Wintu
Nouns table
| gloss | layer | particular nom | particular acc | particular gen | particular loc | generic nom | generic acc | generic gen | generic loc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| acorn | lexeme | ʔi:h | ʔi:hum | ʔi:hun | ʔi:hin | ʔi:w | ʔi:wum | ʔi:wun | ʔi:win |
| acorn | suffix 1 | h | h | h | h | w | w | w | w |
| acorn | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| bag | lexeme | lasik | lasikum | lasikun | lasikin | ||||
| bag | suffix 1 | #? | #? | #? | #? | zero | zero | zero | zero |
| bag | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| basket | lexeme | kˀoloh | kˀolohum | kˀolohun | kˀolohin | kˀolom | kˀolomum | kˀolomun | kˀolomin |
| basket | suffix 1 | h | h | h | h | m | m | m | m |
| basket | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| bear | lexeme | cˀiɬ | cˀilum | cˀilun | cˀilin | cˀil | cˀilum | cˀilun | cˀilin |
| bear | suffix 1 | h | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero |
| bear | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| blind person | lexeme | sileɬ | sileɬum | sileɬun | sileɬin | silel | silelum | silelun | silelin |
| blind person | suffix 1 | h | h | h | h | zero | zero | zero | zero |
| blind person | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| coyote | lexeme | sedet | sedem | seden | sede:n | sedet | sedetum | sedetun | sedetin |
| coyote | suffix 1 | t | zero | zero | zero | t | t | t | t |
| coyote | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| fingernail | lexeme | kˀahah | kˀahahum | kˀahahun | kˀahahin | kˀahay | kˀahayum | kˀahayun | kˀahayin |
| fingernail | suffix 1 | h | h | h | h | y | y | y | y |
| fingernail | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| front | lexeme | tunet | tunem | tunen | tune:n | tune: | tune:m | tune:n | tune:n |
| front | suffix 1 | t | zero | zero | zero | V: | V: | V: | V: |
| front | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| hat | lexeme | tʰakit | tʰakim | tʰakin | tʰaki:n | tʰaki | tʰakim | tʰakin | tʰaki:n |
| hat | suffix 1 | t | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero | zero |
| hat | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| older sister | lexeme | la:h | la:hum | la:hun | la:hin | lah | lahum | lahun | lahin |
| older sister | suffix 1 | :h | :h | :h | :h | zero | zero | zero | zero |
| older sister | suffix 2 | zero | um | r | in | zero | um | r | in |
| one | lexeme | kˀete:t | kˀete:tum | kˀete:tun | kˀete:tin | kˀete:m | kˀete:mum | kˀete:mun | kˀete:min |
| one | suffix 1 | t | t | t | t | m | m | m | m |
| one | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| ring | lexeme | semelhe:nam | semelhe:nan | semelhe:nin | semelhe:nas | semelhe:nasum | semelhe:nasun | semelhe:nasin | |
| ring | suffix 1 | #? | zero | zero | zero | s | s | s | s |
| ring | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| squirrel | lexeme | ticele:m | ticele:n | ticele:n | ticeles | ticelesum | ticelesun | ticelesin | |
| squirrel | suffix 1 | #? | zero | zero | zero | s | s | s | s |
| squirrel | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| stone | lexeme | soh | sohum | sohun | sohin | son | sonum | sonun | sonin |
| stone | suffix 1 | h | h | h | h | n | n | n | n |
| stone | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| sun god | lexeme | tulcuheret | tulcuherem | tulcuheren | tulcuhere:n | tulcuheres | tulcuheresum | tulcuheresun | tulcuheresin |
| sun god | suffix 1 | t | zero | zero | zero | s | s | s | s |
| sun god | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| tail | lexeme | sutut | sutum | sutun | sutin | sutu | sutuwum | sutuwun | sutuwin |
| tail | suffix 1 | t | zero | zero | zero | zero | w | w | w |
| tail | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| testicles | lexeme | siwih | siwihum | siwihun | siwihin | siwi: | siwiyum | siwiyun | siwiyun |
| testicles | suffix 1 | h | h | h | h | V: | y | y | y |
| testicles | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
| trout | lexeme | sulat | sulam | sulan | sula:n | sulaw | sulawum | sulawun | sulawin |
| trout | suffix 1 | t | zero | zero | zero | w | w | w | w |
| trout | suffix 2 | zero | um | un | in | zero | um | un | in |
Verb stems table
| gloss | lexeme | layer | ind | ind suffixed | imp | imp suffixed | nominal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | sing | lexeme | cˀa:wa | cˀa:wa- | cˀa:wu | cˀa:wu- | cˀa:wi- |
| B | cauterize | lexeme | baya: | baya:- | bayu | bayu- | bayi- |
| C | build a house | lexeme | buqe: | buqe:- | buqu | buqu- | buqi- |
| D | be sharp | lexeme | cˀice: | cˀice:- | cˀicu | cˀicu- | cˀice- |
| E | undo | lexeme | cˀuta | cˀuta- | cˀot | cˀot- | cˀoto- |
| F | open nuts | lexeme | cˀo:r | cˀo:ra- | cˀo:r | cˀo:ru- | cˀ:oro- |
| G | preach | lexeme | cˀe:wa | cˀe:wa- | cˀe:wu | cˀe:wu- | cˀe:we- |
| H | help | lexeme | cˀuqe: | cˀuqe:- | cˀuq | cˀuqu- | cˀuqu- |
| I | burrs to open | lexeme | cˀo:ra | cˀo:ra- | cˀo:r | cˀo:ru- | cˀo:ra- |
| J | wring out | lexeme | cˀi:qa | cˀi:qa- | cˀi:qu | cˀi:qu- | cˀi:qa- |
| K | defecate | lexeme | cˀina: | cˀina:- | cˀina | cˀina- | cˀina:- |
| L | save | lexeme | huye: | huye:- | huye | huye- | huye:- |
| M | put away | lexeme | dukama | dukama- | dukame | dukame- | dukama- |
| N | yawn once | lexeme | ha:smena | ha:smena- | ha:smena | ha:smena- | ha:smena- |
| O | eat | lexeme | ba: | ba:- | ba: | ba:- | ba:- |
| A | sing | suffix | a | a | u | u | i |
| B | cauterize | suffix | a: | a: | u | u | i |
| C | build a house | suffix | e: | e: | u | u | i |
| D | be sharp | suffix | e: | e: | u | u | e |
| E | undo | suffix | a | a | zero | zero | V |
| F | open nuts | suffix | zero | a | zero | u | V |
| G | preach | suffix | a | a | u | u | V |
| H | help | suffix | e: | e: | zero | u | V |
| I | burrs to open | suffix | a | a | zero | u | a |
| J | wring out | suffix | a | a | u | u | a |
| K | defecate | suffix | a: | a: | a | a | a: |
| L | save | suffix | e: | e: | e | e | e: |
| M | put away | suffix | a | a | e | e | a |
| N | yawn once | suffix | a | a | a | a | a |
| O | eat | suffix | a: | a: | a: | a: | a: |
Wintu notes
Verbs
- Verbs have three stems (indicative, imperative and nominal), which are in turn potentially followed by various suffixes, which Pitkin (1984) does not present in paradigmatic terms. Indicative and imperative stems may also occur unsuffixed. Verbs fall into different classes on the basis of the stem-final vocalic formative, and whether or not this formative is deleted when the stem is unsuffixed. Rather than enage in the dubious exercise of constructing paradigms on the basis of Pitkin's description of the suffixes, the presentation here is restricted to the stem forms, as given by Pitkin.
- V represents a underspecified vowel that matches the stem vowel.
Nouns
-
Nouns distinguish what Pitkin terms particular and generic aspect. In his characterization (p. 210):
The particular aspect [...] specifies a live, animate, personified, or whole (entire) individual, a group considered as a unit contrasting with an undifferentiated mass , or an action Which is punctual rather than durative; in short, a particular individuated from the mass or general type. The generic defines a mass in general, a continuum, a group, a plurality, or simply an unspecified, not particularized, individual, class, or genus.
While it sometimes corresponds to a number distinction, it is not the same thing: plural pronouns distinguish both aspects (number is not otherwise marked).
-
Pitkin does not give complete paradigms for all the nouns. The presentation here has been constructed, since his description appears to be thorough and consistent.
-
Pronouns have a somewhat different system. Since they represent a handful of items, and are internally diverse as well (showing additional suffix allomorphs and stem alternations, sometimes on a word-by-word basis), these are not represented in the database.
- singular pronouns split the functions of the genitive into possessive and instrumental, the latter also used as the agent for passive verbs (an ergative case?). They do not distinguish between particular and generic aspect (but plural pronouns do).
- although Pitkin states that pronouns have a locative case (which is compatible with animates, judging by noun examples in the text), most of the paradigms he presents lack it. It is not clear how to interpret this.
-
Inalienably possessed nouns lack the particular/generic distinction, and mark their accusative and genitive with suffixes found otherwise only on (some) pronouns: acc -t, genitive -r.
References
Pitkin, Harvey. 1984. Wintu grammar. Berkeley: University of California Press.