Sunday, March 8, 2015

An active/stative distinction in Timucua?

I've been investigating a possible Active/Stative distinction in Timucua.  At this point, I have only looked at 1st plural agreement.  

The patterns:

A   V-nica = 1st pl subject

B  ni-V-bo = 1st pl subject

The B pattern is identical to what is always found for a 1st pl object -- ni-V-bo.

Verbs that seem to be in the A group include

  • pueno 'come'
  • nate ... mani-si  'pardon'
  • tamalo  'ask, entreat'
  • abosini 'be (pl. subject)' 
  • iso 'do, make'
  • patu 'be cold'
  • toco 'come out'
  • nahiabo 'know'
  • lapusi 'request'
  • areco 'make'
  • hime 'return'
  • hoboso 'receive'
  • quachi 'teach'


Verbs in the B group include

  • balu 'live'
  • ara 'be many'
  • nihi 'die'
  • ni 'suffer'
  • fari 'return'
  • abosini 'be (pl.) subject'
  • ini 'be'
  • chebe 'be lost'
  • nurabo 'tell a lie'


The semantics of this are not straightforward, but most of the verbs in group A are agentive, and most in group B are non-agentive.  (Exceptions -- nurabo 'tell a lie'; patu 'be cold'; nahiabo 'know')
The only verb I have found so far with both A and B inflection for 1st pl is abosini, which seems to be a kind of auxiliary.

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