i- in Dhegiha i-POSITIONAL=...CAUSE (RE: Word for 'prairie'?)

[R. Rankin]

> The syntax is a little more complex than this, because either of these
> patterns can have the positional reduplicated or a causative added.  I
> don't think I've seen a combination of these!  The positionals can have
> *k- prefixed.

That's an interesting point.  I've been tempted to do a conference paper on the
causative-like K- that occurs with positional verbs.  k-raN, k-re, k-?oN-he
bear the same relationship to raN, the, (w)uN that 'set, stand, lay' bear to
'sit, stand, lie' in English, i.e., they behave as if they had the causative
suffix.  The only other verb that behaves like this that I know about is Dakotan
kta 'kill' acompared with t?a 'die'.  The K- certainly behaves like a causative,
but it would be very hard to interpret as one since in languages with this word
order have their AUX's after the main verb all the rest of the time.  FWIW.

Bob