Washo Possession: A Phonology/Morphology Problem Christina Michelle Weaver Created: 10 June 2009 Last Modified: 15 January 2010 Introduction Washo is a moribund language isolate spoken near Lake Tahoe along the California-Nevada border, as shown in figure 1. Figure 1: Washo Map Many thanks to William Jacobsen and Alan Yu for their fieldwork data, which I based this problem on. 1
Phoneme Inventory Washo s phoneme inventory is analyzed by Jacobsen (1964, 1996), and updated by Yu (to appear), as in the charts below. Consonants Bilabial Dental Post-alveolar Palato-alveolar Velar Glottal nasal m n ŋ ŋ m plosive p b t d dz k g P ejective p t ts k fricative s S h approximants û w ì l j j Vowels Problem Front Unrounded Central Unrounded Back Rounded High i i: 1 1: u u: Mid e e: o o: Low a a: 1 Paradigms Examine the possessive constructions below. The capitalized abbreviations in glosses are taken from the Leipzig glossing rules. Your task is to do the following three things: 1. List the underlying forms of all morphemes, along with their meanings. 2. Give phonological rules that explain any alternations. 3. Explain the process by which basic possessive constructions are formed in Washo. Relax: Stress will not affect your analysis. 2
house mouth ball belt net grandmother s pet sister a. my - 1 láŋal diháŋa dik ómol dimél1w didí:geš dib 1k 1 digúšup b. my - 2 lé: láŋal lé: diháŋa lé: dik ómol lé: dimél1w lé: didí:geš lé: dib 1k 1 lé: digúšup c. our (EXCL) láŋal diháŋa dik ómolši dimél1w didí:geš dib 1k 1 digúšup d. our (INCL.DU) - 1 láŋalši diháŋaši dik ómolši dimél1wši didí:geši dib 1k 1ši digúšupši e. our (INCL.DU) - 2 léši láŋalši léši diháŋaši léši dik ómolši léši dimél1wši léši didí:geši léši dib 1k 1ši léši digúšupši f. our (INCL.PL) - 1 láŋalhu diháŋahu dik ómolhu dimél1whu didí:gešhu dib 1k 1hu digúšuphu g. our (INCL.PL) - 2 léw láŋalhu léw diháŋahu léw dik ómolhu léw dimél1whu léw didí:gešhu léw dib 1k 1hu léw digúšuphu h. your (SG) - 1 máŋal Pumháŋa Pumk ómol PumMél1w Pumdí:geš Pumb 1k 1 PumgúšuP i. your (SG) - 2 mí máŋal mí Pumháŋa mí Pumk ómol mí PumMél1w mí Pumdí:geš mí Pumb 1k 1 mí PumgúšuP j. your (DU) míši máŋal míši Pumháŋa míši Pumk ómol míši PumMél1w míši Pumdí:geš míši Pumb 1k 1 míši PumgúšuP k. your (PL) - 1 máŋal Pumháŋa Pumk ómol PumMél1w Pumdí:geš Pumb 1k 1 PumgúšuP l. your (PL) - 2 míw máŋal míw Pumháŋa míw Pumk ómol míw PumMél1w míw Pumdí:geš míw Pumb 1k 1 míw PumgúšuP m. his/her/its - 1 t áŋal daháŋa dak ómol demél1w dedí:geš deb 1k 1 degúšup n. his/her/its - 2 gé: t áŋal gé: daháŋa gé: dak ómol gé: demél1w gé: dedí:geš gé: deb 1k 1 gé: degúšup o. their (DU) géši t áŋal géši daháŋa géši dak ómol géši demél1w gé dedí:geš géši deb 1k 1 géši degúšup p. their (PL) - 1 t áŋal daháŋa dak ómol demél1w dedí:geš deb 1k 1 degúšup q. their (PL) - 2 géw t áŋal géw daháŋa géw dak ómol géw demél1w géw dedí:geš géw deb 1k 1 géw degúšup r. somebody s dáŋal háŋa k ómol demél1w dí:geš b 1k 1 gúšup 3
2 Possessive Phrases Examine the data below and explain how possessive phrases are formed in Washo. Add new morphemes and rules to the lists you have started. t é:liwhu t áŋal diŋá:m dak ómol t ánu degúšup t éliwhu deb 1k 1 dapmó?mo? daŋá:m 3 Sentences Involving Possessors the man s house my son s ball a person s pet the man s grandmother s sister the woman s son Examine the data below and explain how sentences involving possessors are formed in Washo. Add new morphemes and rules to the lists you have started. Páŋal Pí:giyi t áŋal Pí:giyi gáŋal Pí:giyi dapmópmop dí:geš Pí:giyi dapmópmop dedí:geš Pí:giyi dapmópmop gitdí:geš Pí:giyi diŋá:m k ómol Pí:giyi diŋá:m dak ómol Pí:giyi diŋá:m gitk ómol Pí:giyi diŋá:m k ómol Pí:giyi 4 Inanimate Possessors he sees a house he 1 sees his 2 house he 1 sees his 1 house the woman sees a net the woman 1 sees her 2 net the woman 1 sees her 1 net my son sees a ball my son 1 sees his 2 ball my son 1 sees his 1 ball he sees my son s ball Examine the data below and explain how Washo handles inanimate possessors. Add new morphemes and rules to the lists you have started. Máŋal bedílip bedílip Máŋal Pitdémlu Pitdémlu Máŋal dewmétup dewmétup Máŋal múc ug múc uk Máŋal tápn1p tápn1p Máŋal bilá:dap bilá:dap Máŋal démlu k éteb démlu gumk étep gális PitwáP gális gumpitwáp t á:š gális gumt á:š house match match box plate restaurant ice ice house medicine medicine case boat boat house money purse food jar food jar winter clothes winter clothes shirt winter shirt 4
5 Putting Your Analysis to the Test Now that you have made a list of morphemes and a list of phonological rules to explain their alternations, and you have also explored the way in which Washo creates possessives in various environments, summarize and extend your analysis by doing the following: 1. Generalize what you have discovered in the sections above to explain how possessives are formed in Washo in all environments. 2. How would you say the following in Washo? Give derivations for each. a. the woman s mouth b. my grandmother s sister s son c. the man s pet s ball d. my son s winter clothes e. the man 1 sees his 1 belt References Jacobsen, William H., Jr. 1964. A Grammar of the Washo Language. Dissertation: University of California, Berkeley. Jacobsen, William H., Jr. 1996. Beginning Washo. Nevada State Museum, Occassional Papers Number 5. Ed. Donald R. Tuohy. Carson City, NV: Nevada State Museum. Yu, Alan C. L. To appear. The phonetics of quantity alternation in Washo. Journal of Phonetics. 5