akhe (was RE: Predicative (?)e ...)

[Koontz John E]

Examples that tend to show that akhe isn't a female speech form.  I'm
using Dorsey's glosses.  I've retranscribed but kept his word divisions,
though I've inserted = in them.


Here I'm using Dorsey's glosses.

90:63.11
Is^ti'niNkhe akh=e akha,    a'=bi=ama
I.           is    the one  said they they say

Here the akhe isn't final.  The repeated akha is a pattern that does
occur with 'there is' sentences.  I suppose the second akha is
imperfective, though I'm not sure why.

90:143.14
wiga'xdhaN ga'=akh=e             a'=bi=ama
my wife    that one lying is she said he, they say

This is definitely a masculine speaker.

90:311.4
wadhaxu'xughe naN'ba t?e  akh=e         a'dha  u
racoon        two    dead the two (lie) indeed halloo

Here Dorsey seems to be considering that akhe might be 'the two', but I
doubt this is correct per se, though he is no doubt noticing that there
are two racoons, but the article form is what he considers singular.  The
adha u is the "herald's declarative" (or formal declarative as Rory
suggests) in the (modern) male form (I'm pretty sure!), though spoken by
two crayfish maidens.  I make it "There are two dead racoons (we
announce)."  I'm wondering if the story didn't originally feature two male
crayfish scouts.

90:335.6

e'gidhe dhe'=akh=e akha            ha, a'=bi=ama      wa'xe    ama
at length this one reclining is he .   said, they say whiteman the

Again, a male speaker, plus the male declarative ha, plus internal
position.  There are various other examples of "... akh=e akha ha."

90:666.5
ppaN'kka akh=e    waxiN'ha wiN thi=aNkhidha=i, ...
Ponca    it is he paper    one he has sent it to me

I make this 'it was a Ponca who sent me the letter ...'.  [In fact, it was
Standing Bear, as the sentence goes on to say.]  Here the example is
internal and the speaker is male.

====

As far as the gender of a'dha 'indeed', here are female forms:

90:124.1
e'gaN ghage' am=e'dhe
so    they cry indeed

90:143.2
a'dhagaz^ade    tte  e'dhe
you stride over will indeed

90:211.17
wabdha'skabe e'dhe
I stick      indeed

I've omitted the 'she said' parts that follow.