Ablaut

[Koontz John E]

On Sun, 2 Sep 2001, Koontz John E wrote:
> I'm pretty certain that iNktE is a compound of two morphemes, one the more
> or less widely attested *kte irrealis or future, which takes the e-grade
> in Dakotan (where it doesn't take the iN grade) and Dhegiha, the other the
> *iN that leads to the iN grade and which I suspect provides the iN in OP
> (e)=iN=the 'perhaps'.  I have a notion that the iN may also show up with
> the future in Ioway-Otoe and/or Winnebago.  I'll try to look that up.

Winnebago has the intentive kj^e < *kte, and the future kj^ane < *kte +
???.  If the latter is added to a consonant final stem a vowel i is
inserted between the stem and kj^ane.  It is also possible to insert the i
into the last syllable of the stem and delete the k:

rac^oop 'to chew' > rac^oobikj^ane' ~ rac^oipjane

See Lipkind, section 17, p. 10.  For a discussion of the two suffixes
meanings, see sections 48 & 49, p. 36.  Note that the declarative takes
the form naN after kje (kjenaN), so clearly -ne is not the declarative.

In Mandan, per Kennard p. 18, the future is -kt, usually ktoc (declarative
suffix addressing men added) or ktore (dec. suffix addressing women
added).  In subordinate clauses the form is ktek.  The k of the future is
lost, reducing it to -t... if it is added to a consonant final stem.
Compare the second pattern in Winnebago.  The reduction of the cluster is
natural enough, so we need not assume this represents any inherited
pattern.  (Note that Hollow corrects the phonology of the declarative to
males to o?s^.)

It's not entirely clear if the epenthetic or intrusive i of the Winnebago
future has anything to do with the iN of the Dakotan future, but it seems
likely that it does, in spite of the lack of nasalization.  It's
noteworthy that it is separate from ablaut.

For what it's worth, the Ioway-Otoe future is -hne ~ hna (the n is
palatalized before e).  The usual assumption is that it this is related
somehow to *kte, but the details are obscure.  It looks more like the
extra ne on the end of the Winnebago affix.  Something like hje ~ hda
would be more regular for *kte.

JEK