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Chitimacha: History, grammar, revitalization

Authors:
  • Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana

Abstract

Invited lecture (virtual). 'Morphosyntax', Prof. Robert Englebretson, Department of Linguistics, Rice University, November 6, 2020.
Chitimacha: History,
Grammar, Revitalization
Daniel W. Hieber
University of California, Santa Barbara
danielhieber.info
@dwhieb
Presentation given to Morphosyntax class (Prof. Robert Englebretson), Dept. of Linguistics, Rice University, Nov. 6, 2020
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Phonology & Orthography
Only Southeastern language with ejectives / glottalized stops
Many orthographies – I’ll use the modern tribal orthography
Non-standard orthographic choices
ejectives are written as voiced stops
<b> = /pˀ/
<d> = /tˀ/
<g> = /kˀ/
<dz> = /sˀ/
<j> = /ʃˀ/
glottal stop is written as <q>
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Verb Template
PREVERB STEM PAT IENT TENSE-ASPECT-MOOD
(TA M )AGENT / SUBJECT MOOD
hi -ki 1SG.PAT -ø- PFV -iki 1SG.AGT -ng DEB
his -kuy 1PL.PAT -puy-PAST.IPFV -naka 1PL.AGT -ga 1SG.DES
kap -qix-PRES.IPFV -i NF.SG -qa 1PL.DES
kaabs -cuy-SG IRR -na NF.PL -te INDIR.IMP
ka -di-PL -qa DIR.IMP
kas
ni
qap
qapx
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Preverbs
Compositional
hi cuw-go to
kas cuw-go back, return
ni cuw-go down,
decrease
qap cuw-go here, come
qapx cuw-go about, wander
Lexicalized
hi xan- exceed’ < hi to + xan- go out
his hapxje- invent’ < his back to’ + hapxje- construct
kap cuw-depart’ < kap up + cuw-go
kas hect-cure < kas reverse’ + hect-watch
ni xahct-salt < ni down + xahct-put in
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Ergative Alignment (Pronouns)
qixk hi cuug
qix=khi cuw-k
1SG=ABS PREV go.up-SS
‘I went up’
qixk kap getkiig
qix=kkap get-ki-k
1SG=ABS PREV kill(SG)-1SG.PAT-SS
‘when they killed me’
we panxk kaaci qatin hix waytiig
we panx=kkaaci qatin=hix wayte-k
DET person=ABS owl large=ERG surpass-SS
‘the horned owl beat the man’
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Nominative-Accusative Alignment (3rd
person verbs)
waxi huynak hi qamqixi
waxi huynak hi qam-qix-i
hand whole PREV look.at-PRES.IPFV-NF.SG.SUBJ
you see the whole hand
weykx witmiidnaqa
wey=k=x wit-ma-di-naqa
DEM=ABS=TOP shoot-PLACT-IRR(PL)-NF.PL.SUBJ
you will shoot that one [a deer]
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Agent-Patient Alignment (1st person
verbs)
quckicuyi
quci-ki-cuy-i
do-1SG.PAT-IRR(SG)-NF.SG.SUBJ
‘you will do me (well)’
qucicuki
quci-cuy-iki
do-IRR(SG)-1SG.SUBJ
‘I will do it’
heectki
heect-ki
meet-1SG.PAT
‘you meet me’
heectiki
heect-iki
meet-1SG.SUBJ
‘I met you’
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Switch Reference
Wenk hi cuugx kuu gaptk we qakxux hi deyktepicuux kayi paahmpa him ni
gapdixi.
wenk hi cuw-k=x kuu gapt-kwe qakxux
now PREV go(SG)-SS=TOP water take-SS DET cypress
hi deyktepa-cuy-i-x kayi paahmpa him
PREV splash-IRR(SG)-NF.SG(DS)-COND thunder 2SG
ni gapt-qix-i
PREV get.it-PRES.IPFV-NF.SG(DS)
‘Now if you go there, take water, and if you splash that cypress, thunder
gets you.
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Positional Auxiliary Verbs
Teygix hiqi.
tey=gix hi-iqi
sit(SG)=alone AUX(NEUT)-NF.SG
He just sat [there].
We qakxux kuuki ciqi.
we qakxux kuq=ki ci-iqi
DET cypress water=LOC AUX(VERT)-NF.SG
That cypress stands in the water.
… qapx xahdiigx peqe.
qapx xahdi-k=x pe-iqi
PREV crawl.in-PTCP=TOP AUX(HORIX)-NF.SG
He crawls about [amongst your watermelons].
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Areal Features
ergative alignment (Natchez)
agent-patient alignment
switch reference
positional auxiliary verbs (Siouan)
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