Biloxi nominal markers

[Rory M Larson]

> Also, according to info sent to me by John Boyle, Hidatsa uses -ri for
the same (focus) purpose.  Apparently Hidatsa -ri, Mandan -(r)e, and Biloxi
-di all derive from PS -ri as a focus marker.  It's use in Biloxi as a
focus marker is apparently in free variation with 0 marking, since first
mention occurs both with and without it.

In that case, what does "first mention" have to do with it?  I was looking
a little at the first story, "Rabbit and Towe (Frenchman)", and it looks
like the -di not only is not always used with first mention as you say, but
that it can be used repeatedly after first mention as well.  Am I
misunderstanding something here?

Any thoughts on -di as a marker both on nouns and verbs?  Or how it
compares with the -yaN (or possibly -aN) noun marker to which it is
sometimes postfixed?

Rory
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