Help with a Nahuatl word

[Campbell, R. Joe]

Nocnihuan,

   I am forwarding this message from John Sullivan in Zacatecas since 
he had problems connecting with Nahuat-l.

Joe

***********

Hey Joe,
	I believe that your verb is "tlaxcal(li)" + "-oa" (the first option
below) = "to make tortillas". The problem is how the "mo-" reflexive
is functioning. I'm going to answer this by showing how it works with
a similar verb in modern Huastecan Nahuatl.
1. Let's start with the causative verb "ixtlahua", which takes "tla-"
as an object. So we have, for example, "Fred tlaxtlahua", "Fred pays"
or literally, "Fred causes s.t. (a debt) to be paid off". Since "tla-"
ocupies the object slot, we can't use this form to mention anything
else about the debt, such as what is owed, who the debt is owed to, or
how much money might be paid. The best we can with this structure is
say, "Fred tlaxtlahua tlen tzapotl", "Fred pays with respect to the
tzapotl (that he owes)".
2. However, the native speakers here say, for example, "monequi
motlaxtlahuaz ce tzapotl", "one tzapote needs to be paid for".
3. So, it looks like this "mo-" reflexive is capable of making a
passive construction based on an object that is understood in the
active construction of origin (tlaxtlahua), but not directly present
in its structure.
	Now, lets go to "tlaxcaloa", "to make tortillas". It is a
intransitive verb, so it shouldn`t be able to go to a passive form
using the "mo-" reflexive. Not surprisingly the native speakers say,
"Fred tlaxcaloa", "Fred makes tortillas". However, they also say,
"Motlaxcaloa eyi cuachiquihuitl tlaxcalli", "Three baskets of
tortillas are made".
	So I think we need to look for more examples of verbs that work like
this: it looks to me like the "mo-" reflexive just causes the subject
of a verb to disappear, but doesn't get involved in the object
mechanism of the verb (like it normally would).

And now, on another note, I'd like to say a bit more about how the
verb "ixtlahua" works in Modern Huastecan Nahuatl:
1. ixtlahui. (intransitive) "to restored or satisfied (Kartunnen, p.
121)". This is unattested in Modern Huastecan Nahuatl.
2. tlaxtlahua, ni. (causative), "to repay a debt". Example, "Delfina
tlaxtlahua", "Delfina pays a debt". We can also say, "Delfina
tlaxtlahua tlen pitzotl", Delfina pays a debt with respect to a pig".
3. tlaxtlahuia, nic. (applicative), "to repay a debt to s.o.".
Example, "Delfina nechtlaxtlahuia", "Delfina repays me". We can also
say, "Delfina nechtlaxtlahuia tlen pitzotl", "Delfina repays me with
respect to a pig".
4. tlaxtlahuilia, nic. (applicative), "to repay a debt to s.o. with
respect to s.t.". Example, "Delfina nechtlaxtlahuilia pitzotl",
"Delfina repays a debt to me with respect to a pig". Notice how at
this stage, the pig is finally incorporated into the structure as an
object. We can also say, "Delfina nechtlaxtlahuilia pitzotl ica
mahtlactli pesoh", paraphrasing, "Delfina pays me ten pesos for the
pig", however, as you can see, the money is not incorporated into the
object structure of the verb.
	Ye ixquich, or as you would say in Modern Huastecan Nahuatl,
"zanyainon".
John


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