Biloxi nominal markers

[Rankin, Robert L]

I'm not fond of the "free variation" part.  If it's a productive morpheme, it is by definition not in free variation.  If it's used productively there has to be a semantic association worth searching for.  I guess I'd try listing out all the exceptional cases as a first step.  I'll need to check the comparative database again to see whether *-re or *-ri is a better bet.  It depends on what the regular correspondences are for final e/i in the various languages.  We know Biloxi has vowel raising, so it can't be probative.  The question is whether Mandan has lowering or Hidatsa has raising.  

________________________________

From: owner-siouan at lists.colorado.edu on behalf of David Kaufman
Sent: Fri 3/2/2007 10:31 AM
To: siouan at lists.colorado.edu
Subject: RE: Biloxi nominal markers


Also, according to info sent to me by John Boyle, Hidatsa uses -ri for the same (focus) purpose.  Apparently Hidatsa -ri, Mandan -(r)e, and Biloxi -di all derive from PS -ri as a focus marker.  It's use in Biloxi as a focus marker is apparently in free variation with 0 marking, since first mention occurs both with and without it.
 
Dave

"Rankin, Robert L" <rankin at ku.edu> wrote:

	That's right. It's Biloxi -di, or -ni after a nasal V.
	
	Sara Trechter has a somewhat similar function for -(r)e in Mandan, even though earlier workers portrayed it as "epenthetic". Mandan use isn't apparently restricted to first mention.
	
	________________________________
	
	From: owner-siouan at lists.colorado.edu on behalf of Rory M Larson
	Sent: Wed 2/28/2007 7:04 PM
	To: siouan at lists.colorado.edu
	Subject: Biloxi nominal markers
	
	
	
	> Dave Kaufman has discovered that in Biloxi -re/-ri is used to mark nominals at first mention in a discourse.
	
	Is this the same as the -di I'm seeing on a lot of nouns and verbs in the Biloxi texts of the 1909/1912 Dorsey/Swanton Biloxi/Ofo collection?
	
	Rory
	
	
	


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