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Semantic and pragmatic functions in Plains Cree syntax
Wolvengrey, A.E.
Publication date
2011
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
Wolvengrey, A. E. (2011). Semantic and pragmatic functions in Plains Cree syntax. LOT.
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i
Contents
Contents i List of Tables v List of Figures ix Abbreviations xi Acknowledgements xvI Introduction to Cree Morphosyntax
1
1 Plains Cree, Grammar, and Cree Grammar 3
1.1 nēhiyawēwin: The Cree Language ... 3
1.1.1 Geographic and Genetic Location ... 5
1.1.2 Typological Background ... 9 1.1.2.1 Phonology ... 9 1.1.2.2 Morphology ... 11 1.1.2.2.1 Animacy ... 12 1.1.2.2.2 Person ... 12 1.1.2.2.3 Obviation ... 14 1.1.2.2.4 Verb Classification ... 17
1.2 Some Important Components of Morphosyntax ... 20
1.2.1 Word Order ... 22
1.2.2 Case-Marking ... 25
1.2.3 Alignment ... 29
1.2.4 Intonation ... 32
1.3 Some Potential Components of Cree Morphosyntax ... 33
1.3.1 Word Order ... 34
1.3.2 Case-Marking ... 37
1.3.3 Alignment ... 40
1.3.4 Intonation ... 41
1.4 Algonquian Studies, Functional Grammar and the Current Work ... 42
1.4.1 Terminological Preliminaries ... 43
ii Contents
2 Animacy, Direct-Inverse Alignment and Semantic Functions 47
2.1 The Importance of Being Animate ... 47
2.2 Direct-Inverse Alignment: Person, Topicality, Agency and Animacy ... 54
2.2.1 Universal and Algonquian-specific Hierarchies ... 57
2.2.2 Hierarchically-aligned VTA Paradigms ... 64
2.2.2.1 Mixed Set: Speech Act Participants and Third Persons ... 65
2.2.2.2 Third Person Set: Proximate and Obviative ... 76
2.2.2.3 Local Set: Speech Act Participant Interaction ... 81
2.2.3 The Algonquian Semantic Function/Animacy Hierarchy Explored ... 87
2.2.3.1 Monotransitives ... 88
2.2.3.2 Ditransitives ... 95
2.2.4 The Direct-Inverse System and the Algonquian Circle of Reference ... 99
2.2.5 Inanimate Actor VTA ... 102
2.3 Plains Cree Verbs: Transitivity vs. Animacy ... 107
2.3.1 VII, VAI and VTI ... 108
2.3.1.1 Inanimate Intransitive Verbs (VII) ... 109
2.3.1.2 Animate Intransitive Verbs (VAI) ... 110
2.3.1.3 Transitive Inanimate Verbs (VTI) ... 114
2.3.1.4 Transitive Animate Verbs Revisited ... 116
2.3.2 The Cree Verbal System Revisited ... 119
2.3.3 Transitivity-based Cree Verb Classifications ... 125
2.3.3.1 Wolfart and Ahenakew ... 126
2.3.3.2 Okimāsis and Ratt ... 128
2.3.3.3 Transitivity Regularized ... 132
2.3.4 Further Questions ... 144
2.4 An Animacy-based Approach to Cree Verb Classification ... 149
2.4.1 Morphology Regularized ... 150
2.4.1.1 Animacy Over Inanimacy ... 150
2.4.1.2 Morphophonological Subclasses ... 155
2.4.2 Testing the Classification ... 158
2.4.2.1 VAI Unspecified Actor ... 159
2.4.2.2 VTI Unspecified Actor ... 161
2.4.2.3 VTA Unspecified Actor ... 163
2.4.3 Cree Verbal Constructions and Animate Participants ... 168
2.5 Conclusions ... 171
3 Syntactic Functions and Pragmatic Discourse Status 173 3.1 Inverse ... 173
3.1.1 A Test for Object ... 177
3.2 Unspecified Actor ... 185
3.2.1 A Test for Subject ... 185
II Plains Cree Word Order
195
4 Semantic Functions and Word Order 197
4.1 Word Order Variability ... 197
4.2 Clause Structure Models ... 209
4.3 Semantic Function Ordering ... 213
4.4 The Position of Postverbal Constituents ... 225
4.4.1 Postverbal Arguments ... 226
4.4.2 Postverbal Modifiers ... 232
4.4.3 Interaction of Postverbal Arguments and Modifiers ... 236
4.4.4 Postverbal Constituents Summarized ... 240
5 Syntactically-conditioned Word Order 243 5.1 PM–1 ... 244
5.1.1 Relative Root Antecedents in PM–1 ... 246
5.1.1.1 Quoting Speech, Thought and Names ... 248
5.1.1.2 Other Instances of /it-/ ~ isi- ~ isi ... 260
5.1.1.3 /oht-/ ~ ohci- ~ ohci ... 263
5.1.1.4 Other Relative Roots ... 264
5.1.2 Quantifiers, Intensifiers and Degree Modifiers ... 269
5.1.2.1 mitoni, mistahi, iyikohk ... 269
5.1.2.2 kahkiyaw and other Quantifiers ... 274
5.2 Clause Linkage ... 277
5.2.1 Coordinators (and Subordinators) ... 277
5.2.2 Temporals ... 284
5.3 P2 Introduced ... 288
5.3.1 Coordinators and Emphatic Particles ... 289
5.3.2 Demonstratives, Focus Particles and Copulas ... 293
5.4 Conclusions ... 299
6 Pragmatic Functions and Word Order 303 6.1 Clausal Constituents ... 303 6.1.1 PI ... 304 6.1.1.1 cī Interrogatives ... 304 6.1.1.2 Content Interrogatives ... 311 6.1.1.3 Non-Interrogative Cleft-Focus ... 319 6.1.1.4 Topic ... 321 6.1.2 PI+1, P2+1 and PM–1 ... 325 6.1.2.1 PM–1 Dismissed ... 326 6.1.2.2 PI+1 versus P2+1 ... 328
6.1.3 Preverbal Templates Summarized ... 334
iv Contents 6.2 Extra-Clausal Constituents ... 340 6.2.1 Ppre ... 341 6.2.1.1 Orientation ... 341 6.2.1.1.1 Temporal Setting ... 341 6.2.1.1.2 Locative Setting ... 343 6.2.1.1.3 Topic ... 344 6.2.1.1.3.1 Discourse Topic ... 344 6.2.1.1.3.2 Topical Participants ... 346
6.2.1.2 Attitude Specification and Interaction Management ... 349 6.2.1.2.1 Attitudinals ... 349 6.2.1.2.2 Interactionals ... 350 6.2.1.2.2.1 Vocative ... 350 6.2.1.3 Ppre Summarized ... 352 6.2.2 Ppost ... 352 6.2.2.1 Clarification/Afterthought ... 353 6.2.2.1.1 Arguments ... 353 6.2.2.1.2 Locatives ... 357 6.2.2.1.3 Temporals ... 359
6.2.2.1.4 Other Modification and Emphasis ... 360
6.2.2.2 Vocative ... 363
6.2.2.3 Ppost Summarized ... 364
6.3 Plains Cree Word Order Templates Summarized ... 364
7 Conclusions and Further Research 369 References 377 Appendices 391 Appendix A:A Transitivity-based Morphosyntactic Classification of Plains Cree Verb Paradigms ...393
Appendix B:An Animacy-based Morphophonemic Classification of Plains Cree Verb Paradigms ...413
Summary 431
Samenvatting 433
