1st person/2nd person subject object combinations in Timucua

The verbal prefixes of Timucua seem to follow the following template:

(object agr)-(applicative)-(subject agr)-VERB ROOT

The agreement prefixes are

• ni-  1st person
• chi- 2nd person

The same prefixes are used for both subject and object agreement.  They are not in the same agreement slot because the applicative na- prefix follows the object agreement and precedes the subject agreement.

However, there is an apparent restriction that there cannot be an overt object prefix and an overt subject prefix at the same time.  If there is a 1st or 2nd person object, 1st or 2nd person subject agreement is shown by

• a suffix on the verb, or
• a prefix on a separate verb

Examples:

1612 Cat, f78r-78v

1612 Cat, f70v

1612 Cat, f55v

Conf F vi

1612 Cat, f65v

The following examples have 2nd person subject and 1st person object.

'What do you say about us?" Conf, f22v-23r

1612 Cat, f20v

The following (most excellent) example shows both combinations -- note that in each one the object is shown by preverbal agreement and the subject by postverbal:

Conf, f28v -29

Elements between compound verbs in Colonial Valley Zapotec

Several words that function as single words in most modern Valley Zapotec languages are compounds, often with the word lachi 'heart'.  For example, a verb like r-ielilachi is 'believe' in several modern languages.

The general structure in modern languages is Asp[Verb-lachi](=adv clitics)

In the Colonial texts, we see a number of elements that may appear between the final root in the compound and the initial material.  So we instead see a structure like

Asp-Verb (=clitics) (other elements?) lachi

The following examples show some of the items that are between the two parts.
a.) The negative clitic =ti
This example shows up in the phrase aca xi penni=ti lachi=a 'I have not paid attention'

Aguero 1666 p. 6

b.) a quantifier like quitobi 'all'

This is in the phrase Coxenni quitobi lachi=a 'I have entrusted all'

Aguero 1666 p. 6

c.) adverbs like chahui 'well'
d.) emphatic clitics like =lij and =ca

Both of these possibilities are shown in the following example:

Aguero 1666 p 2

[to be continued]