Two object pronouns in a transitive verb

SOUP soup at vm.inext.cz
Tue Feb 29 06:45:27 UTC 2000


I have been transcribing Buechel's Lakhota version of Bible, phonemizing it
and supplying it with literal and free translation. During the work I came
upon a transitive verb with two object pronouns in it:

nima'kahipi (<kahi') = they brought you to me
(Pilate talking to Jesus, pp. 282; 1924)

I only know the use of two object pronouns in few stative verbs, but I have
never encountered this kind of construction in a transitive verb (and I
don't recall it being described in any of the works on Lakhota known to me).
I would like to know whether it is a regular way of dealing with two animate
objects in one transitive verb or whether it is something that Buechel
and/or his Lakhota helpers "invented" during the translation process.
Considering that kahi' is a verb requiring three participants this use of
pronouns seems quite logical.
So my questions are:
1) is this a regular way of using object pronouns with three participant
verbs?
2) can the order be changed like: mani'c^ahipi - "they brought me to you";
and if so, is it a rule that the pronoun of direct object follows the
pronoun of indirect object.
3) Is the animate indirect object in third person plural ALWAYS expressed by
wic^ha (wic^ha'makahipi - they brought THEM to me; s^u'Nka nu'pa
wic^ha'mak?u - he gave me TWO DOGS)? I am asking because in the Bible I also
found to'na wic^ha'mak?u - "those whom he gave me (meaning people)".
4) I doubt a little that the answer to 3) is affirmative, for the sentence
s^u'Nka nu'pa wic^ha'k?u would then probably be ambiguous: "he gave THEM two
dogs" and "he gave him TWO DOGS". Perhaps wic^ha' is used for indirect
object only when it is not expressed by an independent word.
6) If it is not regular to use two object pronouns in a transitive verb, how
would Lakhotas express sentences of the type: "They brought you to me"?

Perhaps someone with access to speakers could check this. I would very much
appreciate it.

Jan Ullrich



More information about the Siouan mailing list