Proximate/obviative

[Robert L. Rankin]

Paul, and all,

Personally, I find the Algonquian comments very enlightening.  It isn't
easy to find good, consise descriptions of just how it works in
Algonquian.  We're just starting to see that such a system may be at work
in Dhegiha Siouan languages, and any comparisons are helpful at least to
me.

Voorhis, on Algonquian:
> First, the obviative indicates a direct object only when another third
> person, pronoun or noun, is the subject.  If the subject is a first- or
> second-person pronoun, then the proximate forms are used for a direct
> object.  Second, obviatives can be subjects and proximates can be
> objects when the focus is on the object. ... Accusatives can't be
> subjects, but obviatives can.

Algonquian certainly makes the case especially clearly.  I don't think
Dhegiha Siouan (or Muskogean for that matter) present evidence that is
nearly as unequivocal.  But I must say that Siouanists have probably not
elicited the right kinds of examples for maximal clarification.  I know I
didn't.  If crucial examples are there in my Kaw data, it's accidental.
Paul's given us some things to search for in Dhegiha.  There are a number
of slightly different referent tracking systems out there, and it's often
difficult to know whose definition to try to stretch.  :-)

Bob