Dhegiha Progressive (Re: h- vs. x-aspiration in LDN)

[Koontz John E]

On Tue, 27 Feb 2001, RLR wrote:

> Well, the progressive business plus it's use with the future, etc. are
> things that Kathy ought to be planning on covering in her dissertation,
> so please feel free to keep on feeding her questions. I certainly didn't
> get a complete picture in my Kaw elicitations back in the '70's.

> > It would be interesting to know how to say '(In the evening) it got
> > cloudy.' (vs. 'In the evening it was cloudy.') or 'It kept clouding
> > up (and then clearing).' or 'Suddenly it was cloudy (or clouded up).'

These questions were cleverly [I hope] designed to elicit
non-progressives, or, specifically, 'suddenly' forms.  You can work up to
those with 'push' or 'shove' examples, too, or 'begin/start to', since the
same general set of constructions are used in inceptives and 'suddenly'
(aorist?) sentences.  Sometime of the sentences are iteratives.
Essentially the same constructions are used in sentences involving
'put/place/set/lay/stand' plus some object.

And while I'm at it, there are an incredible number of uninvestigated
coverbal constructions with motion verbs (pass by, set out), transitive
motion verbs (bring, send, accompany, haul, etc.).  I was able just using
dictionaries and Dorsey's texts to find several motion verb + motion verb
patterns that weren't listed in Taylor's summary of MV Siouan motion verbs
in IJAL about 25 years ago.

My suspicion is that these sorts of questions would be interesting in any
Siouan language, not just Dhegiha.  The Dakota progressives are a bit
simpler in formation than those in Dhegiha, but I'm not aware of any
discussions of them outside of - I think - Boas & Deloria.