Irrealis in Siouan

[David Kaufman]

Hi Siouanists:
   
  I'm looking into a Biloxi particle (perhaps for another paper) which is 'hi'.  This seems to be a type of "irrealis" marker occurring in future, past, and hortatory situations.  Einaudi discussed it in terms of "hortatory," but it appears far more than in the contexts that she mentioned.  AND, I've noticed its usage seems to parallel that of a couple of other Native languages I'm familiar with: Rumsen (Ohlone) and Zoque (Mexico), in which an "irrealis" particle seems to indicate something happening "not in the here and now," meaning it can occur in past, future, or conditional situations.
   
  I'm wondering if anyone has studied this phenomenon in other Siouan languages (or geographically close languages like Caddo or Muskogean), and, for that matter, across Native American languages in general, since I'm seeing similar usages in 3 completely unrelated language families.
   
  Thanks.
   
  Dave
   
   

 
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