom drunk.dep.ger.nom always bother.ipv 1sall
Elims drunkenness always bothers me
(10.207) Ikema
lakatsma
lohkyi
kimima
ail`
a
dog.erg bark.dep.ger.erg make.pv baby.erg cry.dep.nom
The dogs barking made the baby cry
Gerunds occasionally appear as non-case-marked complements of verbs, as in (10.208). Here the gerund
alternates with a complement consisting of a verb (phrase) in the dependent subjunctive form, as in (10.209).
(10.208) In`e
sihpats
henka
3aall swim.dep.ger enjoyable.ipv
He likes swimming (lit. For him, swimming is enjoyable)
(10.209) In`e
esihpi
henka
3aall sbj.swim.dep:sbj enjoyable.ipv
He likes to swim
Note that gerunds differ semantically from case-marked dependent clauses, discussed in 10.2.1. Dependent
clauses express propositions or events, and normally pick out a particular situation or state of affairs (whether
actual or hypothetical). Gerunds, on the other hand, usually denote general types of actions or properties
as opposed to specific incidents. Compare the examples below. In (10.210) the (nominative case-marked)
dependent clause ihama homa ipusuk`
a refers to a particular instance where the woman was making bread;
whereas in (10.211) the gerund homa pusukats refers to the act of bread-making in general.
(10.210) Im`e
ikulanka
ihama
homa ipusuk`
a
1sall prg.see:res.ipv:pst woman.erg bread prg.make.dep.nom
I saw the woman making bread or I saw that the woman was making bread
(10.211) Homa pusukatse
koluma
bread make.dep.ger.nom difficult.ipv
Making bread is difficult

10.6. PARTICIPANT NOMINALS

10.6

297

Participant nominals

Okuna has productive morphology for taking a verb, a verb phrase, or a clause denoting an event and
converting it into a noun phrase denoting one of the participants inor circumstances ofthat event, such
as the agent, patient, instrument, setting, etc. I will refer to nominalizations of this type as participant
nominals. There are four types of participant nominals:
1. Actor nominals are formed by adding the suffix -ka (glossed anzr) to the dependent form of the
verb. They denote the actor of the event expressed by the verb/clause.
2. Theme nominals are normally formed by adding -e (-o in the negative) directly to the verb stem
(these suffixes are glossed tnzr). In certain cases the suffix -i is added to the dependent form of the
verb. Theme nominals denote the participant to which a property is attributed, or which occupies a
location or undergoes a change of location (certain theme nominals also denote the event itself).
3. Delimiter nominals are formed by adding the suffix -l (glossed dnzr) to the dependent form of the
verb. Delimiter nominals denote the recipient, goal, or affected participant of the event expressed by
the verb/clause.
4. Circumstantial nominals are formed by adding the suffix -nen (glossed cnzr) to the dependent
form of the verb. Circumstantial nominals denote some aspect of the event named by the verb/clause
(such as the time, place, manner, etc., in which it takes place), or else some individual peripherally
involved in that event (such as a recipient, beneficiary, instrument, etc.).
Consider the following examples, formed from the verb uktia give:
Actor nominal
Theme nominal
Delimiter nominal
Circumstantial nominal

uktiaka
uktie
uktial
uktianen

giver, one who gives

gift, thing which is given
recipient, person to whom something is given
time, place, manner, etc., of giving

Participant nominalization plays a central role in the grammar of Okuna by providing the principal means
of modifying nouns. As mentioned elsewhere, Okuna does not have a distinct category of adjectives;
instead, states and properties are expressed for the most part using Class I verbs: e.g., pata be tall, eka
be empty. One of the primary functions of adjectives in English is to modify a noun. However, their
verb counterparts in Okuna cannot modify nouns directly. Instead, a verb must first be converted into a
participant nominal, which is then juxtaposed with the noun to form a compound-like structure (see 6.4 on
noun-noun compounding). For example, pata be tall can be converted into the theme nominal pate tall
one, person or thing which is tall. This nominal can then be placed in front of another noun to modify it:
pate palahta tall tree.
Participant nominals can take the form of larger phrases. Compare the clause in (10.212), for example,
with the corresponding delimiter nominal phrase in (10.213). When modifying a following noun, participant
nominal phrases function much like relative clauses. In (10.214), for instance, the participant nominal in
(10.213) modifies kihun letter, specifying which letter is being referred to, and is translated into English
using a relative clause construction.
(10.212) Kalma
elohka
siehpyi
man.erg yesterday write.pf
The man wrote (something) yesterday
(10.213) kalma
elohka
asiehpal
man.erg yesterday pf.write.dep.dnzr
thing written yesterday by the man or what the man wrote yesterday

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

(10.214) Ma
kalma
elohka
asiehpal
kihoin
talyi
1serg man.erg yesterday pf.write.dep.dnzr letter.dat read.pf
I read the letter that the man wrote yesterday
Participant nominals have a rich morphology. Like dependent verbs and participles, they inflect for mood
and polarity, show number agreement, and carry prefixes for marking aspect (e.g., the perfective prefix ain (10.213) above). Being derived nouns, participant nominals can also inflect for case. Participant nominal
morphology is discussed in 10.6.1.
In 10.6.210.6.5 I provide additional examples and discussion of each of the four types of participant
nominals. As this discussion shows, participant nominalization parallels case assignment: briefly, actor
nominals, theme nominals, and delimiter nominals refer to the kinds of event participants associated with
the ergative, nominative, and dative case roles, respectively, while circumstantial nominals refer to the kinds
of participants encoded by oblique noun phrases. Consider the sentence in (10.215):
(10.215) Kalma
ihaua
sut`e
nauoit
uostyi
man.erg woman.all clay.nom cup.dat shape.pv
The man made a cup for the woman out of the clay
The four event participants named in this sentence can each be described by a noun phrase containing a
different type of participant nominal modifier, as shown below. In (10.216), the noun kal man is modified
by an actor nominal phrase. Because the actor nominal form is used, the man is understood to be the agent
of the action named by the participant nominal. Likewise the noun phrase in (10.217) denotes the theme
of the event, (10.218) the delimiter, and (10.219) some peripheral participant (here, the person for whose
benefit the action is carried out).
(10.216) ihaua
sut`e
nauoit
auostaka
kal
woman.all clay.nom cup.dat pv.shape.dep.anzr man
the man who made a cup for the woman out of the clay
(10.217) kalma
ihaua
nauoit
auoste
sute
man.erg woman.all cup.dat pv.shape.dep.tnzr clay
the clay that the man made into a cup for the woman
(10.218) kalma
ihaua
sut`e
auostal
nauot
man.erg woman.all clay.nom pv.shape.dep.dnzr cup
the cup that the man made for the woman out of the clay
(10.219) kalma
sut`e
nauoit
auostanen
iha
man.erg clay.nom cup.dat pv.shape.dep.cnzr woman
the woman for whom the man made a cup out of the clay

10.6.1

Participant nominal inflection

The formation of participant nominals is complicated by the fact that they share properties with both
nouns and verbs. In terms of their internal structure, participant nominal phrases look like subordinate
clauses. Like dependent verbs, participant nominals inflect for aspect, mood, and polarity, and can take
noun phrase arguments with which they agree in number. However, in terms of their distribution, participant
nominal phrases pattern like noun phrases, and can thus inflect for case, with the case ending attaching to
the participant nominal. I consider case marking on participant nominals first, before turning to aspect,
mood/polarity, and agreement inflection.

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299

Case marking
As noted above, a participant nominal phrase will normally appear inside a larger noun phrase, where it
acts as a modifier of the head noun (functionally equivalent to an attributive adjective or restrictive relative
clause). In (10.220), for example, kihun letter is modified by the delimiter nominal Sakialma asiehpal
(thing) written by Sakial. However, it is also possible for a participant nominal phrase to function by
itself as a verb dependent, rather than modifying a following noun, as shown in (10.221). In the latter case,
the participant nominal phrase is interpreted somewhat like a free relative in English (what Sakial wrote).
Notice that when the participant nominal modifies a noun as part of a larger noun phrase, the modified noun
(or some other element following the noun, such as a quantifier; cf. 4.2) will carry the case ending for that
noun phrase. However, when there is no following noun, the case ending attaches directly to the participant
nominal. Compare the placement of the allative ending -a in (10.220) versus (10.221).
(10.220) Ma
Sakialma
asiehpal
kihuna
kyitsampyi
1serg Sakial.erg pf.write.dep.dnzr letter.all talk:about.act.pf
I talked about the letter that Sakial wrote
(10.221) Ma
Sakialma
asiehpala
kyitsampyi
1serg Sakial.erg pf.write.dep.dnzr.all talk:about.act.pf
I talked about what Sakial wrote
When hosting a case ending, participant nominals inflect according to the regular pattern for nouns (see
4.2). This is illustrated in the following table, which gives the case declensions for the participant nominals
formed from uktia give: uktiaka giver, one who gives, uktie thing which is given, uktial recipient, one to
whom something is given, uktianen place/time/etc. of giving.

nom
dat
erg
loc
all
abl
inst

uktiaka
uktiak`
a
uktiakai
uktiakama
uktiakana
uktiakaua
uktiakau
uktiakame

uktie
ukti`e
uktiei
uktiema
uktiena
uktieia
uktieu
uktieme

uktial
uktiale
uktiail
uktialma
uktialna
uktiala
uktialu
uktialme

uktianen
uktianene
uktianein
uktianenma
uktianenna
uktianena
uktianenu
uktianenme

Agreement, mood/polarity, and aspect

When a participant nominal takes a nominative, dative, or ergative argument, that argument will trigger
agreement on the participant nominal when interpreted as plural (see 7.2 on plural agreement). Examples of
agreement are given below. Notice that the agreement suffix immediately precedes the nominalizing suffix
e.g., the dative plural suffix -ma precedes the actor nominal suffix -ka in (10.223), while the nominative
plural suffix -ua precedes the delimiter nominal suffix -l in (10.225) (number agreement marking on theme
nominals is slightly more complicated; see below).
(10.222) kauein
itahaka
turkey.dat prg.kill.dep.anzr
(the) one who is/was killing the turkey
(10.223) kauein
itahamaka
turkey.dat prg.kill.dep.dpl.anzr
(the) one who is/was killing the turkeys

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(10.224) halm`
a
atlelhal
moiha
book.nom pv.find.dep.dnzr girl
(the) girl who found the book
(10.225) halm`
a
atlelhaual
moiha
book.nom pv.find.dep.dnzr girl
(the) girl who found the books
The morphology for participant nominals includes only one slot for a number agreement morpheme. Hence,
a participant nominal can agree with at most one of its plural arguments. If the participant nominal has two
or more plural arguments, speakers have a choice regarding which argument will trigger agreement. In such
cases, animate arguments are more likely to trigger agreement than inanimate ones. Compare the examples
below: here the participant nominal is marked to show that its animate argument (children) is plural, while
the number of the inanimate argument (letter versus letters) must be inferred from context.
(10.226) pyie
kihune
akilamaka
iha
child.dat letter.nom pv.show.dep.dpl.anzr woman
(the) woman who showed the letter(s) to the children
(10.227) pyima
kihoin
asiehpaninen
ohpe
child.erg letter.dat pv.write.dep.epl.cnzr reason
(the) reason why the children wrote the letter(s)
When the participant nominal is formed from a reciprocal predicate, the agreement slot is filled by the
reciprocal suffix -uo (see 9.4.4):
(10.228) ikahtauoka
pyi
prg.hit.dep.recip.anzr child
(the) children (who are/were) hitting each other
(10.229) pyima
akahtauonen
ohpe
child.erg pv.hit.dep.recip.cnzr reason
(the) reason why the children hit each other
Besides agreeing in number with their arguments, participant nominals inflect for polarity (positive versus
negative) and mood (indicative versus subjunctive). The subjunctive mood is used when the nominal denotes
a participant in a hypothetical or potential action, while the indicative is used otherwise. The following
tables gives the full set of aspect/polarity and agreement endings for actor, delimiter, and circumstantial
nominals, which are formed by adding the nominalizing suffixes (-ka, -l, and -nen, respectively) directly to
the dependent form of the verb (see 10.2).
actor
dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
-aka
-uka
-ika
-oika

delimiter
dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
-al
-ul
-il
-oil

npl
-auaka
-ouaka
-euaka
-oiaka
npl
-aual
-oual
-eual
-oial

dpl
-amaka
-umaka
-imaka
-oimaka

epl
-anil
-unil
-inil
-oinil

recip
-auoka
-ouoka
-euoka
-oioka

recip
-auol
-ouol
-euol
-oiol

10.6. PARTICIPANT NOMINALS

circumstantial
dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
-anen
-unen
-inen
-oinen

301
npl
-auanen
-ouanen
-euanen
-oianen

dpl
-amanen
-umanen
-imanen
-oimanen

epl
-aninen
-uninen
-ininen
-oininen

recip
-auonen
-ouonen
-euonen
-oionen

In accordance with the phonological rules summarized in 3.5.3, the initial i and u of the subjunctive and
negative endings lower to become e and o when preceded by a glide: e.g., pau.ika > paueka one who would
wash, m.pau.uka > mpauoka one who doesnt wash (from the stem pau- wash); e.taki.il > etakiel thing
to be broken, m.taki.ul > ntakiol thing which is not broken (from taki- break).
Theme nominals are formed by adding the following mood/polarity and agreement endings to the verb
stem. Notice that, when no plural agreement ending is present, the indicative theme nominals are formed by
adding -e (positive) or -o (negative) directly to the stem. However, when an agreement ending is present,
the theme nominal takes the form of a dependent verb followed by the suffix -i.
theme
dep
dep:neg
dep:sbj
dep:sbj:neg

sg
-e
-o
-ei
-oie

dpl
-amai
-umai
-imai
-oimai

epl
-anei
-unei
-inei
-oinei

recip
-auoi
-ouoi
-euoi
-oioi

The following sets of examples illustrate polarity and mood distinctions on participant nominal modifiers.
In the first set of examples, iha woman is modified by an actor nominal formed from hosta dance:
hostaka iha
nkostuka iha
ehostika iha
mehostoika iha

dancing woman, woman who dances, woman who will dance

non-dancing woman, woman who doesnt/wont dance
woman who would/could/might dance
woman who wouldnt/couldnt dance

Below the noun halma book is modified by a delimiter nominal formed from pyima talane children read;
read by children. Notice that when the delimiter nominal is in the subjunctive mood, it may be translated
using an infinitive modifier (to [be] read).
pyima
pyima
pyima
pyima

talanil halma
ntalunil halma
etalinil halma
metaloinil halma

book
book
book
book

(that is) read by children

that children dont/wont read
to be read by children; book for children to read
which is not to be read by children

Finally, the following examples show mood/polarity marking on the circumstantial nominal formed from
Motlama muelha Motla sleep(s), which modifies the noun eun place:
Motlama
Motlama
Motlama
Motlama

muelhanen eun
mamuelhunen eun
emuelhinen eun
memuelhoinen eun

place
place
place
place

where
where
where
where

Motla
Motla
Motla
Motla

sleeps / will sleep

doesnt sleep
would sleep, place for Motla to sleep
would not sleep

Like the dependent verbs from which they are formed, participant nominals take (combinations of) prefixes
to mark aspect and mood, and can host the bound form of the negative particle ntse (namely m(a)-). The
aspect/mood prefixes, with and without m(a)-, are listed in the following table.

imperfect
progressive (prg)
perfect (pf)
perfective (pv)

indic

iua-

neg+indic
m(a)memoma-

sbj
eieioia-

neg+sbj
memiemiomia-

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The progressive aspect is used when the nominal refers to a participant in an ongoing event or situation.
Perfect aspect marks the nominal as referring to a participant in a previous event or situation. Perfective
marking is added when the nominal denotes a participant in an event which took place on a particular
occasion in the past. Finally, the imperfect form is used when the nominal denotes a participant bearing
a general property or participating in a habitual or future action. These aspectual contrasts are illustrated
below:
pyima
pyima
pyima
pyima

kahtal
ikahtal
ukahtal
akahtal

uastaka pila
euastaka pila
ouostaka pila
auostaka pila

one
one
one
one

who
who
who
who

is hit by the child, one who will be hit by the child

is/was being hit by the child
has/had been hit by the child
was hit by the child (at a certain point)

flying bird, bird that flies (i.e., is capable of flight) / bird that will fly
flying bird, bird that is/was flying
bird that has/had flown
bird that flew (at a certain point)

In the following subsections I discuss each of the participant nominal types in turn, giving examples of their
functions.

10.6.2

Actor nominals

Actor nominals denote the doer of the action expressed by the verb. The distribution of actor nominals
mirrors the distribution of ergative case: only Class II and Class III verbs, which take an ergative argument
to encode an actor participant, may add -ka to form a noun referring to that actor participant. Examples:
hosta
huatampa
kahunia
kaiha
kuntupa
sihpa

dance
be friendly
catch fish
kill, murder
walk on four legs
swim

hostaka
huatampaka
kahuniaka
kaihaka
kuntupaka
sihpaka

dancer, one who dances

friendly one
fisherman, one who catches fish
killer, murderer
one who goes on four legs, quadruped
swimmer, one who swims

Actor nominals may function as the head of a noun phrase, in which case they can take modifiers, including
another participant nominal (such as mile beautiful one in (10.230)):
(10.230) Sa
mile
hostak`
a
loityiat
13erg beautiful.tnzr dance.dep.anzr.nom watch.pv.npl.pl
We watched the beautiful dancers
Alternatively, an actor nominal may be placed before another noun to modify it. Such constructions often
correspond to modifying present participles or relative clauses in English, where the relativized noun is
interpreted as the agent of the action:
(10.231) muelhaka
kimi
sleep.dep.anzr baby
sleeping baby, baby that sleeps
(10.232) hostaka
iha
dance.dep.anzr woman
dancing woman or woman who dances
Actor nominals can also be formed from more complex constituents, consisting of a verb and its non-actor
arguments and modifiers:

10.6. PARTICIPANT NOMINALS

303

(10.233) maka iasaka

meat eat.dep.anzr
meat-eater, one who eats meat
(10.234) palahtai naka akahtaka
tree.dat rock pv.hit.dep.anzr
(the) one who hit the tree with a rock
(10.235) yhkunai
elohka
kyt`
o
auoktiamaka
guest.det yesterday gift.nom pvgive.dep.dpl.anzr
(the) one who gave the gifts to the guests yesterday
Actor nominalization is further illustrated below. In each pair of examples, the second sentence includes
an actor nominal phrase related to the first sentence. Notice how the actor nominal picks out or refers to
the ergative argument of the verb from which it is formed. Notice also that although the actor nominal is
marked for aspect, it is not marked for tense: often one must infer from context whether the event referenced
by the actor nominal precedes, follows, or overlaps with the time when the sentence is uttered.
(10.236) Na
hastein
tahyi
3aerg deer.dat kill.pv
He killed the deer
(10.237) Ma
hastein
atahakame
etsampyi
1serg deer.dat pv.kill.dep.anzr.inst say.act.pv
I spoke with the one who killed the deer
(10.238) Mikalma nauoit
utsitspa
boy.erg cup.dat pf.break.ipv
The boy has broken the cup
(10.239) Ma
nauoit
utsitspaka
mikail
fentyi
1serg cup.dat pf.break.dep.anzr boy.dat scold.pv
I scolded the boy who had broken the cup
(10.240) Ihama
pyie
iloitaua
woman.erg child.nom prg.watch.ipv.npl
The woman is watching the children
(10.241) Pyie
iloitauaka
ih`
a
koipa
im`e
child.nom prg.watch.dep.npl.anzr woman.nom known.ipv 1sall
I know the woman who is/was watching the children
(10.242) Ihama
tsokoimpai
pal`
o
kilyimat
woman.erg stranger.dat village.nom show.pv.dpl.pl
The women showed the village to the strangers
(10.243) Tsokoimpai pal`
o
akilamaka
ih`
a
ikat
stranger.dat village.nom pv.show.dep.dpl woman.nom prg.be:here.ipv.pl
Here are the women who showed the village to the strangers

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

10.6.3

Theme nominals

Theme nominals may be derived from verbs of any class (see 4.4). For verbs which assign nominative case
to one of their arguments, the corresponding theme nominal denotes the kind of participant which bears
that case role. For instance, a theme nominal derived from a Class I stative verb denotes an individual to
whom the property denoted by that verb is attributed:1
elifa
kesta
louna
nasa

be
be
be
be

beautiful
happy
awake
strong

elife
keste
loune
nase

beautiful one/thing
happy thing/event/occasion; (cause of) happiness
one who is awake
strong one, person/thing that is strong

When the theme nominal is formed from a Class II/III verb denoting a (change of) location or position, it
denotes the entity which occupies (or comes to occupy) the position/location in question, whether spontaneously or as a result of physical manipulation by an agent. When formed from a Class II verb denoting
a change of state, the theme nominal names the individual undergoing that change of state. By contrast,
when formed from Class III verb denoting a change of state, the theme nominal names the instrument which
effects that change, or the (type of) material undergoing transformation. Examples include:
ekpa
etsa
lima
patla
sasa
siehpa
tapa
tioka
uihta
uosta

hold, carry
say, tell
open
cover
find, discover
write
weave
die
sit down
shape, fashion

ekpe
etse
lime
patle
sase
siehpe
tape
tioke
uihte
uoste

thing which is held/carried

speech; thing which is said/told
thing which opens, thing which is opened
covering, thing/substance used to cover something
finding(s), discovery, thing which is found
writing instrument
material from which something is woven
one who dies, mortal
one who sits down
substance out of which something is fashioned

Even verbs which do not normally take nominative arguments can form theme nominals. With Class I
verbs of this type, the theme nominal names the state denoted by the verb, or else some entity or occasion
which brings about that state in some individuale.g., ekona be hungry > ekone hunger; cause of hunger,
fast. Likewise, Class II verbs which are normally used intransitively (taking an ergative argument but no
nominative argument: see 4.4.2) may form theme nominals denoting the type of activity referred to by the
verbe.g., kiompa run > kiompe running, chase, race (can also mean one who is chased). Additional
examples of this sort include:
atlpa
ekpiha
halhkona
himeka
klalpa
peuta
puniaka
uasta

make music
search, look for
be thirsty
be hollow
move stealthily
wait
travel
fly

atlpe
ekpihe
halhkone
himeke
klalpe
peute
puniake
uaste

music, playing
search
(cause of) thirst
hollow(ness), empty space
stealth; ambush
wait, period of waiting
trip, journey
flight

Theme nominals formed from intransitive Class II verbs are similar in meaning to gerunds (10.5), but tend
to refer to particular instantiations of the action denoted by the verb, rather than to the general type of
action. For instance, whereas the gerund atlpats playing denotes the general activity of making music, the
1 Note that the theme nominal keste happy one would be used to refer to an object or situation which engenders feelings of
happiness. To describe the individual in whom a feeling of happiness is engendered, the circumstantial nominal kestanen happy
one is used. E.g., keste mehkats a happy event versus kestanen pyi a happy child. Likewise for other verbs of emotion, such
as ohiyna be sad.

10.6. PARTICIPANT NOMINALS

305

theme nominal atlpe music, playing usually denotes a specific musical performance. Likewise, the gerund
uastats flying refers to the activity of flying or the ability to fly, whereas the theme nominal uaste flight
refers to a particular trip through the air.
Additional examples of theme nominalization are shown below. The first example of each pair gives
a sentence containing a verb which takes a nominative argument, while the second example gives a noun
phrase in which that verb (together with its non-nominative dependents, if any) has been converted into a
theme nominal and used to modify a noun.
(10.244) Mikale
ihakta
boy.nom prg.tired.ipv
The boy is tired
(10.245) ihakte
mikal
prg.tired.tnzr boy
the tired boy or the boy who is/was tired
(10.246) Mikale
tonakana euohta
boy.nom rock.loc prg.sit:res.ipv
The boy is sitting on the rock
(10.247) tonakana euohte
mikal
rock.loc prg.sit:res.tnzr boy
the boy (who is/was) sitting on the rock
(10.248) Mo
tsul lulna
akote
tlelhyi
1srdat bed under.loc box.nom find.pv
I found a box under the bed
(10.249) umai
tsul lulna
atlelhe
akot
1srdat bed under.loc pv.find.tnzr box
the box that I found under the bed
(10.250) Ma
es konome
nyipike
1serg one hammer.nom use.cond
I would/could use a hammer
(10.251) im`
a
enyipei
es konom
1serg sbj.use.dep:sbj.tnzr one hammer
a hammer that I would/could use or a hammer for me to use
(10.252) Sakial ka Motlama
kytu
tin
uktiyiot
Sakial and Motla.erg present those:nom give.pv.recip.pl
Sakial and Motla gave each other those presents
(10.253) Sakial ka Motlama
auoktiauoi
kytu
tin
Sakial and Motla.erg pv.give.dep.recip.tnzr present those:nom
those presents that Sakial and Motla gave (to) each other
Consider also the following examples. These illustrate theme nominals formed from Class III verbs whose
(optional) nominative argument denotes the instrument with which the event is carried out, or the amount
of time it takes to complete the event (see 4.4.3 for discussion).

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(10.254) Kalonma kahoi

tik`
o
kikahtyima
boy.erg fish.dat harpoon.nom pierce.pv.dpl
The boy speared the fish with a harpoon
(10.255) Ma
kalonma kahoi
akikahtamai
tik`
o
imuohta
1serg boy.erg fish.dat pv.pierce.dep.dpl.tnzr harpoon.nom prg.fix.ipv
Im fixing the harpoon with which the boy speared the fish
(10.256) Na
kotoi
ilme
kun
tiespyit
3aerg house.dat month four:nom build.pv.pl
They built the house in four months or They took four months to build the house
(10.257) Me
inkulhanka
inat
kotoi
atiespanei
ilme
kunme
1snom prg.gone.ipv:pst 3aperg house.dat pv.build.dep.epl.tnzr month four.inst
I was away during the four months that it took them to build the house
Note finally that a handful of common stative verbs form irregular theme nominals:
fiha
iena
kefiha
kelhiuna
kiha
liuna
toha

be
be
be
be
be
be
be

young
good
new, recent, unfamiliar
old, familiar, well-known
small, little
old, aged
big, large

fihu
ian
kefihu
kelhuhme
kiho
luhme
tohmi

young one
good one
new/recent/unfamiliar one
old/familiar one
small/little one
old one
big/large one

These nominals can head noun phrases of their own, but more often occur as adjective-like modifiers of other
nouns:
fihu pyi
kiho tene
luhme iha
kelhuhme kuna
tohmi kotu

young child
small hill
old woman
old friend
large house

Irregular forms such as fihu and tohmi are used only when the theme nominal is uninflected for verbal
categories such as mood, polarity, degree, etc. When verbs like fiha be young and toha be big are negated
or appear in the subjunctive mood, or when they host degree prefixes, aspectual suffixes, or other derivational
markers (cf. 7.57.7), they form theme nominals in the regular manner:
liuna
maliuno
aliunohta

is old
is not old (neg.old.ipv:neg)
is older (rel.old.comp.ipv)

luhme
maliuno
aliunohte

old one
one who is not old
older one

(10.258) afihohte
es pyi
rel.young.comp.tnzr one child
a younger child
(10.259) it`
o
ntse ihpi
atoho
es kotu
this:abl neg equally rel.big.neg:tnzr one house
a house which isnt as big as this one

10.6. PARTICIPANT NOMINALS

10.6.4

307

Delimiter nominals

Delimiter nominals are formed from Class III verbs only, and refer to the type of participant to which the
verb would assign dative case (see 4.4.3). If the verb expresses a change of state (e.g., kahta hit, iasa
eat), the delimiter nominal denotes the patient of the action. If the verb expresses an event of motion or
transmission (e.g., eta go, lasta send), the delimiter nominal denotes the goal or recipient. And if the verb
expresses the entry into a cognitive or perceptual state (e.g., kila see, tsokua meet, come to know), the
delimiter nominal denotes the individual who enters into that state. Examples of delimiter nominals, and
the verbs they are formed from, are given below:
eta
etsa
hana
kahta
kila
sasa
tiespa
uktia

go, come
say, tell
cut, incise
hit, strike
see, notice; show
meet, run across
build, construct
give

etal
etsal
hanal
kahtal
kilal
sasal
tiespal
uktial

goal, thing/place to which one goes

addressee, person to whom something is said/told
person/thing which is cut
one who is hit
one who sees; one to whom something is shown
one who meets
structure, thing which is built
recipient, person to whom something is given

Although delimiter nominals can function as case-marked arguments, more often the delimiter noun (or a
larger phrase headed by it) will precede another noun and act as a modifier of that noun. Compare the
following pairs of examples: the first example gives a sentence containing a Class III verb with a dative
argument, while the second example gives a noun phrase in which the head noun is modified by a delimiter
nominal formed from that verb.
(10.260) Sakialma
kopoi
utsitspa
Sakial.erg pot.dat pf.break.ipv
Sakial broke the pot
(10.261) Sakialma
utsitspal
kopo
Sakial.erg pf.break.dep.dnzr pot
the pot that Sakial has/had broken or the pot broken by Sakial
(10.262) Puniakak`
a
tiesait
itat
traveller.nom town.dat prg.go.ipv.pl
The travellers are going to the town
(10.263) puniakak`
a
itaual
tiesat
traveller.nom prg.go.dep.npl.dnzr town
the town which the travellers are going to
(10.264) Kaloin kietame
kilyi
boy.dat picture.nom see.pv
The boy saw the picture
(10.265) kietame
akilal
kalon
picture.nom pv.see.dep.dnzr boy
the boy who saw the picture
(10.266) Ma
kaloin
kietame
kilyi
1serg boy.dat picture.nom see.pv
I showed the picture to the boy

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

(10.267) im`
a
kietame
akilal
kalon
1serg picture.nom pv.see.dep.dnzr boy
the boy who I showed the picture to
(10.268) Sakialma
lhatei
meunu
nauote
natyima
Sakial.nom children.dat milk.abl cup.nom hand.pv.dpl
Sakial handed cups of milk to the children
(10.269) Sakialma
meunu
nauote
anataual
lhati
Sakial.nom milk.abl cup.nom pv.hand.dep.npl.dnzr children
the children to whom Sakial handed cups of milk
Notice the difference in number agreement on the verb in the last pair of examples. In (10.268) the verb
nata hand carries the dative plural suffix -ma, in agreement with the dative noun lhatei children. This
prevents the nominative argument meunu nauote cups of milk from triggering agreement: a verb can agree
with at most one of its non-topic arguments, and agreement with an animate argument usually pre-empts
agreement with an inanimate argument (see 7.2). In (10.269), however, the dative noun phrase is absent
from the delimiter nominal phrase (since the latter denotes the recipient of the action). Since there is no
dative argument, the verb is free to agree with its nominative argument, and so the nominalized verb carries
the nominative plural suffix -ua.

10.6.5

Circumstantial nominals

Circumstantial nominals, like theme nominals, may be derived from verbs of any class. Circumstantial
nominals generally denote some individual which bears a peripheral relation to the event denoted by the
verbi.e., some relation other than actor, theme, or delimiter. Relations of this sort include experiencer,
beneficiary, possessor, instrument, source, or path.
As their name indicates, circumstantial nominals can also refer to some aspect of the circumstances
surrounding the evente.g., the location where the event takes place, the time at which it takes place, the
manner in which it is carried out, the reason for which it is carried out, etc. For instance, depending on the
context in which it is used, the nominal atlpanen (< atlpa make music) can refer to a time or place for
making music, the instrument with which the music is made, the person for whom the music is made, and
so on. Other examples:
isuhta
isuhtanen

be born
place/time/circumstances of ones birth

kyitsampa
kyitsampanen

discuss, converse about

(time/place of) discussion, topic of conversation

tsuhpa
tsuhpanen

live, reside
residence, where/when one lives

hyikpa
hyikpanen

hold, contain
container, vessel, place/object which contains

Like other participant nominals, circumstantial nominals can take arguments and modifiers to form larger
phrases. These phrases function either as a verb dependent, in which case the circumstantial nominal usually
takes a case ending; or as a modifier of a noun within a larger noun phrase, in which case it acts much like a
relative clause. In (10.270), the circumstantial nominal phrase no am`e uesuhtanen carries the locative case
ending -na, while in (10.271) it modifies the noun tiesat town, and the latter takes the locative ending.
(10.270) Sakialma
ntsemi no
am`e
uesuhtanenna
utsulo
Sakial.erg never 3ardat mother.nom pf.be:born.cnzr.loc pf.visit.ipv:neg
Sakial has never visited (the place) where his mother was born

10.6. PARTICIPANT NOMINALS

309

(10.271) Sakialma
ntsemi no
am`e
uesuhtanen
tiesatna
utsulo
Sakial.erg never 3ardat mother.nom pf.be:born.cnzr town.loc pf.visit.ipv:neg
Sakial has never visited the town where his mother was born
Although a circumstantial nominal can denote various kinds of peripheral roles, its interpretation can usually
be determined by the context in which it occurs. For example, no am`e uesuhtanen can refer to any of a
number of factors connected with the birth of Sakials mother (place, time, manner, etc.). That it refers
to the place of her birth in the examples above is signaled by the fact that it is (a part of) the locative
argument selected by the verb tsula visit, as well as by the fact that it modifies the place noun tiesat town
in (10.271). (I return to the ambiguity of circumstantial nominals at the end of this section.)
Circumstantial nominals can refer to any participant in an event which may be expressed using a noun
phrase in one of the oblique cases (locative, allative, ablative, or instrumental). For instance, the verb henka
be enjoyable can take an allative noun phrase indicating the experiencer of the enjoyment, in which case
it is usually translated as like (10.272). A noun phrase denoting the experiencer can be formed with the
circumstantial nominal derived from henka (10.273).
(10.272) Sakiala
sat`e
henka
Sakial.all meal.nom enjoyable.ipv
Sakial likes the meal (lit. For Sakial, the meal is enjoyable)
(10.273) sat`e
henkanen
meal.nom enjoyable.dep.cnzr
(the) one who likes the meal
The verb ekpiha search, look around also takes an allative noun phrase, but with this verb the allative noun
phrase indicates the goal of the search (10.274). In (10.275) the circumstantial nominal formed from ekpiha
is used to refer to this goal.
(10.274) Elimma
kamala
ikpiha
Elim.erg knife.all prg.search.ipv
Elim is looking for a knife
(10.275) Mo
Elimma
ikpihanen
kamale
tlelhyi
1srdat Elim.erg prg.search.dep.cnzr knife.nom find.pv
I found the knife that Elim was looking for
Further examples of circumstantial nominalization are given below. Examples (10.277) and (10.279) show
circumstantial nominals which denote the kinds of participants specified by noun phrases in the locative
case (cf. (10.276) and (10.278)). The former denotes a location, while the latter denotes the experiencer of
a cognitive state.
(10.276) Iha
in`
a
Tenmotlaina
tsuhpa
woman that:erg Tenmotlai.loc live.ipv
That woman lives in Tenmotlai
(10.277) iha
in`
a
tsuhpanen
tiesat
woman that:erg live.dep.cnzr town
the town where that woman lives
(10.278) Motlana
iona
m`
a
esuki
aun
Motla.loc know.ipv what sbj.do.dep:sbj if
Motla knows what to do

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

(10.279) m`
a
esuki
aun ionanen
what sbj.do.dep:sbj if
know.dep.cnzr
(the) one who knows what to do
In the examples below, the circumstantial nominal denotes a source (10.281) or the possessor of an inalienable
property (10.283), both functions of the ablative case role. Likewise in (10.285), the modified noun moiha
girl is interpreted as the possessor of suhpa brother, since the possessor in kinship constructions is marked
by ablative case.
(10.280) Sakiale
Uilumau
ehkana
Sakial.nom Uiluma.abl originate.ipv
Sakial comes from Uiluma
(10.281) Sakiale
ehkananen
tiesat
Sakial.nom originate.dep.cnzr town
the town that Sakial comes from
(10.282) Moihau ulhmo tam iala
girl.abl year
ten have.ipv
The girl is ten years old
(10.283) ulhmo tam ialanen
es moiha
year
ten have.dep.cnzr one girl
a ten-year-old girl
(10.284) Moihau suhpama
kauein
tahyima
girl.abl brother.erg turkey.dat kill.pv.dpl
The girls brother killed the turkeys
(10.285) suhpama
kauein
atahamanen
moiha
brother.erg turkey.dat pv.kill.dep.dpl.cnzr girl
the girl whose brother killed the turkeys
more lit. the girl, the brother (of whom) killed the turkeys
Finally, the circumstantial nominal may denote the kind of participant expressed by an instrumental noun
phrase (instrument, possessor, etc.):
(10.286) Sakialme
olh
kotu tan
efa
Sakial.inst dist house that:nom own.ipv
Sakial owns that house over the there
(10.287) olh
kotu tan
efanen
dist house that:nom own.dep.cnzr
(the) owner of that house over the there
(10.288) Ma
sul
henme
koma
1serg language two.inst speak.ipv
I speak two languages
(10.289) im`
a
komanen
sul
hen
1serg speak.dep.cnzr language two
(the) two languages that I speak

10.6. PARTICIPANT NOMINALS

311

As discussed elsewhere (e.g., 2.4, 7.5.1, 7.7.1), adding certain aspectual or modal affixes to the verb
can affect case assignment, such that a noun phrase which would normally appear in one of the core cases
(nominative, dative, ergative) is instead marked with an oblique case. These case alternations feed the
formation of participant nominals. For example, the verb tala read assigns ergative case to the noun phrase
denoting the actor participant (10.290). However, when the potential mood suffix -yip is added to the verb
to form talyipa readable, the actor noun phrase appears instead in the locative case (10.291). Hence, to
derive a noun phrase which describes an individual who reads, an actor nominal is formed from tala (talaka),
but to derive a noun phrase describing an individual who is capable of reading, the circumstantial nominal
form is used instead (talyipanen).
(10.290) Mikalma halmai
itala
boy.erg book.dat prg.read.ipv
The boy is reading the book
(10.291) Mikalna halmai
talyipa
boy.loc book.dat read.able.ipv
The boy can read the book
(10.292) halmai
italaka
mikal
book.dat prg.read.dep.anzr boy
the boy who is reading the book
(10.293) halmai
talyipanen
mikal
book.dat read.able.dep.cnzr boy
the boy who can read the book
Consider also the examples below. The Class III verb tsitspa break, smash assigns dative case to its patient
argument (10.294), so when a participant nominal denoting the patient is formed from tsitspa, the delimiter
nominal form is used (10.295). However, when resultative aspect morphology is added to the stem to derive
the Class I verb tseitspa be broken, be in a broken state, dative case is unavailable and the patient instead
appears in the locative case (10.296) (see 7.5.1 on resultative aspect). Hence, when a participant nominal
denoting the patient is derived from tseitspa, the circumstantial form will be used (10.297).
(10.294) Mikalma kopoi
tsitspyi
boy.erg pot.dat break.pv
The boy broke the pot
(10.295) Mikalma atsitspal
kopo ik`
a
boy.erg pv.break.dep.dnzr pot prg.be:here.ipv
Here is the pot that the boy broke
(10.296) Kopona tseitspa
pot.loc break:res.ipv
The pot is broken
(10.297) Tseitspanen
kopo ik`
a
break:res.dep.cnzr pot prg.be:here.ipv
Here is the broken pot
Nominalizations like tseitspanen broken one are rather common. With verbs of creation, for example, a
circumstantial nominal derived from the resultative stem typically denotes the object or substance which
has been created:

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CHAPTER 10. NOMINALIZATION AND COMPLEX CLAUSES

kyuata
pusuka
siehpa
tapa
tiespa

carve
make, create
write
weave
build, construct

kyuaitanen
pusoikanen
sieihpanen
taipanen
tieispanen

carving (lit. carved thing)

creation, artifact
writing(s), written composition
weaving, woven cloth, textile
structure, construction

Since a verb can combine with various different types of oblique dependents, circumstantial nominals are
underspecified with regard to the type of participant they refer to, as noted above. In many cases, the
correct interpretation of a circumstantial nominal can be inferred by looking at the verb from which it is
formed, the arguments and modifiers it takes, or the context in which the circumstantial nominal phrase
appears. However, often some ambiguity remains. For instance, any semantically appropriate verb can take
an animate noun phrase in the allative case denoting the individual(s) on whose behalf the action is being
carried out (10.298). Likewise, any semantically appropriate verb can take an animate noun phrase in the
instrumental case denoting the individual(s) in whose company the action is being carried out (10.299).
(10.298) Motlama
kalona piat
ipusuka
Motla.erg boy.all arrow prg.make.ipv
Motla is making arrows for the boy
(10.299) Motlama
kalonme piat
ipusuka
Motla.erg boy.inst arrow prg.make.ipv
Motla is making arrows with the boy
The circumstantial nominal formed from such a verb can express either of these roles (among others).
Consequently, the noun phrase in (10.300) does not specify the precise role that the boy is playing in the
arrow-making event. If (10.300) were presented in isolation, all we would know for certain is that the boy
should not be interpreted as the actor, theme, or delimiter of the event, but is instead playing some more
peripheral role. (If the boy were the actor, theme, or delimiter, kalon would be modified by a different type
of participant nominale.g., an actor nominal in piat ipusukaka kalon the boy who is/was making arrows.)
(10.300) Motlama
piat
ipusukanen
kalon
Motla.erg arrow prg.make.dep.cnzr boy
the boy for whom Motla is/was making arrows
or the boy with whom Motla is/was making arrows
Whether (10.300) means the boy for whom Motla is/was making arrows, the boy with whom Motla is/was
making arrows, or something else, can usually be determined from the context in which the noun phrase is
uttered. When context does not suffice to make the meaning clear, a different construction must be used.
For example, as discussed in 10.3, sentences can include a participial clause introduced by the connective
ka and, which serves to provide supplementary information about one of the participants referenced in the
main clause. The participial clause includes a pronoun which refers back to the participant in question, and
the case marking on the pronoun indicates the function it is serving within the participial clause. Compare
the following:
(10.301) Mo
kalone
kilyi, ka in`
e
Motlama
piat
ipusuke
1srdat boy.nom see.pv and 3aall Motla.erg arrow prg.make.pt
I saw the boy for whom Motla is/was making arrows
lit. I saw the boy, and for him Motla making arrows
(10.302) Mo
kalone
kilyi, ka inem Motlama
piat
ipusuke
1srdat boy.nom see.pv and 3ainst Motla.erg arrow prg.make.pt
I saw the boy with whom Motla is/was making arrows
lit. I saw the boy, and with him Motla making arrows

Chapter 11

Derivation and the Lexicon

11.1

Introduction

This chapter covers miscellaneous topics related to the lexicon. 11.2 and 11.3 deal with productive and
non-productive morphology for deriving nouns and verbs. The remaining sections cover various lexical classes
requiring special discussion. In 11.4.1 I discuss kinship terminology, while 11.4.2 gives an overview of colour
terms, and 11.4.3 provides additional discussion of motion verbs. Finally, 11.5 gives a list of greetings and
other common phrases.

11.2

Noun derivation

In this section I discuss morphology for deriving nouns. Section 11.2.1 deals with the prefixes used to form
diminutive and augmentative noun stems from other noun stems, while 11.2.2 deals with the formation of
collective nouns. This morphology is fully productive, meaning that it can be added to any noun stem to
derive a new noun stem (subject to semantic plausibility). Then in 11.2.3 I give an overview of various
non-productive means for deriving nouns, and give examples of each.

11.2.1

Diminutive and augmentative marking

To form a diminutive noun, the prefix ki- (kih- before a vowel) may be added to a noun stem; while augmentatives are formed by prefixing to- (toh- before a vowel) to the noun stem. (These prefixes are transparently
related to the verbs kiha be small and toha be big, as well as the corresponding nominalizations kiho
small one and tohmi big one.) The diminutive and augmentative prefixes are fully productive: they can
be added to any semantically appropriate noun. Typically diminutive nouns denote small objects, while
augmentative nouns denote large objects. However, with animal names, the diminutive form is often used
to denote the offspring of the animal. With kinship terms, the diminutive and augmentative may be used
to denote relative age. Examples are given below:
halu
ike
kotu
naka
pila
sati
suhpa
suku

room
dog
house
rock
bird
food, meal
brother
wind

kihalu
kihike
kikotu
kinaka
kipila
kisati
kisuhpa
kisuku

small room, compartment

puppy
small house, hut, cottage
small rock, pebble
small bird, hatchling
small meal, snack
younger brother
breeze

tohalu
tohike
tokotu
tonaka
topila
tosati
tosuhpa
tosuku

large room, hall

large dog
large house
large rock, boulder
large bird
large meal, feast
older brother
strong wind

The diminutive and augmentative prefixes also attach to certain quantifiers to form other quantifiers:
313

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

anohte
sepyi
sipe
tuhe
tuhte

more
some, a few
much, a bit
less, not as much
fewer, not as many

kihanohte
kisepyi
kisipe
kituhe
kituhte

a few more
very few
a little/tiny bit
a bit less, not quite as much
somewhat fewer, not quite as many

ante
anohte
han
ohe
muhte
sepyi
sipe
tuhe

many
more
much, a lot
more
enough
some, a few
some, a bit
less, not as much

tohante
tohanohte
tohan
tohohe
tomuhte
tosepyi
tosipe
totuhe

very many, a great many

many more, a lot more
very much, a great deal
much more, a lot more
plenty, more than enough
several, a fair number
a fair bit
a lot less, not nearly as many

The augmentative prefix may also be used with stative deverbal nounsthat is, nouns formed from stative
verbs, used to modify other nouns (see 10.6.3)to express very:
luhme iha
toluhme iha

11.2.2

old woman
very old woman

tohmi kotu
totohmi kotu

large house
very large house

Collective nouns

A collective noun refers to a complete set or collection of entities of a given type, conceived of as a unit. To
form collective nouns in Okuna, the suffix -mit may be added to any noun denoting the type of entity in
question:
ahkunan
his
hostaka
lakiaka
puniakaka
pyi
suk
tomla
tsan
uhnaka

companion
star
dancer
hunter
traveller
child, offspring
tooth
mountain
thing, object; body
singer

ahkunanmit
hismit
hostakamit
lakiakamit
puniakakamit
pyimit
sukmit
tomlamit
tsanmit
uhnakamit

fellowship, group of companions

the stars, the night sky
dance troupe
hunting party
travelling party
(ones) children, offspring
set of teeth
mountain chain/range
collection, set
group of singers, chorus

The collective suffix can also be attached to proper names to indicate a collection of individuals associated
with the person named: e.g., Sakialmit Sakial and company. Finally, -mit can be added to the second of a
pair of nouns conjoined with ka and, to denote pairs of individuals, groups, or substances that go together:
e.g., iase ka sepemit food and drink, iha ka kalmit women and men.
Nouns and noun phrases formed with -mit have unusual agreement properties. For purposes of marking
number on the verb (see 7.2), inanimate collectives are treated as grammatically singular when denoting
a single set, and plural when denoting multiple sets; whereas animate collectives (especially those denoting
groups of humans) are almost always treated as plural, regardless of whether they refer to a single set or
multiple sets.
(11.1) Tomlamite
ekau
lama
mountain:range.nom here:abl far.ipv
The mountain range is far from here
(11.2) Tomlamite
ekau
lamat
mountain:range.nom here:abl far.ipv.pl
The mountain ranges are far from here

11.2. NOUN DERIVATION

315

(11.3) Puniakakamite
paloi
elohka
etskanyit
group:of:travellers.nom village.dat yesterday arrive.pv.pl
The group(s) of travellers arrived at the village yesterday

11.2.3

Other noun derivational morphology

In addition to the regular noun-deriving morphology discussed above, Okuna has a variety of non-productive
means for forming nouns from other words. Examples of these are given below. The affixes discussed here
are mostly used to derive nouns from verb stems, but a few are used to derive nouns from other noun stems
(or from both verb and noun stems).
Property nouns with a- + -i/e
Various abstract nouns denoting properties are formed from verbs by adding the prefix a-, together with
the suffix -e and/or the infix -i-/-e. Many of these nouns are derived from Class I scalar verbs, and denote
the scale to which the verb refers. Others are derived from Class I and Class III verbs referring to one of
the senses, and refer to the aspect(s) of an object which that sense provides information about. Examples
include:
kila
koluma
kuista
lhuta
liakna
liuna
luhtsa
mahtla
muohfa
mutla
ola
pata
toha
uota

see
be difficult
be long, last
be heavy
be long
be old
smell
taste
be thick/dense
understand
hear
be tall
big
feel, perceive

akiel
akoloim
akuiset
alhoit
aliaken
alioin
aluhtse
amahtle
amuohfe
amoitl
aule
apait
atoihe
auote

appearance, looks
(level of) effort, difficulty
length of time, duration
weight
length, distance, span
age
smell, odour, aroma
taste, flavour
density, consistency
meaning, significance, interpretation
sound
height
size, bigness
feeling, sensation; stimulus; property, trait

When a noun from this class takes a possessor, the possessor appears in the ablative case: e.g., Sakialu alioin
Sakials age, palahtau apait the height of the tree.
Directional nouns with -ut/-ot
Various nouns denoting a direction, orientation, or limit are formed by adding the suffix -ut to a motion
verb. A few such nouns are derived from other nouns by adding the related suffix -ot.
ahopiau
hepa
hita
ilalta
kahpa
kelha
koset
kotsim
kumita
sihafa
sihita
sihkasta

noon, sun zenith

go along
come here
go down to the shore
go down, descend
rise, go up, ascend
evening
morning
go forward
go downstream
go to the river
go upstream

ahopiaut
hepaut
hitaut
ilalot
kahpaut
kelhaut
kosetot
kotsimot
kumitaut
sihafaut
sihitaut
sihkasout

south
course, route, path
heading, destination, goal
direction of the shore
down, depth; downhill; downstairs
up, height; uphill; upstairs
west
east
orientation, direction
downstream
direction of the river
upstream

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

tima
tsypa
uelalta
usihta
usla

lie, be situated
submerge, go into water
come up from the shore
come up from the river
end, finish

timaut
tsypaut
uelalot
usihot
uslaut

location, placement; situation

down, depths, under water
direction away from shore
direction away from the river
edge, boundary, limit, starting/ending point

These nouns normally take the allative case when denoting the direction in which something is going (or
in which something is facing), and the ablative case when denoting the direction from which something is
coming. They take the locative case when picking out a location defined in terms of the direction from some
reference point, where the reference point is expressed with a noun phrase in the ablative case.
(11.4) Sakiale
sihkasouta
sihkunume ihepa
Sakial.nom upstream.all river.inst prg.go:along.ipv
Sakial is going upstream along the river
(11.5) Sakiale
sihafauta
ikumuta
Sakial.nom upstream.all prg.face:res.ipv
Sakial is facing downstream
(11.6) Puniakakamite
kotsimotu etyit
travelling:party.nom east.abl come.pv.pl
The travellers came from the east
(11.7) Pal`
o
ekau
kelhautna tima
village.nom here:abl up.loc
lie.ipv
The village lies up(hill) from here
Locational nouns with -en
A number of nouns denoting (real or metaphorical) locations, geographical features, or settings are formed
from verbs by adding the suffix -en. This suffix may be related to the noun eun place, or it might be a
variant of the circumstantial nominalizer -nen (10.6.5):
alontsa
ehkana
okla
paksona
palhta
s` suha
siufa
suka
tiausa
tiuma
tlala

set up camp
come from, originate
hide, conceal
look after, cultivate
come ashore, disembark
stream comes out
be dense, enclosed
do, make, work
fall, drop
be deep
be wide, open

alontsen
ehkanen
oklen
paksonen
palhten
sisuhen
siufen
suken
tiauen
tiumen
tlalen

camp, campsite
origin, source; home, birthplace
hiding place; seclusion, refuge
garden, nursery
landing, mooring
spring
thicket, dense woods
time and place (for doing something)
drop, precipice, edge of a cliff
depths, bottom (of an enclosed space)
open land, plain(s), prairie

Abstract nouns with -hats

The suffix -hats combines with certain nouns, mostly kinship terms (see 11.4.1) and other human-denoting
nouns, to form abstract nouns expressing a type of relationship or stage of life. Examples:
ahkunan
ahte
alioin
ame
esian

companion
father
age
mother
(adult) name

ahkunankats
ahtehats
alioinkats
amehats
esiankats

companionship, fellowship
fatherhood
age, stage of development, period in ones life
motherhood, childbearing
adulthood, maturity

11.2. NOUN DERIVATION

kimi
kuna
luhme
pyi
suhpa
talo

baby
friend
old one
child
brother
chieftain

kimihats
kunahats
luhmehats
pyihats
suhpahats
talohats

317
infancy
friendship
old age
childhood, youth
brotherhood, fraternity
rule, reign, chiefdom, command

These nouns often take instrumental case marking to express manner: e.g., ahtehatsme as a father; kunahatsme as a friend, in friendship. They can also take locative case marking to form expressions indicating
a time of life: e.g., pyihatsna during childhood, when [one] was a child; Sakiale talohatsna during Sakials
chieftainship, when Sakial was chief.
Collective nouns with -pa
The suffix -pa attaches to certain noun stems to form nouns denoting a people, tribe, or other social group
(e.g., otana patrilineal clan > otanapa patrilineal relatives, the people belonging to ones patrilineal clan).
When -pa is suffixed to a place name or the name of an individual, the resulting noun denotes the people
associated with that place or individual:
Ehkantlukan
Kemotlasi
Okuna

Raven (mythical figure)

(name of a town)
(name of a river)

Ehkantlukampa
Kemotlasipa
Okunapa

people of the Raven

people of Kemotlasi
people of the Okuna valley

These derived nouns can in turn modify a noun denoting an individual, so as to indicate a member of a
particular group or native of a particular region: e.g., Kemotlasipa iha a woman of/from Kemotlasi. The
suffix -pa also appears on nouns like okapa member of a community, society, or tribe (< oka people,
ethnicity), tsokoimpa stranger (cf. tsokoia recently met), utempa neighbour (cf. utena nearby).
Miscellaneous noun-deriving affixes
There are a handful of other noun-forming suffixes (-at, -e, -lut, -oi, -ol, -on, -ot) and infixes (-a-, -i/e-),
each attested on only a few forms in the language:
aihne
aile
elia
fana
hana
huan
hotsma
iasa
iom tota
kesta
kymainka
kytlana
naua
paka
sepa
suka
ties
uhna
uila

golden thing
silvery/metallic thing
be easy, relaxed
have affection for
cut (into)
mouth
be angry
eat
earth shakes
happy
hold in place
keep straight
palm of the hand
step, take a step
drink
do, make, work
structure [archaic]
sing
love

aihan
ailot
eliol
fanol
hanoi
huanot
hotsem
iase
iontoton
kestol
kymainkon
kytlanon
nauot
pakon
sepe
suklut
tiesat
uhin
uilol

gold [metal]
silver; mirror
ease, comfort
affection
gash, wound
mouthful
anger
food
earthquake
happiness, joy
clasp, fastener, brooch, buckle
brace, splint
cup
bridge
drink, beverage
task, job
town, large settlement
song, poem
love

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

11.3

Verb derivation

Verbs may be derived from other verbs, or from nouns. Morphology for deriving verbs from nouns is much
less common than morphology for deriving verbs from verbs. I begin by surveying the former before turning
to the latter.

11.3.1

Deriving verbs from nouns

By far the most productive element for deriving verbs from noun stems is the suffix -t (or -it), perhaps
related to the verb eta go/take. This suffix mostly derives motion verbs from nouns denoting body parts
and locations. In certain cases (tasta, uosta, etc.) there is no sense of motion, and the suffix acts merely
as a general verb formative. (This might be the same -t suffix added to certain stative verbs to form telic
inchoative/causative verbs: kisa be frozen > kista freeze; tlana be straight > tlanta straighten, etc.)
ampio
ihfo
ilal
kuma
lohan
loi
milh
minap
mok
s`
tasi
uos

surrounding area
area behind/obscured by
shore
face, front
voice
eye, opening
shift, transition
bone marrow
hearth, home
stream, flow, current
liquid, fluid
shape, form

ampiota
ihfoita
ilalta
kumita
lohanta
loita
milhta
minahta
mokta
sihita
tasta
uosta

surround
be secret, be private
go towards the shore
come/appear before
express, utter, give voice to
watch, look at
turn, shift; change
be vital; be powerful, vigorous, dynamic
go home
go towards the river
melt, thaw, liquify
shape, give form to; make, create, fashion

Several verbs denoting bodily emissions are derived from the corresponding nouns by adding the suffix -k,
with additional idiosyncratic changes in certain cases:
ahim
f`
a
hiunu
nek
semu
san
tesiek
tsinu
uake
utsas

breath, air
feather
tears
scales
skin
blood
shit, feces
seed; semen
urine
sweat

ahinka
fahka
hiunuka
nehka
semuka
salhka
siehka
tsinuka
uahka
utsaska

breathe heavily, pant, be out of breath

moult, shed feathers
weep, shed tears
moult, shed scales
shed ones skin
bleed, shed blood
defecate
release seeds; ejaculate
urinate
sweat, perspire

A small number of verbs describing the collection of natural resources are formed by adding the suffix -(e)ni
to a noun root denoting the resource in question:
kahu
kepe
l`
a
mpetio
n`
a
ohui
sohie

fish
nut, seed
plant
mushroom
water
fruit
shellfish

kahunia
kepenia
lahenia
mpetionia
nahenia
ohuinia
sohenia

fish, catch fish

forage for nuts/seeds
gather plants; graze
forage for mushrooms
fetch water (from a stream or well)
gather wild fruit or berries
gather/harvest shellfish

Finally, a handful of verbs are formed from nouns using the suffix -p, sometimes with a change in the root
vowel. These verbs have little in common except that they denote volitional events.

11.3. VERB DERIVATION

esian
iahki
lias
mosie
nalh
ties
tlap
tsets
tuk

11.3.2

319

name
forceful blow
throat, neck
upper back, shoulders
arm
building, structure [archaic]
large piece, chunk
shard, fragment
group

esiampa
iahkipa
liaspa
mosipa
nalhpa
tiespa
tlehpa
tsitspa
tukpa

address, call by name

strike forcefully
swallow
carry on ones back/shoulders
gesture, gesticulate
build, construct
break into chunks
break into small pieces, smash, shatter
collaborate, act as a group

Deriving verbs from verbs

There are only two widely-occurring suffixes for deriving verb stems from other verb stems. The first of
these is -om, illustrated below. Verbs formed with this suffix are stative and belong to class I or II. They
denote a tendency to possess the characteristic or perform the action named by the stem from which they
are derived.
etsa
huata
hehta
kahta
lalia
mehka
mina
sokasta
suhonta
tiausa
tsitspa

say, tell
be liked, appreciated
move, stir
hit, strike
play, have fun
happen, occur
think
argue
forget
fall, drop
smash, shatter

etsoma
huatoma
hehtoma
kahtoma
lalioma
mehkoma
minoma
sokastoma
suhonoma
tiausoma
tsitsoma

be talkative
be likable, agreeable, congenial
be restless
be violent
be playful
be common, likely; tend to occur
be thoughtful, mindful
be argumentative, quarrelsome
be forgetable; be forgetful, absent-minded
tend to fall/drop; be precarious; be clumsy
be breakable, fragile

The other major suffix for deriving verb stems from other verb stems is -on (possibly related to iona know).
This suffix attaches to stative and motion verb stemsand also to some noun stemsto form verbs denoting
abstract states, mental activities, and physical sensations:
eka
eupa
halhka
ksohe
muelha
niokta
sehta
suha
tsatsa
tunku
uake

be empty
be alone
be dry
darkness
sleep
return
go forward; emerge
go out, leave, exit
be full
pain
urine

ekona
eupona
halhkona
ksohona
muelhona
niokona
sehtona
suhona
tsatsona
tunkona
uakona

be hungry
be lonely
be thirsty
be mysterious
be drowsy, sleepy; have the urge to sleep
remember
predict, envision
forget
be full, sated, no longer hungry
hurt, feel pain
feel the urge to urinate; have a full bladder

For the most part, verb stems are derived from other verb stems by adding a prefix. Many of these prefixes
are clearly related to nouns, and the verbs derived with them probably arose as a result of noun incorporation,
where the incorporated noun underwent phonological reduction and ended up attaching to the verb. For
example, the verb ksapatla salt, coat with salt (for preservation) is transparently derived from the noun ksas
salt, reduced to the bound form ksa-, combined with the verb patla cover. Another example is mupatla
dress, put on (clothing), derived from patla plus mu-, a reduced form of mul cloth. This mu- formative is
also found in mutifa undress, take off, remove (clothing), from tifa remove.
Many noun-derived prefixes, like ksa- and mu-, occur on only one or two verbs. Another example like this
is the prefix hi(n)- (from ahim air, breath), found on the following verbs related to air quality or breathing:

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

atlpa
muka
muohfa
tika

play, make music

close; put out, extinguish
be thick, dense
leak, emit

hinatlpa
himuka
himuohfa
hintika

play a wind instrument

blow out (a lamp/candle)
be stuffy
leak air; be drafty; blow out, whistle

Other prefixes are somewhat more productive. One example is so-, a reduced form of the noun sot word,
which forms a large number of verbs expressing verbal activities. Examples of this include:
hompa
kasta
lasta
lhila
lohka
moita
nkilha
niokta
tsokua
uata
uosta

force, push steadily on

go against, oppose
send
pull, stretch taut
cause, make
receive
leave; take away
return, go/come back
meet (for the first time)
stop, cease
shape, fashion, make

sohompa
sokasta
solasta
solhila
solohka
somoita
sonkilha
soniokta
sotsokua
souata
souosta

order, command
argue
send word, send news
exaggerate
order, command
hear about, get news of
call off; dismiss, tell (someone) to leave
answer, respond, reply
introduce
interrupt
describe

The prefix mi-, probably from minu mind, thoughts (cf. mina think), combines with various stems to
form verbs denoting cognitive states and activities:
ekona
hepa
hyla
kloha
kyitsa
mota
nkilha
sasa
tatana
uktia

be hungry
go along
pass by
go through
talk about
come/bring together
go away, leave
encounter, run across
wander
give

miekona
mihepa
mihyla
mikloha
mikyitsa
mimota
minkilha
misasa
mitatana
mioktia

be ignorant
ponder, meditate on
overlook, ignore
think through, mull over
think about, think of
plan
be distracted from, lose interest in
find out, discover, hit upon
daydream, let ones mind wander
notice, give thought to; teach

Several verbs are formed using the prefix tsa-, from tsan self; thing, body, form (in one case with a change
in the quality of the root vowel). Verbs formed with tsa- denote states or activities which involve, or are
directed towards, a persons entire body.
elia
hehta
kahpa
kanta
kelha
laha
mota
paua

be at ease
move, stir
descend, go down
be vertical, upright
ascend, go up
release, let go
join, come together
wash

tsalia
tsahihta
tsakahpa
tsakanta
tsakelha
tsalaha
tsamota
tsapaua

be healthy, well, in good shape

shiver (all over)
lie back, recline (from a sitting position)
lean against
sit up (from a lying position)
cremate
have sex
bathe, wash oneself

In some cases where a verb-forming prefix is presumably derived from a noun historically, the identity of
that noun is now obscure. The prefix ki-, for example, combines with a small number of roots to derive verbs
expressing actions performed with a sharp, pointed object, such as an awl or harpoon. This prefix is likely
derived from a noun referring to a (type of) pointed object, but if so, that noun is no longer in use.
hana
kahta
taha
tluha
uosta

cut, make a cut in

hit, strike
kill (for food)
push, press
shape, fashion, make

kihana
kikahta
kitaha
kitluha
keuosta

pierce, poke a hole in

poke, prick, jab, stab
stab to death, kill with a harpoon
drill, bore a hole in
carve, incise, shape with a pointed tool

11.3. VERB DERIVATION

321

The prefix na- attaches to a number of stems to derive verbs expressing actions performed with the hands,
while tu- forms verbs denoting actions performed with the legs or feet. These are unrelated to the current
nouns for hand and foot (tem and kus, respectively); however, na- is likely related to naua palm of the
hand, while tu- occurs as the root of the verb tupa walk, go on foot.
ekpa
eta
kahta
katia
laha
muohta
nkilha
nyipa
peta
piha
tiausa
tlula
tlynka
tupa

carry, bring/take, hold

go/come, bring/take, put
hit, strike
make a sharp sound
stop, relent; release
become whole/complete
go away
use, employ
take
follow
fall; drop
pound, grind
push
walk

nakpa
nata
nakahta
nakatia
nalaha
namuohta
nankilha
nanyipa
napeta
napiha
natiausa
natlula
natlynka
natupa

hold/carry in ones hands

hand, pass; handle
hit with ones hands, punch, slap
clap ones hands
let go of, release ones grip on
repair; succeed at; accomplish, attain
take away, remove, put away
handle, manipulate, wield
grab, grasp, pick up
feel (for), search with ones hands
drop, let go of, release (causing to fall)
pound with ones hands; beat, throttle
push with ones hands
crawl on ones hands and knees

kahta
lhanka
nyipa
tlula
tlynka

hit, strike
(make/leave a) mark
use, employ
grind, pound
push

tukahta
tulhanka
tunyipa
tutlula
tutlynka

kick
leave tracks/footprints
use, take, follow [a path/route]
tread, stomp on
push with ones legs/feet

Other verb-deriving prefixes, expressing manner or degree, appear to be related to verbs rather than nouns.
Verbs derived with these prefixes may have originated as converb constructions (10.4), with the converb
undergoing phonological reduction over time and attaching to the main verb. The prefix ka(h)-, for example,
may derive from the verb kahta hit, strike. Attaching ka(h)- to a verb stem derives a verb expressing a
sudden or unexpected motion, or an action involving particular force or violence:
atia
heulhta
kahta
liaspa
lohka
niokta
nkilha
paka
patla
sasa
solha
tiausa
tsypa
tluha
tlynka
uata

approach, get closer

pull, draw
hit, strike
swallow
cause
return, come back
go away, leave
take a step
cover
find, encounter
throw
fall, drop
go into water, submerge
push down, press (on)
push
stop, halt

kahatia
kaheulhta
kakahta
kaliaspa
kalohka
kaniokta
kankilha
kapaka
kapatla
kasasa
kasolha
katiausa
katsypa
katluha
katlynka
kahuata

lunge at; thrust

pull hard, yank (on)
hit suddenly; run into, collide with
swallow quickly, guzzle, gulp down; gorge on
be sudden; happen without warning
reappear unexpectedly
leave quickly, flee; disappear unexpectedly
stumble, lurch
smother; cover quickly/forcefully
stumble upon, encounter unexpectedly
throw hard, hurl
fall/drop unexpectedly; trip
drown
press firmly
push hard, shove
stop abruptly

The prefix kel- is clearly related to the verb kela be in a mutual relationship, which regularly occurs as the
converb kele, meaning together. Verbs formed with kel- denote collective or reciprocal actions:

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

efa
iala
ohtla
otla
tima
uktia

have, own
have, be responsible for
resemble
separate
lie, be situated
give

kelefa
keliala
kelohtla
kelotla
keltima
keluktia

share, have joint ownership of

share, have/hold in common; be related
be similar, alike; resemble each other
come apart; part ways, disband, disperse
touch, be in contact, be adjacent
exchange, trade (with)

Another example is the prefix lia-, no doubt related to the verb liakna be long. This element is added to a
number of stems (many of them in the resultative aspect; cf. 7.5.1) to form verbs expressing an augmented
or extended state, or a long distance along some dimension:
hosta
hotsma
kahpa
kelha
luma
tima

be powerful
be angry
descend, go down
ascend, go up
be open; ignited
lie, be situated

liahosta
liahotsma
liakaihpa
liakeilha
lialuma
liatima

be
be
be
be
be
be

mighty
enraged, livid
low; be a long way down
high; be a long way up
wide open; be roaring [fire]
remote, distant, far away

Finally, there are a few verb-forming prefixes whose origin is completely obscure. These include the prefix
un-, which derives a handful of verbs, mostly involving a circular motion or attention directed at oneself:
eta
fihta
milhta
nesapa
suka
tapa

go/come
become/make new
turn
ask
do; make
weave

unta
umpihta
unmilhta
untsapa
untsuka
untapa

come full circle, return to where one began

renew; start over, begin again
twist, wind, coil
wonder, ask oneself
take on; carry out; perform, enact, bring about
twist, braid, weave together

Verbs formed with the prefix tsi- express abrupt, rapid, or brief and uncontrolled actions, usually performed
with minimal effort or movement:
etskana
hata
kahta
ksona
lima
milhta
muka
peta
peuta
tsana

arrive, appear
shout, call out
hit, strike
look at
open; ignite
turn
close; extinguish
take
wait
make a noise

tsitskana
tsihata
tsikahta
tsiksona
tsilima
tsimilhta
tsimuka
tsipeta
tsipeuta
tsitsana

appear for an instant

cry out suddenly, exclaim
jab, prod, poke
glance at, take a quick look at
open and close quickly; flash, glint
swerve
close and open quickly; wink, blink
snatch, grab (esp. something small)
pause briefly, hesitate
make a sudden, soft sound

The prefix ti- attaches to various motion verb stems (mostly in the resultative aspect) to indicate a small
distance along some dimension:
hepa
kahpa
kaila
kanta
kelha
luma
nuha
tolha

go along
descend, go down
be hot
stand, be vertical
ascend, go up
be open; ignited
be cold
stand up

tiheipa
tikaihpa
tikaila
tikanta
tikeilha
tiluma
tinuha
titoilha

be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be

short (opposite of long)

a short way down, not low
warm, tepid
short (opposite of tall) [inanimates]
a short way up, not high
slightly ajar; be smoldering; be shallow
cool
short (opposite of tall) [animates]

Finally, the prefixes ky- and te- are used to derive a number of verbs from other verbs (and occasionally from
nouns). Verbs formed with ky- (or one of its variants, k- and kyi-) are semantically quite heterogeneous:

11.4. SPECIAL LEXICAL CLASSES

323

many denote actions of holding or keeping in place, or actions involving sustained effort or attention on the
part of the actor. This prefix also combines with verbs of thinking or communicating to form verbs which
refer to the subject matter or content of the action. Verbs formed with te- (and its variants, t- and ti-) do
not seem to form a semantically coherent class, except that they all denote agentive actions.
etsa
luma
mainka
moika
ohtla
peuta
teha
tlana
toilha
untsapa
usia

speak, say
be open
be fixed in place
be closed
resemble
wait
stay; leave behind
be straight
be standing
wonder
be warm, cozy

kyitsa
kyluma
kymainka
kymoika
kyiohtla
kypeuta
kyteha
kytlana
kytoilha
kuntsapa
kyuosia

mention, refer to; discuss, talk about

hold/keep open; sustain, keep going
hold/keep in place, support
hold/keep closed; be shut tight
compare
anticipate, look forward to
hold back, detain, delay
hold straight, keep in alignment
be upright, vertical; support, hold up
ask/inquire about; speculate, wonder about
keep warm; cuddle

ahim
eun
kelha
luhtsa
mahtla
niokta
ola
yisa

air, breath
place
ascend, go up
smell
taste
return, come back
hear
climb/take up

tehima
teuna
tekelha
teluhtsa
temahtla
teniokta
teula
tiyisa

breathe
put (down); put in place
pick up
smell, sniff, inhale the scent of
taste, sample, try [food]
return, replace, put back
listen to
raise, lift, elevate; pick up

The following list illustrates miscellaneous verb derivation strategies not discussed above, involving prefixes
found on at most one or two verbs:
afa
ahim
ahim
elia
fiha
kanta
koipa
koipa
ksona
liuna
suka
uktia

11.4

come along
breath, air
breath, air
be easy
be young
stand, be vertical
know, be familiar with
know, be familiar with
look at
be old
do, work
give

hiafa
kehima
suhima
luelia
kefiha
pakanta
niokoipa
sukoipa
paksona
kelhiuna
pusuka
hioktia

bring, bring along, include

breathe in, inhale
breathe out, exhale
relax, put at ease; treat
be new, unfamiliar, recent
tower over, loom over
remember, recognize
forget, fail to recognize
look after, take care of; tend, cultivate
be old, familiar, known
make, create
give, bestow, deliver

Special lexical classes

In this section I turn to some lexical classes which require special discussion. In 11.4.1 I consider vocabulary
related to the complex Okuna kinship system. 11.4.2 gives an overview of basic colour terms. Finally, in
11.4.3 I discuss how verbs lexicalize aspects of motion events such as trajectory, goal, and type of movement.

11.4.1

Kinship terminology

The Okuna reckon kinship according to a bilineal or double-descent system. Every individual belongs to
two clans or descent groups, called the mok (literally hearth), or home clan, and the otana, or ritual clan.
The mok is a matrilineal descent group, while the otana is patrilineal: hence, you belong to the same mok

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

as your mother and the same otana as your father. Both descent groups are exogamous, and so individuals
are prohibited from marrying or having sex with someone from the same mok or the same otana.
There are five mok, whose names are given below. These names are related to the names for five of the
six cardinal directions:
Iseunma
Kotsimma
Ahopiaunma
Kosenma
Sukunma

iseut
kotsimot
ahopiaut
kosetot
sukuot

northeast (< ise snow)

southeast (< kotsim morning)
south (< ahopiau noon)
southwest (< koset evening)
northwest (< heut wind)

With individuals they do not know well, Okuna use their mok name as a surname, followed by their given
name. For instance, if Sakial is a member of the Iseunma mok, he will introduce himself as Iseunma Sakial.
In dealings with members of other tribes, Okuna is added before the mok name. Hence, when travelling
abroad Sakial would refer to himself as Okuna Iseunma Sakial. (Note that there is a sixth surname, Heunma,
from heut north. This name is used for strangers, as well as foreigners living among the Okuna who have
not been adopted into one of the five mok.)
Within the Okuna double-descent system, four kinds of kinship are recognized:
1. Ahkame siblings are individuals who share the same mok and the same otana. Ones ahkame principally include full siblings (children of both ones parents), but can include other individuals as well.
2. Mokelhol hearth relatives are individuals who belong to the same mok but not the same otana. These
include ones mother, maternal grandmother, maternal aunts, and direct descendants of ones maternal
aunts, among others.
3. Otanalhol ritual relatives are individuals belonging to the same otana but not the same mok, including
ones father, paternal grandfather, paternal uncles and their direct descendants, etc.
4. Finally, yhmalhol outside relatives are those to whom one is related by blood or marriage, but with
whom one shares neither mok nor otana membership. These include ones kohmi spouse (see below),
as well as (typically) ones maternal grandfather, paternal grandmother, in-laws and other relations by
marriage, and certain cousins.
Note that the incest ban applies to all of ones ahkame, mokelhol and otanalhol, but only to yhmalhol who
are blood relations closer than first cousins. Sex between first cousins is permitted so long as they are in an
yhmalhol relationship.
It is also important to note that the Okuna recognize two different kinds of marriage. A kohmi marriage
consists of two individuals who have entered into a monogamous (heterosexual or homosexual) pairing for
purposes of mutual emotional and economic support. A sakohmi marriage consists of two or more individuals,
some of whom may be related by clan, who have entered into a partnership for purposes of raising children
together. A sakohmi marriage typically consists of between one and three kohmi partnerships, and sometimes
includes unattached siblings or close friends of one or more of the kohmi partners. The children might be born
into the sakohmi, or adopted. It is the sakohmi union, together with the children (and often elderly parents
or grandparents of sakohmi members), which constitutes the basic unit of the Okuna household. Note also
that kohmi marriages, though culturally important, are somewhat casual, and are entered into and dissolved
without much ceremony, whereas the creation of a sakohmi marriageand its obligatory dissolution once
the children have moved out of the householdare marked by important formal rituals involving the entire
community.
Okuna kinship terms encode the type of relationship involved (ahkame, mokelhol, otanalhol, or yhmalhol ),
the generation of the individual in relation to oneself, and, if the relationship is one of marriage, whether it
is a kohmi or sakohmi marriage. Most kinship terms encode the gender of the individual as well, although
there are also gender-neutral terms for many types of relationships.

11.4. SPECIAL LEXICAL CLASSES

325

Ahkame relations
ahkame
ahkamie
lihpa
suhpa

sibling
(pair of) twins
sister
brother

These terms apply to any individuals with whom one shares both descent groups. These are considered
ones closest kin. Most often the ahkame terms are used for full siblings (i.e., children of both ones parents).
However, other individuals who happen to share both descent groups will also refer to each other using these
terms, regardless of their relative age, generation, or degree of relatedness by blood. For example, if my
maternal grandmothers sister, who belongs to my mok, married someone who happened to belong to my
fathers otana, then their daughter (my first cousin once removed) would share both descent groups with
me, and I would refer to her as my lihpa sister.
Mokelhol relations
ame
miame
kahame
hotu
pyi
nap`e
tien
ahmokame
kalihpa
kasuhpa
mokai
mokanap`e
mokatien
mohkilu
mohkiloiha
mohkilukal

mother
maternal grandmother (mothers mother)
maternal aunt (mothers sister, etc.)
maternal uncle (mothers brother, etc.)
child, offspring
daughter
son
maternal cousin/relative
maternal female cousin
maternal male cousin
maternal niece/nephew
maternal niece
maternal nephew
maternal grandchild
maternal granddaughter
maternal grandson

The terms pyi, nap`e, and tien are sometimes used by men to refer to their children, even though a man and
his offspring necessarily belong to different mok (the mok being matrilineal and exogamous). More often, a
man will refer to his children using the otanalhol terms, namely otanai, otanap`e, and otatien (see below).
In all other cases, the terms in the above table are used exclusively for relatives belonging to ones mok.
Note that these terms do not express degree of relatedness by blood. Hence, miame is used to refer not
only to ones mothers mother, but also to other women of the same generationor previous generations
belonging to ones mok. Likewise, kahame and hotu are used for all people of ones mothers generation
belonging to the same mok, not just ones mothers siblings. Kasuhpa and kalihpa refer to half-siblings
(children of ones mother, but not ones father), as well as ones mothers sisters children, and any other
relatives of ones own generation belonging to the same mok (other than full siblings). Mokai, mokanap`e,
and mokatien are used for ones sisters children, and any other relatives of the next-younger generation
belonging to the same mok (other than ones own children). Similarly, mohkilu, mohkiloiha, and mohkilukal
would be used by a woman to refer to her daughters children, or any other relatives of her grandchildrens
generation belonging to her mok. Finally, ahmokame is a generic term for relatives who share the same mok,
especially (but not exclusively) those of ones own generation.

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

Otanalhol relations
ahte
tiahte
omili
otusu
otanakame
otalihpa
otasuhpa
otanai
otanap`e
otatien
otakilu
otakiloiha
otakilukal

father
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal
paternal

grandfather (fathers father)

aunt (fathers sister, etc.)
uncle (fathers brother, etc.)
cousin/relative
female cousin
male cousin
child/niece/nephew
daughter/niece
son/nephew
grandchild
granddaughter
grandson

These terms are used for relatives belonging to ones otana. Their meanings parallel those of the mokelhol
terms discussed above. Tiahte is used for ones fathers father, and his patrilineal ancestors, as well as any
other man of ones grandparents generation (or a previous generation) belonging to ones otana; otusu and
omili are used for ones fathers siblings, and any other relatives of ones fathers generation belonging to
the same otana; and so on. As mentioned above, a man will usually refer to his own children using otanai,
otatien, and otanap`e terms which he will also use to refer to his brothers children, and to any other
relatives of his childrens generation belonging to his otana.
Yhmalhol relations
miahte
tiame
mili
tusu
pahal
ympyi
ynnap`e
yntien
ynkilu
ynkiloiha
ynkilukal
kohmi
sakohmi

maternal grandfather
paternal grandmother
outside aunt, stepmother, mother-in-law
outside uncle, stepfather, father-in-law
outside cousin/relative, step-sibling, sister/brother-in-law
outside niece/nephew, stepchild, son/daughter-in-law
outside niece, stepdaughter, daughter-in-law
outside nephew, stepson, son-in-law
outside grandchild
outside granddaughter
outside grandson
spouse, partner (in a kohmi marriage)
spouse, partner (in a sakohmi marriage)

These terms are used for outside relativesthat is, relatives by blood or marriage who do not belong to
either of ones descent groups. Tusu and mili are used for outside relatives of ones parents generation,
including the spouses of ones parents siblings, as well as step-parents and parents-in-law (unless they
happen to share a descent group, in which case the terms for maternal or paternal aunt and uncle would
be used). Likewise, pahal is used for most step-siblings, sisters- and brothers-in-law, and cousins other than
ones mothers sisters children and fathers brothers children. The remaining terms are used in a similar
fashion.
Remarks on kinship terminology
When a kinship term heads a noun phrase that includes a possessor noun phrase, the possessor appears
in the ablative case: e.g., Sakialu ahte Sakials father. When the possessor is a pronoun, that pronoun
normally takes the form of a realis dative clitic: e.g., mo ahte my father.

11.4. SPECIAL LEXICAL CLASSES

327

Where relevant, kinship terms referring to siblings and cousins can carry the augmentative and diminutive
prefixes to(h)- and ki(h)- (11.2.1) to indicate relative age. For example:
tohahkame
tolihpa
tosuhpa
topahal

older
older
older
older

sibling
sister
brother
outside cousin

kihahkame
kilihpa
kisuhpa
kipahal

younger
younger
younger
younger

sibling
sister
brother
outside cousin

When added to terms for grandparents, aunts, and uncles, to(h)- functions similarly to the English prefix
great-: e.g., tomiame maternal great-grandmother (mothers mothers mother), tohomili paternal greataunt (fathers fathers sister), and so on. Similarly, adding ki(h)- to terms for grandchildren forms terms for
great-grandchildren: e.g., kihynkilu outside great-grandson (great-grandson unrelated by direct maternal
or paternal descent).
The collective suffix -mit (11.2.2) may be added to kinship terms when referring to the total set of
people who stand in a particular relationship to a given individual, or to each other: e.g., ahkamemit set
of siblings, mo ahkamemit (all) my siblings, my sisters and brothers, Sakialu otanaimit Sakials children
and paternal nieces and nephews, ame ka pyimit mothers and children.
To form a sentence indicating a mutual relationship, the Class I stative verb kela be together, have a
relationship, be related (as) is used. This term combines with one or more kinship terms (or other relational
nouns such as kuna friend) to express the type of relationship. The relational noun(s) appear without any
case marking, while a noun phrase in the nominative case denotes the individuals who bear the relationship:
(11.8) Motla ka Elime
suhpa
kelat
Motla and Elim.nom brother related.ipv.pl
Motla and Elim are brothers
(11.9) Motla ka Elime
ahte
otanai kelat
Motla and Elim.nom father child
related.ipv.pl
Motla and Elim are father and son
(11.10) Motla ka Elime
kelhuhme
kuna kelat
Motla and Elim.nom familiar:one friend related.ipv.pl
Motla and Elim are old friends
(11.11) Motla ka Elime
sakohmi kelat
Motla and Elim.nom spouse
related.ipv.pl
Motla and Elim are married/spouses
(11.12) Motla ka Elime
sakohmi keltyit
Motla and Elim.nom spouse
related.tinc.pv.pl
Motla and Elim got married (lit. became related as spouses)

11.4.2

Colour terms

Okuna has eleven basic colour terms, listed below:1

1 Sane is presumably derived from the noun san blood; while lohne might contain the root lo-, found in a number of words
related to trees (e.g., loka forest, lotsan wood, losak firewood, losemu bark, etc.). The origins of the other colour terms is
unknown.

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

aihne
aile
has
hemak
hiem
kote
kulhe
laite
lohne
lune
sane

golden/amber one
silvery/metallic one
white one
dark grey one
light grey one
black one
green one
yellow one
brown/earth-coloured one
blue one
red one

Many of these terms refer to a broader range of the spectrum than their usual English translations suggest.
For example, sane covers not only true red, but also reddish orange, pink, magenta, and reddish purple
(burgundy). Likewise, lune covers all of the hues from sky blue to indigo to bluish purple and lavender, and
laite covers yellow-orange and yellow ochre as well as true yellow. Hiem (defined by speakers as mohi nalei
the colour of clouds) is used for shades of pale blue or blue-grey, along with lighter neutral greys, while
hemak (defined as moin nalei the colour of the sea, or tasle toun nalei the colour of wet stone) is reserved
for darker neutral greys and blue/green greys. Finally, lohne covers a broad range of warm and cool earth
tones, including brown, chestnut, copper, tan, olive, and khaki.
Complex colour terms may be formed as necessary by combining basic colour words into compounds. In
particular, kote may be used to indicate a darker shade of some other colour, and has a lighter shade:
has lune
kote kulhe
kulhe laite
sane lohne

light blue one

dark green one
greenish-yellow one
reddish-brown one

As glosses such as red one indicate, the colour terms function syntactically as nouns, and usually refer
to some entity bearing a particular colour, rather than designating the colour in the abstract. (To express
colour in the abstract, the noun nalei colour is modified by a colour term: e.g., sane nalei the colour
red.) Being nouns, colour terms can function by themselves as arguments of verbs, as illustrated in (11.13).
Note also the example in (11.14), where the colour term is unmarked for case and denotes a substance (red
pigment):
(11.13) Mo
es san`e
tlelhyi
1srdat one red:one.nom find.pv
I found a red one/thing or I found something red
(11.14) Sa
kotoi
sane
nepatlyit
13erg house.dat red:one paint.pv.pl
We painted the house red
More often, the colour term modifies a following noun: e.g., kote naka black rock, kulhe lyip green leaves,
hemak hos dark grey sand.
(11.15) Mo
es sane
lohne
uos`
o
tlelhyi
1srdat one red:one brown:one round:stone.nom find.pv
I found a reddish-brown stone
To form a predicate indicating class membership, the colour term combines with the copula he (optional in
the present tense, cf. 9.3.1):
(11.16) Kot`
o
sane
(he)
house.nom red:one be:ipv
The house is red (lit. The house is a red thing)

11.4. SPECIAL LEXICAL CLASSES

11.4.3

329

Motion verbs

Motion verbs are those which express movement or displacement of an object from one location to another.
The entity undergoing movement/displacement is typically expressed by a noun phrase the nominative case.
If the clause includes a noun phrase expressing the goal or endpoint of motion, this noun phrase is marked
with the dative case role; while the ergative case marks the external agent (if any) which manipulates the
object in order to set it in motion.
Clauses with motion verbs can also include oblique noun phrases. An allative noun phrase expresses
the direction or ultimate goal of motion, an ablative noun phrase expresses the source of motion, and an
instrumental noun phrase expresses the path of motion (or an object or place located along that path).
Compare:
(11.17) Ne
tomlai
etyi
3anom mountain.dat go.pv
She came/went to the mountain (goal)
(11.18) Ne
tomlaua
etyi
3anom mountain.all go.pv
She came/went towards the mountain (direction)
(11.19) Ne
tomlau
etyi
3anom mountain.abl go.pv
She came/went from the mountain (source)
(11.20) Ne
tomlame
etyi
3anom mountain.inst go.pv
She came/went by way of the mountain (path)
Okuna has a large number of motion verbs. These may be grouped into two major classes: Trajectoryof-motion verbs encode the direction, path, or position of the moving object with respect to some other
object or location. Verbs of this type often correspond to English go/come plus a preposition: e.g., lhyua
go into, suha come out of, kloha go through. Some of these verbs, such as tsypa go into [a body of
water] and uelalta go/come inland, go/come up from the shore, also encode the type of source or goal.
Manner-of-motion verbs, by contrast, indicate the kind of activity which the object in motion is engaged
in: e.g., tupa walk, go on foot, ianta jump, sihpa swim. I consider these two types of motion verbs in
turn.
Trajectory-of-motion verbs
Trajectory-of-motion verbs mostly belong to Class III (see 4.4.3). Some common trajectory-of-motion verbs
are listed below (a few of these, like afa, kasta, and kloha, also have figurative uses that do not involve
motion):

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

afa
ampiota
atia
eta
fuia
hepa
hyla
ilalta
kahpa
kasta
kelha
kloha
kumita
lampa
lhyua
mokta
mota
niokta
nkilha
otla
palhta
pasehta
piha
saha
sehta
sihafa
sihita
sihkasta
suha
tatana
tlisa
tsypa
uelalta
usihta

go with, accompany; participate

go around, surround, encircle
approach, get closer to
go, come; move
come out, emerge [from a body of water]
go along/beside [the edge of], follow [a path]
pass, go past; elapse
go down towards the shore
go/come down, descend; fall
go against, go in the opposite direction of; oppose
go up, rise, ascend
go through; experience, undergo
go/come before, go/come up to, enter the presence of
go one after another, go in sequence
enter, go into
go/come home, get come
come together, come into contact with, join with
go/come back, return
leave, depart, go away
leave, separate from, part ways with, come apart
land, go/come ashore, alight [from the water or air]
go/come before, precede
go/come after, go/come behind, follow, be subsequent to
go/come after, follow, pursue [with the intention of catching up to]
go ahead/forward, proceed; go forth, emerge
go downstream
go/come down towards the (nearest) river
go upstream
go/come out, exit, emerge
go around (from place to place), wander
go/come across, cross, traverse, go over
go into, enter, be submerged in [a body of water]
go/come inland, go/come up from the coast
go/come up from the (nearest) river

Also included among the trajectory-of-motion verbs are the following deictic verbs, which describe motion
with respect to the position of the speaker and/or the addressee:
kampa
kauta
keta
olhempa
euolhta
olhuta
tseuta
tsimpa
tsita

pass by here/there, go/come through here/there [where we/you are]

leave here, go away from here [where we are]; go/come from there [where you are]
come here [to where we are]; go there [to where you are]
pass by there, go/come through there [away from us]
go over there; go away [away from us]
leave there, go/come from over there [away from us]
leave here, go away from here [where I am]
pass by here, go/come through here, go/come this way [where I am]
come here [to where I am]

Sample sentences illustrating trajectory-of-motion verbs are given below. Notice how the noun phrases are
case-marked in these examples:
(11.21) Moih`
a
kotoi
kutsmu hitolme
lhyuyi
girl.nom house.dat back
door.inst enter.pv

11.4. SPECIAL LEXICAL CLASSES

331

The girl came/went into the house through the back door
(11.22) Ne
es luhme laume
lokai
hepyit
3anom one old:one path.inst woods.dat go:along.pv.pl
They followed an old path into the woods
(11.23) Isane puole
ula
atiyi
13all boat.nom island.all approach.pv
Our boat got closer to the island
(11.24) Elime
palou
teneme kahpyi
Elim.nom village.abl hill.inst go:down.pv
Elim came down the hill from the village
(11.25) Sa
ilalna
losak
utitiet
paloi
uelaltyit
13erg shore.loc firewood pf.gather.pt.pl village.dat go:inland.pv.pl
Having gathered firewood on the shore, we went (back) inland to the village
(11.26) Kon`
o
sihkasta
seku etikeia
salmon.nom go:upstream.ipv roe sbj.secrete.dep:sbj.all
Salmon swim upstream to spawn
Most motion verbs can be used transitively as well as intransitively, taking an ergative argument to express
an external agent who causes the theme to be in motion, usually by physically manipulating it. Motion
verbs used transitively tend to be translated using put or bring/take rather than go/come. Compare
these pairs of sentences:
(11.27) Kim`e
keuli
kelhyi
baby.nom chair.dat go:up.pv
The baby got up onto the chair
(11.28) Moihama kim`e
keuli
kelhyi
girl.erg baby.nom chair.dat go:up.pv
The girl lifted the baby up onto the chair
(11.29) Pyie
tsityi
child.nom come:here.pv
The child came here
(11.30) Sakialma
halm`
a
tsityi
Sakial.erg book.nom come:here.pv
Sakial put/brought the book here
(11.31) Puole
Tenmotlaio
sihafyit
boat.nom Tenmotlai.abl go:downstream.pv.npl.pl
The boats went downstream from Tenmotlai
(11.32) Kahuniakama puole
Tenmotlaio
sihafyiat
fisherman.erg boat.nom Tenmotlai.abl go:downstream.pv.npl.pl
The fishermen took/propelled the boats downstream from Tenmotlai
A handful of trajectory-of-motion verbs are basically transitive, in the sense that the ergative argument is
almost always present (or implied). These include:

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

elha
hiafa
nufa
tekelha
teniokta
teuna
tifa
tiyisa
uktia

put in, insert

bring, take; bring along
take out, extract, remove (from inside)
pick up
put back, replace, return
put, put down; take, place
take off, remove (from the surface of)
lift, raise, pick up
give, bestow

With the exception of hiafa, these verbs describe events where the actor participant does not (or need not)
undergo the same change of location as the theme. By contrast, other motion verbs tend to describe events
where the actor and theme move together. Compare the examples below. With (11.33) it is understood
that both the girl and the baskets ended up inside the tent; however, (11.34) has no such entailment: the
girl may have stayed outside and lifted the baskets in through an opening in the tent. The second pair of
sentences show a similar contrast.
(11.33) Moihama hut`
a
hulhpamoil lhyuyia
girl.erg basket.nom tent.dat
enter.pv.npl
The girl took the baskets into the tent
(11.34) Moihama hut`
a
hulhpamoil elhyia
girl.erg basket.nom tent.dat
put:in.pv.npl
The girl put the baskets in the tent
(11.35) Moihama halm`
a
Sakiail
nioktyi
girl.erg book.nom Sakial.dat go:back.pv
The girl took the book back to Sakial (or returned the book to Sakial)
(11.36) Moihama kamale
akoit
tenioktyi
girl.erg knife.nom box.dat put:back.pv
The girl put the knife back in the box
Note finally that combining a motion verb (used transitively) with the unmarked noun inie eyes yields
expressions denoting events of looking, with the choice of motion verb specifying the direction in which the
perceiver (marked with ergative case) is looking: e.g., inie kahpa look down (lit. move eyes down), inie
suha look out (of) (lit. move eyes out), inie nkilha look away (lit. take eyes away), etc.:
(11.37) Na
akoit
inie elhyi
3aerg box.dat eyes insert.pv
She looked into the box
(11.38) Ma
huiloime
inie iklohanka
1serg window.inst eyes prg.go:through.ipv:pst
I was looking through the window
Likewise, combining kuma face with a motion verb forms expressions like kuma kelha face up, kuma kahpa
face down, kuma nkilha face away, turn away, etc. Here, however, the subject of the motion verb appears
in the nominative case:
(11.39) Ne
im`
o
kuma inkulhanka
ma
itsampa
emuohpi
3anom 1sabl face prg.go:away:res.ipv:pst 1serg prg.speak.dep whole:time
She was facing away from me the whole time I was talking (to her)

11.4. SPECIAL LEXICAL CLASSES

333

Manner-of-motion verbs
The following verbs all express the manner in which an object moves, or the means by which it moves, rather
than the trajectory, direction, goal, or source of motion:
aipa
hentupa
hiela
ianta
kaklala
kiompa
klalpa
kuntupa
lefa
lhopa
mimilha
natupa
paka
piyla
puita
sihpa
talha
tupa
uasta
yisa

float, drift (on air or water)

walk on two legs, be bipedal
travel by vehicle [esp. boat]
jump, leap
scurry, scamper, move quickly on small legs
run, move quickly
move stealthily, sneak around
walk on four legs, be quadrupedal
roll (over)
flow; blow [pertaining to fluid: water, wind, etc.]
move back and forth, oscillate; move in a serpentine path
crawl on ones hands and knees
step, take a step
slither, crawl on ones belly
ride [an animal]
swim
climb [a sloping surface]
walk, go on foot
fly
climb [a steep/vertical surface]

Manner-of-motion verbs belong to Class II (see 4.4.2). With verbs of this type, the noun phrase denoting
the object in motion appears in the ergative case rather than the nominative:
(11.40) Kimima kas
inatupa
iam
baby.erg now/already prg.crawl.ipv it:turns:out
The baby is crawling now
(11.41) Kahuma sihpa
le
pilama
uasta
fish.erg swim.ipv while bird.erg fly.ipv
Fish swim and birds fly
Manner-of-motion verbs generally do not take noun phrases denoting a goal or a source. A Okuna speaker
will not say the equivalent of Sakial is walking to the house, expressing both the manner of motion and
the trajectory of motion within a single verb phrase. Instead, s/he will express this idea by saying Sakial is
going to the house by walking, using a combination of a manner-of-motion verb and a trajectory-of-motion
verb. In constructions of this sort the manner-of-motion verb precedes and modifies the trajectory-of-motion
verb, taking the converb suffix -e (cf. 10.4 on the converb construction). Compare:
(11.42) Sakialma
itupa
Sakial.erg prg.walk.ipv
Sakial is walking or Sakial is going on foot
(11.43) Sakiale
kotoi
ita
Sakial.nom house.dat prg.go.ipv
Sakial is going to the house
(11.44) Sakiale
kotoi
tupe
ita
Sakial.nom house.dat walk.cv prg.go.ipv
Sakial is walking to the house (lit. is going to the house [by] walking)

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CHAPTER 11. DERIVATION AND THE LEXICON

Notice that in the last sentence, the trajectory-of-motion verb determines how the theme is case-marked. So
whereas tupa walk assigns ergative case to the noun phrase denoting the object in motion, the compound
predicate tupe eta walk to X, go to X by walking assigns nominative case to this argument, since that is
the case assigned by eta go (to). Compare also the following pairs of sentences:
(11.45) Sakialma
otuhna
eiantanka
Sakial.erg hole.loc prg.jump.ipv:pst
Sakial was jumping (around) in the hole
(11.46) Sakiale
otoi
iante
lhyuyi
Sakial.nom hole.dat jump.cv enter.pv
Sakial jumped into the hole (lit. entered [by] jumping)
(11.47) Kamiuama klalpyi
lynx.erg
move:stealthily.pv
The lynx moved stealthily or The lynx sneaked around
(11.48) Kamiu`
a
hesa
klalpe
atiyi
lynx.nom rabbit.all move:stealthily.cv approach.pv
The lynx stalked the rabbit (lit. approached [by] moving stealthily)
Inherently transitive motion verbs such as elha put in, insert and tifa take off, remove also routinely take
converb modifiers denoting the manner of motion or means by which the motion is accomplished, as shown
below.
(11.49) Na
ahotsine tultsai
tlynke
elhyi
3aerg corn.nom bag.dat push.cv insert.pv
She shoved the corn into the bag (lit. inserted [by] pushing)
(11.50) Na
hastein
kaliale
lihke
itifa
3aerg deer.dat legs.nom cut.cv prg.remove.ipv
He is cutting the legs off the deer (lit. removing [by] cutting)

11.5

Common expressions

Below is a list of greetings and other common expressions.

Nalla
Ihu`
alan?
Ihualat ne?
Ihuala, tianunta
Ku miai t`
aksan?
Ku miai taksat ne?
Me taksa ia X
Mieu ehk`
anan?
Mieu ehkanat ne?
Eliampi etskana
Eliampi eta
Eliampi sehta
Eskuke
Tianunta
Tianunta hok
Kas uonta la

Hello
How are you? (lit. Are you well?)
How are you (pl)?
Im well, thank you
What is your name? (lit. How are you called?)
What are your names?
(My) name is X
Where do you come from?
Where do you (pl) come from?
Welcome (lit. Arrive with ease)
Good-bye (lit. Go with ease)
Farewell, Bon voyage (lit. Go on with ease)
Please
Thank you
Thank you very much
Youre welcome

11.5. COMMON EXPRESSIONS

Mi mehu skale eskuke
Uta uskala la
Luom mianka hin?

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Pardon me, Forgive me (lit. May shame be removed from me)

I forgive you, Dont mention it (lit. It has already be removed)
What time is it? (lit. Its the how many-th hour?)

Nalla is a casual greeting, typically used with friends and relatives. A more formal greeting is Nalla eskuke,
often used between strangers or recent acquaintances (eskuke normally means please, but is here used
simply to indicate politeness or deference). Other expressions of greeting and leave-taking are formed by
combining the adverb eliampi with ease with an appropriate verb. These include Eliampi etskana and
Eliampi eta, listed above. Eliampi can be combined with other verbs as well, according to the situation.
For instance, after visiting someone, one may take ones leave by saying Eliampi teha (literally Stay behind
with ease).
Tianunta Thank you is a contraction of the expression Ikou tiane unta, meaning May your kindness
return (to you). Here the verb unta means come around, come full circle, return to where one began.
Tianunta hok is a more emphatic form. The customary polite reply, Kas uonta la, literally means Rest
assured (it) has now returnedin other words, the kindness mentioned by the thanker has returned to the
person being thanked. The idea is that the very act of thanking is itself a kindness which amply repays the
act for which the thanks was offered.

Chapter 12

Sample Texts
12.1

The North Wind and the Sun

This is a translation of one of Aesops fables. Notice that the north wind and the sun, being personified
characters in a story, are treated as animate.
Heutu suku ka ahoma isokastankat ineu mi`
o anasohta auna, mosiemul imupaitlanen es puniakak`
a
atskane. Ahoma tlai etsyi, Utskopa ha ikimna sukumampeia euotupinen mitunke. Ikimu ehtsanna lohkyipai olh puniakaka in`
a mosiemule etif`e, temai te nan anasoht`
a iontike. Elh ik`
o kai
nika nem. Temai ah`
o mohi ihfoi etyi le sukuma puniakakaua lhope kastyi. Le taualhme enasohte
lhope, tlai puniakakama mosiemule ohpi tsan heulhte ampiotyi. Lamuta sukuma lhan lahyi eskyi
ahoma enik`e. Elh ah`
o temai mohi ihfou sehtyi na puniakakaua lai uantetyi hostats muoheme.
Tehefoi puniakakaua tsuo akailtyi elh na mosiemule tifyi. Tlotunke te ah`
o anasoht`
a atafe.
Word-by-word glosses:
(12.1) Heutu
suku ka ahoma
isokastankat
north.abl wind and sun.erg prg.argue.ipv:pst.pl
The north wind and the sun were arguing...
(12.2) ineu
mi`
o
anasohta
auna,
3apabl who:nom rel.strong.comp.dep if.all
about which (one) of them was stronger...
(12.3) mosiemul imupaitlanen
es puniakak`
a
atskane.
cloak
prg.wear:res.dep.cnzr one traveller.nom pv.arrive.pt
when a traveller wearing a cloak appeared.
(12.4) Ahoma tlai etsyi,
sun.erg thus say.pv
The sun said (as follows)...
(12.5) Utskopa
ha
ikimna sukumampeia euotupinen
mitunke.
pf.realize.ipv in:fact 12loc dispute.all
sbj.decide.dep:sbj.cnzr some:way
(I) have realized a way to resolve our dispute.
(12.6) Ikimu ehtsanna lohkyipai
olh
puniakaka in`
a
mosiemule
12abl one.loc cause.able.pt:sbj dist traveller
3aserg cloak.nom
etif`e,
sbj.remove.dep:sbj.nom
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12.1. THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN

If one of us can cause that traveller to remove (his) cloak...
(12.7) temai te
nan
anasoht`
a
iontike.
then foc 3asnom rel.strong.comp.dep.nom known.tinc.cond
then it would become known that that one is the strongest.
(12.8) Elh
ik`
o
kai nika
nem.
and:so 2serg first try.ipv why:not
Why dont you try (it) first?
(12.9) Temai ah`
o
mohi ihfoi
etyi
then
sun.nom cloud behind.dat go.pv
The the sun went behind a cloud...
(12.10) le
sukuma
puniakakaua lhope
kastyi.
while wind.erg traveller.all blow.cv go:against.pv
while the wind blew (itself) against the traveller.
(12.11) Le taualhme
anasohte
lhope,
but despite:that.inst rel.strong.comp.cv blow.cv
Nevertheless, the more strongly (it) blew...
(12.12) tlai
puniakakama mosiemule ohpi
tsan heulhte ampiotyi.
to:that:extent traveller.erg cloak.nom more:so self pull.cv surround.pv
the more (tightly) the traveller pulled the cloak around himself.
(12.13) Lamuta sukuma
lhan
lahyi
eskyi
ahoma
enik`e.
at:last wind.erg resolve release.pv ask.pv sun.erg sbj.try.dep:sbj.nom
At last the wind gave up (lit. let go of its resolve) (and) asked the sun to try.
(12.14) Elh
ah`
o
temai mohi ihfou
sehtyi
and:so sun.nom then cloud behind.abl emerge.pv
So then the sun emerged from behind the cloud...
(12.15) na
puniakakaua lai
uantetyi
hostats muoheme.
3aerg traveller.all light cast.tinc.pv power whole.inst
(and) it began to cast (its) light on the traveller with all (its) might.
(12.16) Tehefoi
puniakakaua tsuo akailtyi
elh
na
mosiemule tifyi.
shortly:after traveller.all too rel.hot.tinc.pv and:so 3aerg cloak.nom remove.pv
Presently it became to hot for the traveller, and so he removed the cloak.
(12.17) Tlotunke
te
ah`
o
anasoht`
a
atafe.
in:that:way foc sun.nom rel.strong.comp.dep.nom pv.show.pt
In that way it (was) shown that it was the sun that was stronger.

337