h- vs. x-aspiration in LDN

[Kathleen Shea]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Koontz John E" <John.Koontz at colorado.edu>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2001 1:38 AM
Subject: Re: h- vs. x-aspiration in LDN


> Without reiterating the details, it's interesting that you get somewhat
> different answers from different individuals - different also from others
> elsewhere at other times.  PW appears more in line with "traditional
> knowledge" among Siouanists, but BL's views show that Siouanists should
> beware trying to apply historical data in modern situations.
>
> There are various techniques for working with ethnotaxonymy.  The one
> example that comes to mind is that one can investigate classifications by
> using possible superordinate terms in referring back to an example in the
> immediate context, e.g., in English:
>
> That tarantula is one ugly !spider/?bug/*animal/creature!
>
> We had to put a wire cover on the chicken coop to protect them from eagles
> and other birds/animals/?creatures like that.
>
> This is an iguana.  A lizzard/*bug/creature like that is fairly common
> around here.
>
> I think you usually get better results with tests like this than by asking
> people to classify things themselves, especially if there's a competing
> system (like the Linnaean one or the English one) in the way.

Thanks for the suggestions on eliciting taxonomies.

> It's also interesting to notice the differences in gloss between the
> "progressive" and the non-progressive examples' glosses
>
> > On Sun, 25 Feb 2001, Kathleen Shea wrote:
>
> > a~'b(a) akha' ma~xpi'i  (AN'ba akHa' maNxpi'i.)    'The day is cloudy.'
(PW
> > says this is like a warning, i.e. to take a coat.)
> > a~'b(a) akha' ma~xpi' akha'  (AN'ba akHa' maNxpi' akHa'.)  'It's cloudy
out
> > there, here.'  (PW says that it's as though you
> > just noticed or just stepped outside and noticed.)
>
> > a~'ba the kke'dha  (AN'ba tHe ke'tha.)  'It's clear; today is clear.'
> > a~ba' akha kke'dha akha  (ANba' akHa ke'tha akHa.)  'It's clear out
there.'
> > (just noticed)
>
Yes, but the examples where the auxiliary akha is present after the verb
(ma~xpi 'be cloudy'; kkedha 'be clear') Dhegihanists usually call
"progressive," when they seem to me to be sudden, perhaps "momentaneous" in
aspect.  (At least it's a suddenly perceived state on the part of the
speaker.)

Kathy