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Minhast/Noun Incorporation: Difference between revisions
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# Type I - Lexical Compounding: the creation of new lexical items by compounding a noun root and verb root; | # Type I - Lexical Compounding: the creation of new lexical items by compounding a noun root and verb root; | ||
# Type II - Case Manipulation: a noun (usually a Patient, although Instrumental and Locative nouns may be involved) is incorporated into the verb complex. This is a valence operation: if the incorporated noun was originally a core argument, another argument can occupy the position vacated by the IN and assume core status. Alternatively, depending on the semantic nature of the verb, Oblique8 nouns that are Instruments, Locatives, or Goals may also be incorporated;9 | # Type II - Case Manipulation: a noun (usually a Patient, although Instrumental and Locative nouns may be involved) is incorporated into the verb complex. This is a valence operation: if the incorporated noun was originally a core argument, another argument can occupy the position vacated by the IN and assume core status. Alternatively, depending on the semantic nature of the verb, Oblique8 nouns that are Instruments, Locatives, or Goals may also be incorporated;9 | ||
# Type III - Manipulation of Discourse: NI is used to | # Type III - Manipulation of Discourse: NI is used to background information in sections of the discourse so that other arguments are brought to the foreground. It allows speech participants to focus on the important entities within a particular passage of the discourse; | ||
# Type IV - Classificatory NI: Mithun describes this type of NI wherein a “...relatively general N(oun) stem is incorporated to narrow the scope of the V(erb)...but the compound noun stem can be accompanied by a more specific external NP which identifies the argument implied by the IN.” | # Type IV - Classificatory NI: Mithun describes this type of NI wherein a “...relatively general N(oun) stem is incorporated to narrow the scope of the V(erb)...but the compound noun stem can be accompanied by a more specific external NP which identifies the argument implied by the IN.” | ||
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Minhast utilizes Type I NI to create lexical compounds but only if a particular activity, state, or event occurs frequently to warrant institutionalizing into the lexicon. Usually, one or both elements of the compound are shortened, as in the following examples: | Minhast utilizes Type I NI to create lexical compounds but only if a particular activity, state, or event occurs frequently to warrant institutionalizing into the lexicon. Usually, one or both elements of the compound are shortened, as in the following examples: | ||
5a) aydann- “To store water in a cistern, reservoir, or catch-basin” (derived from ayaya- | 5a) ''aydann''- “To store water in a cistern, reservoir, or catch-basin” (derived from ''ayaya'' - “put something into a container” + ''dannua'' “water”)<br/> | ||
5b) uzdann- → uzzat-dannua “To draw water from a well” (derived from uzzat- “to pull | 5b) ''uzdann- → uzzat-dannua'' “To draw water from a well” (derived from ''uzzat''- “to pull | ||
something out of a container or other enclosing object, e.g. an envelope” + dannua “water” Compounding NI is a derivational process. If the compound yields a new verb, it has the | something out of a container or other enclosing object, e.g. an envelope” + dannua “water” | ||
5c) Aydantayattaran → aydann-tayatta-ar-an “He poisoned the well” (lit. “He stored the water with poison). | Compounding NI is a derivational process. If the compound yields a new verb, it has the fullstatus and capabilities of a verb not derived from compounding, including NI:<br/> | ||
5c) ''Aydantayattaran → aydann-tayatta-ar-an'' “He poisoned the well” (lit. “He stored the water with poison). | |||
=== Type II Noun Incorporation - Case Manipulation === | === Type II Noun Incorporation - Case Manipulation === | ||
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| translation = Canonballs explode next to it the deerskin. | | translation = Canonballs explode next to it the deerskin. | ||
}} | }} | ||
= Truncation/Weak Suppletion = | = Truncation/Weak Suppletion = | ||
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Similarly, Minhast INs exhibit weak suppletion, and it occurs extensively, particularly with nouns longer than two syllables, e.g. ''sussagarānī'' > ''-suggan-'' ("big toe"). | Similarly, Minhast INs exhibit weak suppletion, and it occurs extensively, particularly with nouns longer than two syllables, e.g. ''sussagarānī'' > ''-suggan-'' ("big toe"). The contrast can be seen in the following two examples, the first where the noun occurs in its full form as the dependent argument in a possessive NP, and the second wherein the noun appears in truncated form after noun incorporation: | ||
{{Gloss | {{Gloss | ||
|phrase = | |phrase = <u>Sussagarānī</u>tirektiki kahušnišattekaran. | ||
| IPA = | | IPA = | ||
| morphemes = sussagarānī-tirek=de=ki kah-ušn-šatt-ek-ar-an | | morphemes = sussagarānī-tirek=de=ki kah-ušn-šatt-ek-ar-an | ||
| gloss = big.toe-3SN.INAN.POSSM+1S.POSSR=ERG=LOC INV.VOL-hit-RFLX-1S.NOM-PST-TRNS | | gloss = big.toe-3SN.INAN.POSSM+1S.POSSR=ERG=LOC INV.VOL-hit-RFLX-1S.NOM-PST-TRNS | ||
| translation = I | | translation = I stubbed my big toe. | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Gloss | {{Gloss | ||
|phrase = | |phrase = Kahušni<u>sugga</u>š<u>n</u>attekaran. | ||
| IPA = | | IPA = | ||
| morphemes = kah-ušn- | | morphemes = kah-ušn-sussagarānī-šatt-ek-ar-an | ||
| gloss = INV.VOL-hit-toe-RFLX-1S.NOM-PST-TRNS | | gloss = INV.VOL-hit-toe-RFLX-1S.NOM-PST-TRNS | ||
| translation = I stubbed my big toe. | | translation = I stubbed my big toe. | ||
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= Noun Incorporation of Oblique Arguments= | = Noun Incorporation of Oblique Arguments= | ||
In many languages which exhibit noun incorporation, the type of noun that can be incorporated into the verb is often restricted. Some languages incorporate body parts only, others are restricted to inalienable nouns or some other semantic category. Other languages that exhibit extensive noun incorporation, of which Mohawk and its relatives in the Iroquoian language family are the most studied, while having much fewer semantic restrictions, still limit the syntactic or thematic role of the noun that can be incorporated: these are that of the Patient argument, and in some cases the Instrument argument. Other arguments serving in a different thematic/theta role are barred from incorporation. Other noun incorporating languages, such as Chukchi, appear to have no restrictions on the theta role of the incorporated noun (IN); but when these oblique nouns are incorporated, the only way to recover their thematic role is by context alone. | |||
Minhast is one of those languages that can incorporate oblique arguments. However, the oblique arguments that can be incorporated are constrained by the semantic characteristics of the verb. Some transitive verbs which require a third argument, which is always an oblique noun, can optionally incorporate the oblique noun. The verb wasaskiyu is such an example: | Minhast is one of those languages that can incorporate oblique arguments. However, the oblique arguments that can be incorporated are constrained by the semantic characteristics of the verb. Some transitive verbs which require a third argument, which is always an oblique noun, can optionally incorporate the oblique noun. The verb wasaskiyu is such an example: | ||
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| IPA = | | IPA = | ||
| morphemes = purrak saxt-raħk-tahal-ruppamak-ek-ar-an | | morphemes = purrak saxt-raħk-tahal-ruppamak-ek-ar-an | ||
| gloss = pigment=ABL | | gloss = pigment=ABS INCH-APPL.ABL-be.green-face-1S.NOM-PST-INTR | ||
| translation = My face became green from the dye (lit. "Because of the pigment, I became green-faced.") | | translation = My face became green from the dye (lit. "Because of the pigment, I became green-faced.") | ||
}} | }} | ||
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}} | }} | ||
= | = Polypersonal Marking = | ||
The primary purpose of the polypersonal markers in the Minhast verb are to reference the core arguments of its clause, whether they appear overtly, or are omitted through pro-drop. However, polypersonal marking can target the IN under certain restrictions. When agreement marking does appear, they tend to occur with collective or mass nouns, such as the inherently collective ''iyuššit''. Moreover, this type of incorporation occurs with certain verbs only, particularly ones indicating movement, and even then ''iyuššit'' triggers agreement marking in a small fraction among these verbs. | |||
{{Gloss | {{Gloss | ||
|phrase = | |phrase = Nayyakiyuššitiyaran. | ||
| IPA = | | IPA = | ||
| morphemes = | | morphemes = nayyaki-iyuššit-i-ar-an | ||
| gloss = | | gloss = gather.together-storm.cloud-3.ANIM.P-PST-INTR | ||
| translation = Storm clouds gathered. | |||
| translation = | |||
}} | }} | ||
Oftentimes irregularities in gender-number concord may appear. An example where agreement marking is lacking with the very same collective noun follows in the next example. Note that the verb ''-adu-'' ("be many"), unlike ''-nayyaki-'', is not a motion verb. The lack of an overt agreement marker with ''-adu-'' points towards a zero-valent interpretation: | |||
Oftentimes | |||
{{Gloss | {{Gloss | ||
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}} | }} | ||
Interestingly, ''-puht-'' can license agreement with other nouns, such as ''kayyūn'' "tree", when a collective meaning is intended: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
|phrase = Yaššapuħtakayyummaharan. | |||
| IPA = | |||
| morphemes = yašša-puħt-kayyūn-mah-ar-an | |||
| gloss = there.DIST-stand.upright-tree-3S.NEUT-PST-INTR | |||
| translation = The trees stood there. | |||
}} | |||
Diachronic factors may explain the irregularities involving agreement marking for a subset of incorporated nouns interacting with a subset of verbs. The Proto-Nahenic ancestor originally had an extensive hierarchical noun class system, remnants of which remain in Minhast's relative Nahónda as evidenced by even more irregularities in the latter, and in its other relative Nankôre, whose elaborate nominal hierarchy may be a preservation of the protolanguage's original noun class system or an extensive elaboration of it. The irregular agreement marking triggered by ''-iyuššit-'' among a subset of a select class of verbs suggests that the noun once fell within a noun class of a particular animacy level. When the protolanguage split, the original noun class system were restructured in the daughter languages; further reductions and loss, particularly in both Minhast and Nahónda, left a residue in the form of the irregular agreement marking seen today. | Diachronic factors may explain the irregularities involving agreement marking for a subset of incorporated nouns interacting with a subset of verbs. The Proto-Nahenic ancestor originally had an extensive hierarchical noun class system, remnants of which remain in Minhast's relative Nahónda as evidenced by even more irregularities in the latter, and in its other relative Nankôre, whose elaborate nominal hierarchy may be a preservation of the protolanguage's original noun class system or an extensive elaboration of it. The irregular agreement marking triggered by ''-iyuššit-'' among a subset of a select class of verbs suggests that the noun once fell within a noun class of a particular animacy level. When the protolanguage split, the original noun class system were restructured in the daughter languages; further reductions and loss, particularly in both Minhast and Nahónda, left a residue in the form of the irregular agreement marking seen today. | ||