jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
262 5 Noun phrase structure
(252) Relationship Terms taking Inalienable Suffixes
gloss stem example
'mother' ma ma-s 'his/her...'
'mothers' motte- matte-ssaen 'their-MaPl...'
'father' fl fi-wwaen 'your-MaPl...'
'fathers' t£ey- taey-nasr 'our...'
'brother' £ηηα seqqo-m 'your-FeSg...'
'brothers' ayst-ma ayst-ma-s 'his/her...'
'sister' waelaet-ma waelaet-ma-k 'your-MaSg ...'
'sisters' saet-ma saet-ma-s 'his/her...'
'maternal uncle' sei]ijaet-ma seqqaet-ma-snaet 'their-FePl...'
'son' rüre rüre-s 'his/her...'
'wife' haenni- haenni-s 'his ...'
'wives' haennasy- (R) haenntey-nasY 'our...'
'master' massi, maessi massi-s 'his/her...'
'masters' maessaw- maessän-snaet 'their-FePl...'
'mistress' msessa- maessa-k 'your-MaSg...'
'mistresses' meessawaste- masssawaete-ssasn 'their-MaPl
The 'mother' and 'father' terms in (252) are used chiefly in kin
compounds (like 'mother's father'), and in insults. The more common
'mother' and 'father' terms, which take alienable possessor suffixes, are in
(250)above.
Some lSg inalienable combinations are aerjga (unsuffixed) varying with
seqq-er 'my brother', and waelaet-ma varying with waelaet-m-er 'my sister'.
Those special kin terms that are used only as compound initials cannot
directly take possessive suffixes.
When an inalienable noun has a noun or other nonprominal NP as
possessor, the construction is that in (253). The possessed noun has a 3Sg
possessor suffix (regardless of actual number of the possessor).
(253) rüre-s an "0-hset-an
son-3SgPoss Poss Pl-Songhay-MaPl
'the son of the Songhays'
This use of a 3Sg morpheme in "agreement" with a NP of variable
number-gender is parallel to the use of a 3Sg pronominal as resumptive
pronoun in subject-focus clauses (§12.2.2.1).
