draft manuscript - Linguistics - University of California, Berkeley

2.3.6.2 Conjunction with Comitative =mukui
The comitative postposition =mukui may adjoin to the last of a series of conjoined NPs, much like
weRanu, as in (2.49).
(2.49) 1watimai Ritama, aikiaRa tuyuka Ritama, upakatu maRainkanamukui, yaw1k1taRa, wakutataRa,
yeneyaRasemai weRanu, muRiai Dios muRa.
1wati =mai Ritama aikiaRa tuyuka Ritama upa =katu maRain
be.high.up =inact.nomz village dem.prox.ms land village all =intsf thing
=kana =mukui yaw1k1 -taRa wakuta -taRa yene= yaRa =semai
=pl.ms =com make -act.nomz carry.in.arm -act.nomz 1pl.incl= master =verid
weRanu muRia -i Dios muRa
coord thus -? God 3sg.ms
‘The Creator of Heaven, Earth and all things, the protector, and our true Lord as well, thus
is God.’
(example (5.2b))
This strategy is only attested once in Old Omagua, with weRanu fulfilling the same function much
more frequently. Recall that weRanu has fallen out of the modern language entirely. Synchronically,
nominal coordination is most typically achieved via unmarked juxtaposition.
2.3.6.3 Similative =ya
Similarity between nominal referents is indicated via the nominal enclitic =ya, which appears following
the plural marker =kana in (2.50).
(2.50) Roaya miaRakanayakatu yenesuumukui Ranaumanu.
Roaya
neg
miaRa =kana =ya =katu yene= suu =mukui Rana= umanu
monkey =pl.ms =sim =intsf 1pl.incl= body =com 3pl.ms= die
‘They [our souls] do not die with our bodies like animals.’
(example (6.22b))
a- kaRu -potat a- ke -potat =Ran
1sg.erg-
eat -desid 1sg.erg sleep -desid =coord
‘I want to eat and sleep.’
(Seki 2000:239)
Both =we and =Ran co-occur in cases wherein one of a subset of conjoined NPs is realized post-verbally (i.e., in
non-canonical position), an apparent focus strategy, as in (2.3). Note, however, that the function of weRanu in
Old Omagua is not restricted to this limited syntactic environment, and in conjoining both NPs and VPs exhibits
hybrid syntactic characteristics of both Kamaiurá =we and =Ran.
(2.3) ojomonopawawa Rak moReRekwaRaweRan.
o- jo-
mono -paw =awa Rak moReRekwat -a =we =Ran
3.ergrecip-
send -cpl =pl ? chief -ref =coord =coord
‘They all went, and the chief too.’
(Seki 2000:248)
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