Miskito
Nouns table
| gloss | layer | absolute | construct | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 incl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| boat | lexeme | duri | dwarka | dwairka | dwarkam | dwarka | dwarka |
| boat | suffix | zero | ka | ka | ka | ka | ka |
| boat | stem | #stem1 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 |
| boat | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| horse | lexeme | aras | araska | araski | araskam | aras | aras |
| horse | suffix | zero | ka | ka | ka | ka | ka |
| horse | stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem |
| horse | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| caterpiller | lexeme | liwa | lawya | laiwya | lawyam | lawya | lawya |
| caterpiller | suffix | zero | ya | ya | ya | ya | ya |
| caterpiller | stem | #stem1 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 |
| caterpiller | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| wind | lexeme | pasa | payaska | paiyaska | pamyaska | payaska | payaska |
| wind | suffix | zero | ka | ka | ka | ka | ka |
| wind | stem | #stem1 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 |
| wind | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| earth | lexeme | tasba | tasbaya | tasbayi | tasbayam | tasbaya | tasbaya |
| earth | suffix | zero | ka | ka | ka | ka | ka |
| earth | stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem |
| earth | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| manner | lexeme | nata | natka | naita | namta | natka | natka |
| manner | suffix | zero | ka | zero | zero | ka | ka |
| manner | stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem |
| manner | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| pine | lexeme | awas | awaska | aiwas | awaskam | awaska | awaska |
| pine | suffix | zero | ka | zero | ka | ka | ka |
| pine | stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem |
| pine | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| tree | lexeme | dus | dusa | dusi | dusam | dusa | dusa |
| tree | suffix | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero |
| tree | stem | #stem1 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 |
| tree | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
| lung | lexeme | pusa | pusa | pusi | pusam | pusa | pusa |
| lung | suffix | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero |
| lung | stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem |
| lung | affix | zero | zero | i | m | zero | zero |
Verbs table
| gloss | layer | stem phonology | prs absolute 1 | prs absolute 2 | prs absolute 3 | pst absolute 1 | pst absolute 2 | pst absolute 3 | fut 1 | fut 2 | fut 3 | conex 1 | conex 2 | conex 3 | Inf | prs Ptcp | transgressive ptcp | pst Ptcp | neg Ptcp | prs indef 1 | prs indef 2 | prs indef 3 | pst indef 1 | pst indef 2 | pst indef 3 | cond 1 | cond 2 | cond 3 | hort | imp | neg imp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| come | lexeme | aulna | aulma | aula | balatna | balatma | balata | balamna | balma | balbia | balrika | balrika | balka | balaia | bal | balsi | balan | balras | balsna | balsma | balsa | balri | balram | balan | balaisna | balaisma | balaisa | balp | bal | balpara | |
| come | suffix | na | ma | a | atna | atma | ata | amna | ma | bia | rika | rika | ka | aia | zero | si | an | ras | sna | sma | sa | ri | ram | an | aisna | aisma | aisa | p | zero | para | |
| come | stem | #stem1 | #stem1 | #stem1 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | #stem2 | |
| play | lexeme | puluna | puluma | puluya | pulatna | pulatma | pulata | pulamna | pulma | pulbia | pulrika | pulrika | pulka | pulaia | puli | pulisi | pulan | pulras | pulisna | pulisma | pulisa | pulri | pulram | pulan | pulaisna | pulaisma | pulaisa | pulpi | puIs | pulpara | |
| play | suffix | una | uma | uya | atna | atma | ata | amna | ma | bia | rika | rika | ka | aia | i | isi | an | ras | isna | isma | isa | ri | ram | an | aisna | aisma | aisa | pi | s | para | |
| play | stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | |
| put | lexeme | i-final | swisuna | swisuma | swisuya | swisatna | swisatma | swisata | swimna | swima | swibia | swirika | swirika | swikka | swisaia | swisi | swisisi | swisan | swiras | swisna | swisma | swisa | swiri | swiram | swiran | swiaisna | swiaisma | swiaisa | swip | swis | swipara |
| put | suffix | i-final | suna | suma | suya | satna | satma | sata | mna | ma | bia | rika | rika | kka | saia | si | sisi | san | ras | sna | sma | sa | ri | ram | an | aisna | aisma | aisa | p | puIs | para |
| put | stem | i-final | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem | #stem |
Miskito notes
Noun
-
The form labelled 'construct' here is used, among other things, when the noun is modified, as in the following contexts using the construct form araska 'horse' (Salamanca 1988: 154):
- balan araska ba 'came horse the' = 'the horse that came'
- baha araska 'this horse'
-
The default construct form involves suffixation of -ka. If the stem ends in -a, this is deleted, and if this in turn is preceded by a consonant cluster, an epenthetic /i/ is added (Salamanca 1988: 156): batana ~ batan-ka 'grease', kipla ~ kipli-ka 'rock'.
Some nouns have unsuffixed construct forms, or have a different suffix. For some nouns there is a stem alternations, typically infixation of -a-.
-
The construct is also used as the base for possessed forms, with a 1st person marker /i/ and a 2nd person marker /m/. These are infixed or suffixed according to the phonological structure of the stem (Salamanca 1988: 161f):
- If the stem vowel is non-high, /i/ and /m/ are infixed: na<i>pa 'my tooth' vs. pus-i 'my lung'.
- But if the stem contains a consonant cluster where the introduction of /m/ would yield an illicit syllable type, it is suffixed: ka<i>rma 'my throat' vs. karma-m 'your throat' (because *ka<m>rma cannot be syllabified).
- (There is at least one exception in Salamanca's material (p. 174): bla 'nausea' ~ bla<i>ka 'my nausea' ~ bla-ka-m 'your nausea', not *bla<m>ka.)
Verb
- The different subject virtual form -- or 'conexivo' in Salmanca's
text -- is used for switch reference in future or irrealis
contexts, e.g. (p. 347):
Maria bal-ka yang w-amna M. come.diff.sbj.virt I come-1.fut ‘When Maria comes I’ll go.’ - Verbs whose stems end in /b/ delete this before C-initial suffixes, except where C=/r/ (p. 136).
- Play' and 'put' represent the basic types; 'come' is irregular.
References
Salamanca, Danilo. 1988. Elementos de gramática del miskito. PhD thesis, MIT.