Biloxi nominal markers

[David Kaufman]

Rory,
   
  As you can tell, there's still a lot to be done here and I'm in the process, slowly as I have time, of trying to sort through the data.  You're right, -di not only does not always occur with first mention but it also sometimes occurs AFTER first mention.  (This may relate to Mandan -(r)e, now that I think about it, which also appears to come not just in first-mention focus position but also in post-first-mention topic position.  Perhaps Sara can help us out here re: Mandan?)  I'm aware that -di also occurs on verbs and it may be a type of nominalizer, but I really haven't focused on its use yet as a verbal suffix.
   
  It appears that -yaN is usually used as a topic marker.  Often the same noun or entity that bears -di (or 0-marking) on first mention bears -yaN when mentioned later.  (But not always, AND, as you say, sometimes -di occurs again).  I haven't begun to figure out the -yaNdi compound suffix and when it is used.  There's also the little issue of the -k(aN) suffix, which may or may not be related to the supposed SR marker kaN and may be some type of oblique marker.
   
  As y'all can see, this ain't easy!  That's why I've devoted a whole semester working with Bob to try and sort things out.  Most of these suffixes don't seem to occur in other Siouan languages and so far Muskogean hasn't been too helpful either.  The big question remains whether these suffix-markers are somehow Biloxi innovations or leftovers of the proto-language which dropped out in other languages but were retained in Biloxi (as appears to be the case with -di/PS -ri).  I'm basing my theories of -di and -yaN so far on what I've observed through careful analysis of several texts--what happens most often when (using the law of averages).  It's interesting to note however that there are whole texts where few or none of these markers or suffixes occur and others where they are quite consistent with my theories.  How much of this is syntax vs. perhaps formal discourse or oratory tradition in storytelling I'm not sure.
   
  I welcome any suggestions anyone may have for reading related to focus-topicalization and discourse analysis (in oral tradition or mythology).  Thanks!
   
  Dave  
   

Rory M Larson <rlarson at unlnotes.unl.edu> wrote:
    > 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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