Aguaruna
Nominals table
| gloss | layer | stem phonology | nom | acc | gen | loc | comit | ins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chicken | lexeme | C-final | atáʃ | ataʃún | ataʃú | |||
| chicken | suffix | C-final | zero | Vn | V | numa | ha | ai |
| chicken | stress | C-final | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted |
| Doris | lexeme | C-final | dóris | dóris | ||||
| Doris | suffix | C-final | zero | zero | a | numa | ha | ai |
| Doris | stress | C-final | #base | #base | #base | #base | #base | #base |
| monkey | lexeme | V-final | wáʃi | waʃín | waʃí | |||
| monkey | suffix | V-final | zero | n | zero | numa | ha | ai |
| monkey | stress | V-final | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted |
| Santa Maria plant | lexeme | C-final | nátsatsam | nátsatsaman | nátsatsama | |||
| Santa Maria plant | suffix | C-final | zero | n | zero | numa | ha | ai |
| Santa Maria plant | stress | C-final | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted |
| this | lexeme | V-final | húu | húna | húna | húĩ | ||
| this | suffix | V-final | zero | na | na | ĩ | ha | ai |
| this | stress | V-final | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted | #shifted |
Possessed nouns table
| gloss | layer | 1 sg | 2 | 3 | 1 pl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blood | lexeme | numpahu | numpɨmɨ | numpɨ | numpɨ |
| blood | suffix | hu | mɨ | zero | zero |
| blood | stem | #vowel1 | #vowel2 | #vowel2 | #vowel2 |
| beard | lexeme | susuhu | susuhumɨ | susuhĩ | susuhĩ |
| beard | suffix | hu | humɨ | hĩ | hĩ |
| beard | stem | #vowel | #vowel | #vowel | #vowel |
Verbs table
| gloss | layer | unmarked | pfv | ipfv |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| be/live | lexeme | puhú | puhú | puh |
| clean up | lexeme | mahɨ́ | mahɨ́ | mahɨ́ |
| cut | lexeme | tsúpi | tsupí | tsúpi |
| knock down | lexeme | ahĩ́ĩ | ahĩá | ahĩ́ |
| lose a child | lexeme | ahakú | ahaku | aháku |
| ripen | lexeme | katsúu | katsuá | katsú |
| run | lexeme | tupikáu | tupiká | tupiká |
| sleep (sg subject) | lexeme | kánu | kaná | kán |
| throw away | lexeme | ahápɨ | ahápa | ahápɨ |
| write | lexeme | áɰa | aɰá | áɰa |
| darn | lexeme | kaŋkáu | kaŋkaá | kaŋká |
| be/live | suffix | u | u | zero |
| clean up | suffix | ɨ | ɨ | ɨ |
| cut | suffix | i | i | i |
| knock down | suffix | ii | ia | i |
| lose a child | suffix | u | u | u |
| ripen | suffix | uu | ua | u |
| run | suffix | au | a | a |
| sleep (sg subject) | suffix | u | a | zero |
| throw away | suffix | ɨ | a | ɨ |
| write | suffix | a | a | a |
| darn | suffix | au | aa | a |
Aguaruna notes
Verbs
Following Overall (2007), the different inflection classes are represented in terms of the stem alternation, stripped of further suffixes (of which there are many). Overall divides them into three classes on the basis of the behaviour of the stem-final vowels. Since these classes themselves are partly predicatable from the quality of the vowel, this has been separated out here as a theme vowel (or vowels).
The three classes (expressed in terms of theme vowel):
- Class 1: invariant theme vowel (by far the largest class)
- Class 2: (final) theme vowel replaced by -a in the perfective stem
- Class 3: unmarked stem (final) theme vowel -u is dropped in the imperfective stem
Nouns
Possessed forms
- The forms shown here are underlying, as represented by Overall (2007). Further morphophonological processes yield e.g. from [susuhu] → susuŋ 'my blood'.
- The alternation of stem-final vowel is typical of stems in -a. Three lexemes with stems in in -u also display an alternation, but each one is different, so no generalization obtains.
- The two patterns: pure suffixing (like 'beard'), and suffixing + stem alternation (like 'blood') roughly correspond to alienable vs. inalienable possession.
Nouns-case paradigm
- Overall (2007) treats C-final nominative forms as the result of deletion of the stem-final vowel. But as he points out (p. 220), borrowed Spanish personal names that end in a consonant acquire a final -a in the genitive (it is not clear from his description how the cases besides the accusative are formed), so it appears that the process has been reanalyzed as one of suffixation (hence the analysis here).
- Accent shift within the stem (by one syllable towards the end of the word) occurs with di- and trisyllabic stems. Stems of more than four syllables undergo no accent shift, while the behaviour of those of four syllables is unclear (p. 105f).
- The locative suffix -ĩ is found with pronouns (personal, demonstrative) and also possessed nouns.
References
Overall, Simon E. 2007. A Grammar of Aguaruna. PhD thesis, La Trobe University.