new track: ?uN

[R. Rankin]

Koontz John E wrote:  Examples of maN/z^aN/aN/aNaN as 'to use something':

> (1)
> AN'kka=z^hi, ppi'=az^i=s^tes^te=waN  s^aN' maN'=tta=miNkhe
> I-NEG        even if it is a bad one yet   I will use it
> jod 1890:165.1-2
>
> No, even if it is a bad one I will use it (maN).

...etc. "snip"

Interesting that Omaha has lost the instrument prefix.  Mus' be areal.
"Normally" 'use' is 'do with', *i-?uN (BI y-oN, TU i-oN, etc.)  Do you find
anything at all in Omaha that would suggest the 'be' meaning??  I'm wondering
how widespread it is and I have no statistics.  I feel that the aspectual or
temporal auxiliary meaning of the semi-grammaticalized form of *?uN that we find
in all the Dhegiha dialects could be more easily derived from 'be/was' than from
'do/did', although the 'exist' meaning isn't as congenial..  The grammaticalized
version is used with stative as well as active verbs, so the active 'do/did'
meaning of...

m-aN
z^-aN
  dhaN (Quapaw naN)

... doesn't fit so well with the AUX usage.  In QU it seems to have the
'imperfective' meaning, but it sees a lot of use in Dorsey's Omaha texts and may
have developed into a 'past' or 'perfect' there??

In accordance with Catherine's request, I've added an impressive "signature
file".  I especially like the "Institute for Advanced Study" line.  It makes me
look much smarter than I actually am.  But alas, it's part of the address....
;-)

Bob

--
Robert L. Rankin, Visiting Professor
Research Center for Linguistic Typology
Institute for Advanced Study
La Trobe University
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