EgaN (was Re: Tense, aspect and time in Siouan.)

[Catherine Rudin]

I don't doubt your historical analysis, John, but surely something this
fossilized isn't to be analyzed as part of present-day Omaha grammar.  In the
modern language e=dhegaN is simply the verb "to think", so this really isn't
"another egaN".

Actually all or at least most of the "other egaN's" are clearly related
semantically; I'd tend to assume they are the same item, just taking on
different shades of meaning in different contexts.  So there's just one egaN
(maybe 2?), with various uses.  Are you(all) really suggesting there are 6 or
more homophonous items here?

 Catherine

____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject:    Re: EgaN (was Re: Tense, aspect and time in Siouan.)
Author: siouan at lists.Colorado.EDU
Date:       6/25/00 10:18 PM

On Mon, 26 Jun 2000, R. Rankin wrote:
> > 5.  egaN required particle with e=..dh(e)=e=gaN 'to think'
>
> 5 I can't place or quite picture.

The inflection of 'to think' is:

ebdhe'gaN
e(s^)ne'gaN
edhe'gaN
?eaNdhe'gaN

cf. Da DEM=pc^e 'I think' (first person only), Wi hi=..re, suggesting
*DEM=...ye.

So, in OP it's e=...dhe (inflected like an dh- (or *r-) stem) + e=gaN.
The e=gaN can't be omitted.

It's sorta like having to say 'I sorta think' instead of *'I think'.

JEK