Another Patient-Subject Verb

[Koontz John E]

Here's an interesting Omaha-Ponca patient subject example that I found in
Dorsey's 1891 Omaha and Ponka Letters collection, p. 78, in a the Notes to
a letter from Gihaz^i (Samuel White) to Cornelius Rickman.  Gihaz^i
delivered an English preface to his letter in which he stated that he had
been having problems with sore eyes, but "Now my eyes are well, and I am
in good health."  Dorsey offers as the Omaha equivalent:

Is^ta'=dhaN aNgi'gdhaska,   iN'udaN.
eyes   the  my own are well it's good for me

The form aNgi'gdhaska agrees with the speaker using the patient marker aN,
though is^ta'=dhaN 'the eyes' is in patient form, too, to judge by the
article.  (It might also be an obviative subject, I guess, though the verb
doesn't take an plural marking.)  The verb stem is a suus gigdhaska 'one's
own to be clear', from gaska 'to strike clear', probably here 'to become
clear', following partially the pattern of u-ga-X stems meaning 'to become
X colored'.  Dorsey renders the form literally as 'mine is white again',
primarily refering to the cornea and secondarily to the sight.

Compare 1890:690.8

Wi' naNxi'de aN'ska=xti
I   hearing  it is very good for me
I have excellent hearing

JEK