Re: Teonaht Verbs Finally Up

Sally Caves wrote:
> But
> what I think is unique about the way it's developed in T. is that the choice
> of preposition changes
> the tense--for this particular construction only:
>
> pommol li kyam aiba   "with me this book"   means you have it now.
> tanddol li kyam aiba    "from me this book"  means you had it once, but have
> let go of it.
> tool li kyam aiba          "for me this book" means you'll have it in the
> future.
Interesting distinctions.  Normally, the way to indicate posession in W.
is launi' (to be, location) + dative, thus _launi'l pisani' naDzya'naz_
(be-3rdSIrr house John-dat) = John has a house, but another way is
_yan/na_ (to be, token) + genetive, thus _pisani' yan naDzyanaq_ (house
be John-gen) = John has a house, or the house is John's.  Yan and na are
used depending on the pitch of the last vowel of the previous word.
This is especially common in western dialects, where it is thought to be
an influence of the neighboring languages.  To express inalienable
possession, with the _launi'_ construction, one simply uses the habitual
aspect, _launi'ldha' pisani' naDzya'naz_ (be-3rdSIrr-habitual house
to-John), with the _yan/na_ construction, one uses redundant genetive
clitics, _pisani'mayu yan naDzya'naz_ (house-his-abs be John-gen).
Genetive clitics occuring _before_ case-markers indicates inalienable
possession, e.g., _tinani'kwa'yu'_ = my mother, ti-nani'-kwa'-yu',
G1-mother-my-abs, while _after_ indicates alienable possession, e.g.,
_pisani'(yu')kwa'_ = pi-sani'-(yu')-kwa' = G7-house-(abs)-my, my house
that I happen to have right now, versus _pisani'kwa'yu'_ = my house,
mine thru rightful inheretance, my ancestreal home.

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was hanged." - Irish proverb
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