Siuslaw
Nominals table
| gloss | stem phonology | layer | abs | erg | acc-loc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| his/her father | lexeme | mɨtátš | qamɨtátš | mɨtáyu:s | |
| his/her father | prefix | zero | q | zero | |
| his/her father | suffix | zero | zero | u:s | |
| his/her father | infix | zero | zero | zero | |
| I | lexeme | nà | qnà | nàtš | |
| I | prefix | zero | q | zero | |
| I | suffix | zero | zero | tš | |
| I | infix | zero | zero | zero | |
| this | lexeme | səà | səàs | səainatš | |
| this | prefix | zero | zero | zero | |
| this | suffix | zero | s | inatš | |
| this | infix | zero | zero | zero | |
| woman | lexeme | qi:utšúnɨ | qi:utšwánɨ | qi:utšúnya | |
| woman | prefix | zero | zero | zero | |
| woman | suffix | zero | zero | a | |
| woman | infix | zero | a | zero | |
| lake | polysyllabic i:-/u:-final | lexeme | pkˀí:ti: | pkˀí:ti: | pkˀí:ti:yu:s |
| lake | polysyllabic i:-/u:-final | prefix | zero | zero | zero |
| lake | polysyllabic i:-/u:-final | suffix | zero | zero | u:s |
| lake | polysyllabic i:-/u:-final | infix | zero | zero | zero |
Verbs table
| gloss | layer | 1 sg | 1incl du | 1incl pl | 2 sg | 2 du | 2 pl | 3 sg | 3 du | 3 pl | 1 du | 1 pl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| work | suffix | ɨn | ns | nł | nx̣ | ts | tšɨ | zero | ux̣ | nx̣ | ux̣un | nx̣an |
| work | lexeme | x̣ɨlːx̣šɨn | x̣ɨlːx̣šyans | x̣ɨlːx̣šyanł | x̣ɨlːx̣šiː | x̣ɨlːx̣šyux̣ | x̣ɨlːx̣šyanx̣ | x̣ɨlːx̣šyux̣un | x̣ɨlːx̣šyanx̣an |
Siuslaw notes
- The examples are from Frachtenberg (1922), but have been adapted to the orthography employed by Mithun (2005).
- Argument markers on verbs are in fact enclitics, as they can dock onto adverbials as well.
- The prefixed ergative marker is found with 1st and 2nd person pronouns and with kinterms, the suffix -s with the demonstrative/3rd person, and an infixed <a> elsewhere. From the examples it appears that only animates take the ergative.
- There are two main accusative-locative suffixes, -a and -u:s; -a appears to be the default, while -u:s is found with stems in -i: and -u:, but also with others as well. There are a number of irregular accusative-locative forms, but paradigms of them cannot be constructed with any confidence.
References
Frachtenberg, Leo J. 1922. Siuslawan (Lower Umpqua). In Boas, Franz (ed) Handbook of the American Indian Languages, Part 2, pp. 431-629.
Mithun, Marianne. 2005. Ergativity and contact on the Oregon coast: Alsea, Siuslaw, and Coos. Berkeley Linguistic Society 26 77-96.