Alternations of Hoocąk
Alternation name | Coded? | Description | Examples | Verbs |
---|---|---|---|---|
C
|
y | This is a valency increasing alternation that adds an undergoer slot on the verb for a location. At the same time it expresses A's ownership of (one of the verb's) Us (e.g. A sits --> A sits in one's own U). | 11 | |
C
|
y | By adding the applicative morpheme (-)gi- to the verb an additional undergoer slot is opened up. The undergoer slot thus created is most commonly filled with a beneficiary-like argument. In rare cases this slot can also be filled with a maleficiary argument. This operation is almost always valency increasing, however, the same operation can also be used to simply express a possessed U, in this latter case the addition of gi- may not increase the valency of the base verb. | 40 | |
C
|
y |
The addition of the instrumental applicative hi- to a Hoocąk verb allows the addition of an instrument-like argument to the main clause of the sentence. It is therefore a valency-increasing operation. This derivation seems to be no longer productive and is often considered to be old-fashioned by native speakers. The modern way of introducing instruments is by means of a coordinated clause meaning 'X used Y and....' |
26 | |
C
|
y |
The locative applicative ho- is often used as a valency-increasing operation. When added to the verb it opens up an undergoer slot for a location-like argument. (e.g. waxų 'pour sth.' --> howaxų 'pour sth. in(to) somewhere') In cases where verbs already possess a slot for a locational argument the meaning of this location is merely changed and the valency of the verb not increased (e.g. cii 'live somewhere' --> hoci 'live in somewhere'). |
17 | |
C
|
y |
The locative applicative ha- is often used as a valency-increasing operation. When added to the verb it opens up an undergoer slot for a location/goal-like argument. (e.g. waxų 'pour sth.' --> hawaxų 'pour sth. on(to) somewhere') In cases where verbs already possess a slot for a locational argument the meaning of this location is merely changed and the valency of the verb not increased (e.g. kere 'put sth. somewhere' --> hokere 'put sth. on somewhere') |
15 | |
C
|
y |
The reflexive is a valency-decreasing operation. When the morpheme kii is added to a transitive verb the undergoer slot can no longer be filled with an undergoer inflectional affix and is thus blocked. (e.g. ruža 'wash sth./sb.'--> kiiruža 'wash oneself'. In very rare cases this operation can also be used to express an autobeneficiary meaning, in these cases the valency of the verb remains unchanged (e.g. ruxoro 'peel sth.' --> kiiruxoro 'peel sth. for oneself'). |
30 | |
C
|
y |
The reciprocal is a valency-decreasing operation. When the morpheme ki(ki) is added to a transitive verb, the undergoer slot can no longer be filled with an undergoer inflectional affix and is thus blocked. Verbs derived with the reciprocal occur in plural forms only. This morpheme is the reduplication of the reflexive kii and can also occur in its unreduplicated form expressing the same meaning. Therefore, reciprocal and reflexive and be ambiguous sometimes. In very rare cases this operation can also be used to express an reciprocal-beneficiary meaning, in these cases the valency of the verb remains unchanged (e.g. ruxoro 'peel sth.' --> kikiruxoro 'peel sth. for each other / peel each other's sth.''). |
32 | |
C
|
y | This is not a valency-changing operation and is added here merely for the purpose of completeness, so that all verbal derivations are covered. The morpheme kara- (or kV-) is added to the verb to express A's possession of U (e.g. A carries the box --> A carries A's own box.) | 55 | |
C
|
y |
This is a valency increasing alternation that adds an undergoer slot on the verb for an instrument. At the same time it expresses A's ownership of (one of the verb's) Us (e.g. A cuts U --> A cuts on one's own U with I). Since the instrumental is considered to be old fashioned, this alternation does not occur very often. |
13 | |
C
|
y |
A combined derivation with the reflexive and the possessive reflexive. This seems to be a new-ish development in the language (earlier it was thought that kii- and kara- occupied the same slot in the verbal template, which is not the case (any more?)). This is a valency decreasing derivation, that basically means the same as the reflexive, but it can also have a holistic meaning in some cases (e.g. A washes U --> A washes him/herself (meaning the whole body)). The combination of kii+kara is mostly used by speakers from the Black River Falls area. Speakers from other areas prefer not to use it but understand what is being said. |
16 | |
C
|
y |
A doubly valency increasing operation, that adds two undergoer slots on the verb (one for a benefactive, the other one for an instrument), e.g. A breaks U --> A breaks U for BEN with I. Since the instrumental is considered to be old fashioned, this alternation does not occur very often. |
11 | |
C
|
y | A double derivation that re-arranges the verb's valency. While the undergoer slot is deleted by the reflexive, a new one is added through the locative applicative. | 6 | |
C
|
y | A double derivation that re-arranges the verb's valency. While the undergoer slot is deleted by the reflexive, a new one is added through the locative applicative. | 6 | |
C
|
y |
This is one of Hoocąk’s four (periphrastic) causatives. The causative verb hii is by far the most common one, its meaning is that of a coercive causative (A makes U do X), but it is also considered to be the default causative. It’s a valency increasing operation that can be used with both stative and active (intransitive and transitive) verbs. |
65 | |
C
|
y |
The causative verb kįį expresses a reflexive meaning (A causes self to do X). In constructions with the reflexive causative, causer and causee are identical. They are both expressed through the Actor indexing on the causative verb. It is therefore not a valency increasing operation, it merely re-arranges the valency. This causative can also have reciprocal reading with plural As (A& U cause each other to do X). |
55 | |
C
|
y |
This is one of Hoocąk’s four (periphrastic) causatives. The causative verb gigi expresses a permissive meaning (A lets U do X) and is considered to be more polite than hii. It’s a valency increasing operation that can be used with both stative and active (intransitive and transitive) verbs. |
66 | |
C
|
y |
For this alternation the instrumental prefix is omitted and the suffix -re is added to the verbal root (e.g. ru-gaas 'A tears U' --> gaas-re 'S is torn'). This is a valency-decreasing operation, whereby the agent of the transitive verb can no longer be expressed and the patient of the same becomes the subject of the newly derived intransitive verb. Only verbs which have been derived with one of the 8 instrumental prefixes can undergo this alternation. Not all of them do so. |
6 | |
C
|
y |
This is overall a valency re-arranging alternation. The resultative (see resultative alternation) is combined with one of the 4 causatives (e.g. ru-gaas 'A tears U' --> gaas-re 'S is torn' --> gaasre hii ' A causes U to be torn'). The meaning of the verbs formed through this alternation differs from that of transitive verb in that it expresses less volition or even an involuntary meaning ( A tears U vs. A (accidentally) causes U to be torn.) Only verbs which have been derived with one of the 8 instrumental prefixes can undergo this alternation. Not all of them do so. |
5 | |
C
|
y |
A doubly valency increasing operation, that adds two undergoer slots to the verb (one for a benefactive, the other one for a location), e.g. A breaks U --> A breaks U for BEN on/over L. Since the superessive applicative does not always add an undergoer slot (see description there), this alternation may also just increase the verb's valency by one. |
11 | |
C
|
y |
A doubly valency increasing operation, that adds two undergoer slots to the verb (one for a benefactive, the other one for a location), e.g. A breaks U --> A breaks U for BEN in/into L. Since the inessive applicative does not always add an undergoer slot (see description there), this alternation may also just increase the verb's valency by one. |
7 | |
C
|
y | This is a valency increasing alternation that adds an undergoer slot on the verb for a location. At the same time it expresses A's ownership of (one of the verb's) Us (e.g. A sits --> A sits on one's own U). | 12 | |
C
|
y |
A double derivation that re-arranges the verb's valency. While the undergoer slot is deleted by the reflexive, a new one is added through the instrumental applicative. Since the instrumental is considered to be old fashioned, this alternation does not occur very often. |
11 | |
C
|
y | The 3PL.U prefix wa- is used as an argument slot filler (detransitivizer) and thus the valency of the verb is decreased. In Hoocąk it is used regularly with the verb ruuc 'eat' only (though it is a common operation in many of the other Sioaun languages). The undergoer can no longer be expressed via an overt NP, but a general meaning like "something" is assumed (e.g. wa-ruuc 'A ate (something)). | 1 | |
C
|
y |
This is the least common one out of Hoocąk’s four (periphrastic) causatives. The causative verb karagi is used when the causee is owned/belongs to the causer (A causes A's own U to do X). It’s a valency increasing operation that can be used with both stative and active (intransitive and transitive) verbs. |
65 | |
C
|
y |
e.g. A breaks P --> P is easy to break. For this alternation the instrumental prefix is omitted and the verbal root is (partially) reduplicated (e.g. mąą-cgiis --> cgiicgis). This is a valency-decreasing operation, whereby the agent of the transitive verb can no longer be expressed and the patient of the same becomes the subject of the newly derived intransitive verb. Only verbs which have been derived with one of the 8 instrumental prefixes can undergo this alternation. Not all of them do so. |
6 |