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 background10 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 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- “putsomething into a container” + dannua “water”)
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 full
something out of a container or other enclosing object, e.g. an envelope” + dannua “water”  
status and capabilities of a verb not derived from compounding, including NI:
 
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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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 =  Sussagarānītirektiki kahušnišattekaran.
|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 banged myself against my big toe.
| translation = I stubbed my big toe.
}}
}}


{{Gloss
{{Gloss
|phrase = Kahušnisuggašnattekaran.
|phrase = Kahušni<u>sugga</u>š<u>n</u>attekaran.
| IPA =
| IPA =
| morphemes = kah-ušn-suggan-šatt-ek-ar-an
| 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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| IPA =
| IPA =
| morphemes = purrak saxt-raħk-tahal-ruppamak-ek-ar-an
| morphemes = purrak saxt-raħk-tahal-ruppamak-ek-ar-an
| gloss = pigment=ABL INCH-be.green-APPL.ABL-face-1S.NOM-PST-INTR
| 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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}}
}}


= Truncation/Weak Suppletion =
= Polypersonal Marking =
Most Minhast nouns are irregular in their IN forms, the majority of which exhibit what has been referred to among Minhast linguists as ''truncation'', wherein the incorporated nominal appears in a shortened form from the reduction or loss of syllables.  This process is more commonly referred to as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppletion#Weak_suppletion weak suppletion]  (see also "Noun Incorporation: A New Theoretical Perspective", Alessio Muro, 2009)Cross-linguistically this process is seen in other languages such as Sora, an unrelated language from the Munda family in  IndiaThe first example shows the analytic version of the Sora sentence "Will they eat the buffalo/ Do they eat buffalo?".  The second example shows the noun incorporated-version of the same sentence, where the independent word ''bɔŋtɛl'' ("buffalo") has lost its final syllable to create its incorporating form, ''bɔŋ'':
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-dropHowever, polypersonal marking can target the IN under certain restrictionsWhen 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 = bɔŋtɛlәnәdɔŋ jomtɛji pɔ
|phrase = Nayyakiyuššitiyaran.
| IPA =
| IPA =
| morphemes = '''<u>bɔŋtɛl</u>'''-әn-әdɔŋ jom-t-ɛ-ji pɔ
| morphemes = nayyaki-iyuššit-i-ar-an
| gloss = buffalo-/әn/3-ACC eat-NPST-3S-PL.S Q
| gloss = gather.together-storm.cloud-3.ANIM.P-PST-INTR
| translation = Will they eat the buffalo/ Do they eat buffalo?
| translation = Storm clouds gathered.
}}
 
{{Gloss
|phrase =  jombɔŋtɛnji pɔ
| IPA =
| morphemes = jom-'''<u>bɔŋ</u>'''-t-ɛ-n-ji pɔ
| gloss = eat-buffalo-NPST-3S-INTR-PL.S Q
| translation = Will they eat the buffalo/ Do they eat buffalo?
}}
 
 
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
|phrase =  <u>Sussagarānī</u>tirektiki kahušnišattekaran.
| IPA =
| 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
| translation = I banged my big toe.
}}
}}


{{Gloss
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:
|phrase = Kahušni<u>sugga</u>š<u>n</u>attekaran.
| IPA =
| morphemes = kah-ušn-sussagarānī-šatt-ek-ar-an
| gloss = INV.VOL-hit-toe-RFLX-1S.NOM-PST-TRNS
| translation = I stubbed my big toe.
}}
 
Similar patterns can be found with ''hispawak'' > ''-hispak-'' ("birch"), and ''izzesparak'' > ''-spark-'' ("canoe").
 
The pattern of truncation is unpredictable; syllable loss may occur in initial, medial, or final positions, although noun roots with more than two syllables tend to lose either their medial or final syllables and retain the initial syllable, but exceptions abound, such as ''allāga'' > ''-lgagg-'' (conch) .
 
Oftentimes, agreement marking occurs under certain restrictions, and/or exhibit irregularities in gender-number concord.  When agreement marking does appear, they tend to occur with collective or mass nouns, such as the inherently collective ''iyuššit'', and only with certain verbs, particularly ones indicating movement, and even then ''iyuššit'' triggers agreement marking in a small fraction among these verbs. 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 ''-wakkay-'', is not a motion verb.  The lack of an overt agreement marker with ''-adu-'' points towards a zero-valent interpretation:


{{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.
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