Difference between revisions of "Western Abenaki/Grammar Documentation"

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**{{morphTest|nakô{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}|nakôiwi}}
 
**{{morphTest|nakô{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}|nakôiwi}}
  
−
There are also diminutive {{tag|dim}} and emphatic {{tag|mph}} forms of the adverb formative. The emphatic adverbial formative {{tag|adv}}{{tag|mph}} is ''-tta'' and suffixes on top of the adverbial form.  
+
There are also diminutive {{tag|dim}} and emphatic {{tag|emph}} forms of the adverb formative. The emphatic adverbial formative {{tag|adv}}{{tag|emph}} is ''-tta'' and suffixes on top of the adverbial form.  
 
*"all (emphatic)", "very unanimously", or perhaps "very greatly"
 
*"all (emphatic)", "very unanimously", or perhaps "very greatly"
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**{{morphTest|msiwi{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}{{tag|mph}}|meziwitta}}
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**{{morphTest|msiwi{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}{{tag|emph}}|meziwitta}}
 
*"both (emphatic)"
 
*"both (emphatic)"
−
**{{morphTest|niziwi{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}{{tag|mph}}|niziwitta}}
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**{{morphTest|niziwi{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}{{tag|emph}}|niziwitta}}
 
*"exactly" - "just exactly"
 
*"exactly" - "just exactly"
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**{{morphTest|maôwiwi{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}{{tag|mph}}|maôwiwitta}}
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**{{morphTest|maôwiwi{{tag|adj}}{{tag|stem}}{{tag|adv}}{{tag|emph}}|maôwiwitta}}
 
**Often contracts to ''maôwitta''.
 
**Often contracts to ''maôwitta''.
  

Revision as of 16:10, 21 February 2023

Don't forget to add this page to the sp23_GrammarDocumentation category! - Zach


Parts of Speech

Western Abenaki has heavily inflected verbs, which have affixes marking subject person and number as well as object person and number, nouns inflected with formatives in a similar manner, adjectives which have agreement with nouns, adverbs, and pronouns.

Spell Relax

ȣ and ô

A variety of symbols have been used by various authors at various times to represent the open-mid nasalized back vowel: /ɔ̃/. These symbols include: o̱ (Wzokhilain, 1830), ȣ (various authors), ô (Day, 1994, Joubert 2011), and 8 (Masta, 1932, and others; as a misrepresentation of ȣ).

  • "by contrast, however, on the other hand"
    • o̱zoka
    • 8zoka
    • ôzoka
  • "An Abenaki, Dawnland person, Easterner"
    • Wo̱banaki
    • W8banaki
    • Wôbanakii

w

"w" and "u" are used fairly interchangeably across the corpus. It is unclear (but unlikely) that there is a pronunciation difference.

  • "a way, direction, region, vacinity"
    • laguiwi - Masta (1932)
    • lagwiwi - Day (1994)
  • "Iroquois people"
    • Maguak - Masta (1932)
    • Magwak - Day (1994)

Additionally, "w" is sometimes dropped orthographically and phonetically when followed by "ȣ."

  • "white"
    • wȣbi vs ȣbi
  • "child"
    • awôȣiz vs aȣsiz

Morphology

Noun Pluralization

Regular plurals are formed depending on whether the noun is animate or inanimate.

  • Regular animate plurals are formed with -ak
    • kanal - teakettle
    • kanal<n><aa><pl> ↔ kanalak
  • After -d the animate plural becomes -ik, and the -d becomes -j
    • alokad - worker
    • alokad<n><aa><pl> ↔ alokajik
  • After -gw and -kw the animate plural becomes -ok and the w disappears.
    • amiskw - beaver
    • amiskw<n><aa><pl> ↔ amiskok
    • azeskwamagw - mud fish
    • azeskwamagw<n><aa><pl> ↔ azeskwamagok
  • After -ȣ and -a the animate plural becomes -k
    • abitȣ - farmer
    • abitȣ<n><aa><pl> ↔ abitȣk
    • alȣtegwihla - wood duck
    • alȣtegwihla<n><aa><pl> ↔ alȣtegwihlak
  • Regular inanimate plurals are formed with -al:
    • badoziz - little rowboat
    • badoziz<n><nn><pl> ↔ badozizal
    • bamskoda - meadow
    • bamskoda<n><nn><pl> ↔ bamskodaal
  • After -g the inanimate plural becomes -il
    • bakagaȣkwtag - crosspiece of a canoe
    • bakagaȣkwtag<n><nn><pl> ↔ bakagaȣkwtagil
  • After -gw and -kw the inanimate plural becomes -ol and the w disappears.
    • bamskodaitegw - prairie river
    • bamskodaitegw<n><nn><pl> ↔ bamskodaitegol
    • bakwaaskw - cattail
    • bakwaaskw<n><nn><pl> ↔ bakwaaskol
  • After -ȣ the inanimate plural becomes -l
    • wizenȣ - beaver castor
    • wizenȣ<n><nn><pl> ↔ wizenȣk
  • Certain words ending in -m and -n form their plural with -ok and -ol (animate and inanimate respectively)
    • migwen - feather
    • migwen<n><aa><pl> ↔ migwenok
    • madagen - hide, skin
    • madagen<n><nn><pl> ↔ madagenol
    • adialwassem - hunting dog
    • adialwassem<n><aa><pl> ↔ adialwassemok

Pronouns and Possession

Pronouns are usually affixed to verbs, but sometimes are found as their own words.

Person and Number Western Abenaki
1st person singular nia
2nd person singular kia
3rd person singular agma
1st person plural (exclusive) niona
1st person plural (inclusive) kiona
2nd person plural kiowȣ
3rd person plural agmȣwȣ
3st person plural (obviative) agmȣgik

In Western Abenaki, possession is marked through a series of agreement morphemes, some to agree with the possessor and some to agree with the possessed. The relation can be seen between the general pronouns and their possessive clitic. When the possessed object is plural, they are inflected as regular plurals, with the typical allomorphic alternations.

Person Agreement Clitic Possessor Agreement For Plural Possessed Objects: Animate Inanimate
1 n- -- -- -ak -al
2 k- -- -- -ak -al
3 w- -a(-) -- -- -al
1PL (excl.) n- -na(-) -- -ak -al
1PL (incl.) k- -na(-) -- -ak -al
2PL k- -wȣ(-) -- -ak -al
3PL w- -wȣ(-) -- -- -al
  • kaozem - cow
    • kaozem<n><aa><px1sg> ↔ n'kaozem
    • kaozem<n><aa><px2sg> ↔ k'kaozem
    • kaozem<n><aa><px3sg> ↔ w'kaozema
    • kaozem<n><aa><px1pl excl> ↔ n'kaozemna
    • kaozem<n><aa><px1pl incl> ↔ k'kaozemna
    • kaozem<n><aa><px2pl> ↔ k'kaozemwȣ
    • kaozem<n><aa><px3pl> ↔ w'kaozemwȣ
    • kaozem<n><aa><pl><px1sg> ↔ n'kaozemak
    • kaozem<n><aa><pl><px2sg> ↔ k'kaozemak
    • kaozem<n><aa><pl><px3sg> ↔ w'kaozema
    • kaozem<n><aa><pl><px1pl excl> ↔ n'kaozemnawak
    • kaozem<n><aa><pl><px1pl incl> ↔ k'kaozemnawak
    • kaozem<n><aa><pl><px2pl> ↔ k'kaozemwȣk
    • kaozem<n><aa><pl><px3pl> ↔ w'kaozemwȣ
  • zigwada - skeleton
    • zigwada<n><nn><px1sg> ↔ n'zigwada
    • zigwada<n><nn><px2sg> ↔ k'zigwada
    • zigwada<n><nn><px3sg> ↔ w'zigwada
    • zigwada<n><nn><px1pl excl> ↔ n'zigwadana
    • zigwada<n><nn><px2pl> ↔ k'zigwadawȣ
    • zigwada<n><nn><px3pl> ↔ w'zigwadawȣ
    • zigwada<n><nn><pl><px1sg> ↔ n'zigwadaal
    • zigwada<n><nn><pl><px2sg> ↔ k'zigwadaal
    • zigwada<n><nn><pl><px3sg> ↔ w'zigwadaal
    • zigwada<n><nn><pl><px1pl excl> ↔ n'zigwadanawal
    • zigwada<n><nn><pl><px2pl> ↔ k'zigwadanowȣl
    • zigwada<n><nn><pl><px3pl> ↔ w'zigwadanowȣl

Locative Case

The locative form (<loc>) of Western Abenaki nouns (<n>) denotes a location or being located at or with something, adding a "place" quality to a noun. The functions roughly like with English prepositions "in/at/on."

It is suffixed to the noun with allomorphs of the "-ikw" suffix, which usually surfaces as one of three forms: "-k" "-ek" or "-ik." This is because the morpheme is often word final, meaning the glide is deleted. A distinction is not made for animacy with the locative form.

  • ababskweda<n><loc> ↔ ababskwedak
    • "stove" - "at/on the stove"
  • msazesko<n><loc> ↔ msazeskok
    • "much mud" - "in much mud"
  • abagapskw<n><loc> ↔ abagapskok
    • "flat rock" - "at/on the flat rock"
  • gȣgajigapskw<n><loc> ↔ gȣgajigapskok
    • "cliff" - "at/on the cliff"
  • abagijiman<n><loc> ↔ abagijimanek
    • "rowboat/flat-bottomed boat" - "at/in the rowboat"
  • sibsiz<n><loc> ↔ sibsizek
    • "little bird" - "at/on/with(?) the little bird"

In some cases, with nouns that typically appear in plural form ("besigaskol" floor, literally "the boards" e.g.), the locative plural (<loc><pl>) retains the /i/ vowel and the glide becomes /o/, resulting in "-ikok"

  • skweda<n><loc><pl> ↔ Skwedaikok
    • "fire" - "Castle Island" literally "Place where two fires once burned"
  • skamoniodebkwanal<n><loc><pl> ↔ skamoniodebkwanikok
    • "corn hairs/cornsilk" - "at/in the cornsilk"

Adjective Agreement

Most adjectives in Western Abenaki are expressed through verb-like structures. This means there must be agreement between an adjective and the noun it is describing.

  • "white" - wȣb
    • wȣb<adj><aa><iv><p3> ↔ wȣbigo "he/she is white"
    • wȣb<adj><nn><iv><impers> ↔ wȣbigen "it is white"
  • "green" - askaskw
    • askaskw<adj><aa><iv><p3> ↔ askaskwigo "he/she is white"
    • askaskw<adj><nn><iv><impers> ↔ askaskwigen "it is white"

Additionally, there are some freely occurring adjectives. They must agree in animacy and number with the noun they are modifying. The pluralization suffixes are the same as the general noun plural suffixes (-ak and -al). They follow the same phonotactic variations when applied to adjectives.

  • "great and beautiful territories" - wawlikil ta mamseguiwkil kial
    • [wawlik<adj><nn><pl> ↔ wawlikil] + [mamseguiwk<adj><nn><pl> ↔ mamseguiwkil] + [ki<n><nn><pl> ↔ kial]
  • "two wild cats" - niswak pezoak
    • [nisw<adj><aa><pl> ↔ niswak] + [pezo<n><aa><pl> ↔ pezoak]

Verbs

Verbs in Western Abenaki have two metrics which determine how they inflect: valence and polarity (a verb can be transitive or intransitive, animate or inanimate). They inflect based on who does an action, who is acted upon, and their relationship to each other on the person heirarchy (theme).

mil- to give

  • Transitive present indicative animate or inanimate indefinite objects
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg1><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ n'milȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'milȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg3><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ mila
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><excl><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ n'milȣbna
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><incl><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'milȣbna
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'milȣba
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl3><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ milak
  • Transitive present indicative inanimate definite objects singular and plural
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg1><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ n'milȣn
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg1><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ n'milȣnal
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ k'milȣn
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ k'milȣnal
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg3><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ w'milȣn
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg3><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ w'milȣn
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><excl><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ n'milȣnana
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><excl><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ n'milȣnanawal
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><incl><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ k'milȣnana
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><incl><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ k'milȣnanawal
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ k'milȣnnȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ k'milȣnnȣl
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl3><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ w'milȣnnȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl3><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ w'milȣnnȣl
  • Transitive present indicative animate definite objects
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg1><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ n'milȣna
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'milȣna
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg3><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ w'milȣna
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><excl><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ n'milȣnana
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl1><incl><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'milȣnana
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'milȣnnȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl3><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ w'milȣnnȣ
  • Transitive present indicative first person singular indirect object animate or inanimate indefinite object
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'mili "you give me something"
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ k'milegw "y'all give me something"
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><ind><an><obj> ↔ miliba "they give me something"
  • Transitive present indicative first person singular indirect object inanimate definite object singular and plural
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ k'milin
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinal
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ k'milinnȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinnȣl
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ n'milegon
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ n'milegonal
  • Transitive present indicative first person singular indirect object animate definite object singular and plural
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><aa><o_sg3> ↔ k'milin
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><aa><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinak
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><aa><o_sg3> ↔ k'milinnȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><aa><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinnȣk
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><aa><o_sg3> ↔ n'milegon
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><aa><o_pl3> ↔ n'milegonak
  • Transitive present indicative first person plural indirect object inanimate definite object singular and plural
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ k'milinana
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinanawal
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ k'milinnȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinnȣl
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><nn><o_sg3> ↔ n'milegonana
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><nn><o_pl3> ↔ n'milegonal
  • Transitive present indicative first person plural indirect object animate definite object singular and plural
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><aa><o_sg3> ↔ k'milinana
    • mil<v><tv><s_sg2><pri><def><aa><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinanawak
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><aa><o_sg3> ↔ k'milinnȣ
    • mil<v><tv><s_pl2><pri><def><aa><o_pl3> ↔ k'milinnȣk
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><aa><o_sg3> ↔ n'milegonana
    • mil<v><tv><p3><pri><def><aa><o_pl3> ↔ n'milegonanawak

Adverbs

The adverb formative <adv> in Western Abenaki is -iwi, sometimes surfacing as -wi after a vowel-final stem due to vowel truncation. This process may go the other way, where the stem vowel deletes; sources varies. The formative is typically affixed to stems <stem> which themselves do not constitute full words. Sometimes this suffix is attached to various participles <pt>, grammatical terms that do not fit a typical part-of-speech breakdown, as described by Day (1994).

  • "big/great" - "greatly"
    • ms<adj><stem><adv> ↔ msiwi
  • "soon"
    • nabi<pt><adv> ↔ nabiwi
  • "flat" - "flatly"
    • abag<adj><stem><adv> ↔ abagiwi
  • "all/unanimous" - "unanimously"
    • nakô<adj><stem><adv> ↔ nakôiwi

There are also diminutive <dim> and emphatic <emph> forms of the adverb formative. The emphatic adverbial formative <adv><emph> is -tta and suffixes on top of the adverbial form.

  • "all (emphatic)", "very unanimously", or perhaps "very greatly"
    • msiwi<adj><stem><adv><emph> ↔ meziwitta
  • "both (emphatic)"
    • niziwi<adj><stem><adv><emph> ↔ niziwitta
  • "exactly" - "just exactly"
    • maôwiwi<adj><stem><adv><emph> ↔ maôwiwitta
    • Often contracts to maôwitta.

The diminutive forms include -iwsi, -iosi, and -iwes and take the place of the basic adverb formative.

  • "roundabout" - "a little roundabout"
    • gag<adj><stem><adv><dim> ↔ gagiwsi
  • "beyond" - "slightly beyond"
    • awas<adj><stem><adv><dim> ↔ awasiosi
  • "to one side, branching off" - "a little out of the way"
    • beska<adj><stem><adv><dim> ↔ beskaiwes
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