Re: CHAT: query: where to start?

Tim Smith wrote:

>In other words, the point of articulation of the final segment is part of
>the stem, but the manner of articulation is the affix (if it can still be
>called an affix when it's not even one whole phoneme).  This sort of came
>to me in a flash of intuition, but I don't think I've ever heard of
>anything like it in a natlang.  Does it sound at all plausible?
The accusative case in Chickasaw is purely a nasalization feature.  Whatever
vowel happens to precede the case becomes nasalized.  Ihoo 'woman', ihoo~
'woman (acc)', ihoohma~ 'woman (indef. acc.)'

The dative prefix (which also serves as in possession) is likewise
nasalization
without specification for place of articulation.  Preceding a vowel it is
realized as [m].  Preceding a stop it assimilates to the place of the stop
(ie,
-mp-, -nt-, -Nk-, etc).  Preceding anything else (fricatives, laterals,
glides,
nasals, etc) it is realized as nasalization on the preceding vowel.

imofi' "his dog"
intaloowa' "his song"
impaska "his bread"
iNkowi' "his cat"
i~fani' "his squirrel"

Not quite the same as what you have, but similar in concept.

Marcus