jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
12.1 Relativization 625
c. naekk [i t-azzaey-aed]
lSg [Dem 2S-know.Reslt-2SgS]
Ί (Ma or Fe) whom you-Sg know' [K-d]
Definite relative clauses force modifications in local ablaut formatives of
Resit and LoImpfP stems (whether realized as participles or as ordinary
inflected verbs). The fact that such modifications occur in (710.a-c)
demonstrates that the construction with 1 is a definite relative. In the Resit, the
only modification is χ-pcl Erasure, whereby ablaut-induced lengthening
(χ-pcl) of the first postconsonantal V is erased. This has affected the participle
in (710.a) and the verb in (710.c); they appear in indefinite relatives in their
full forms aksd-nen and t-szzdy-asd (note the medial full α vowels). In the
LoImpfP, we again get χ-pcl Erasure in definite relative contexts, this time
accompanied by modifications in ablaut-induced accent (χ-pcl). In (710.b),
the LoImpfP verb taettae-nen has erased χ-pcl, and has also shifted the accent
(χ-pcl) from the first to the second syllable by Rightward Accent Shift.
Compare tattae-nen (underlying /tdttA-nen/) in indefinite relatives. In some
other morphological combinations, the ablaut accent in a definite relative is
deleted entirely by χ-Erasure. For these processes, see §3.5.3.
There are some cases of the minimal demonstrative ά as clause-external
"head noun" followed by e.g. MaSg w-ά .., as in ά [w-a-\hin 0-oyya] 'what
he left (there)'. Here the ά functions syntactically as a head noun, and the
relative clause proper begins with w-d.
I have a textual example where an interpolated topical phrase occurs
between an indefinite noun and an apparent relative clause.
(711) wa-di haeraet [snta daev] n-assan-\t
Dem.Ma-Anaph thing [3Sg too] lPlS-know.Reslt-\3MaSgO
'that is something, it too, (that) we know it.'
However, in this example, '...(that) we know it' is not a true relative
clause, since (unlike the case with normal object relatives) the object is
represented as a 3MaSgO clitic on the verb.
As in other languages, constructions involving two relative clauses may
either be stacked with the second relative modifying an NP inside the first
relative ('the cat that ate the rat that lived...'), or parallel, both modifying the
same head noun ('the man whom you saw who works in town'). Consider
(712), from a Κ dialect text; for ere see §12.1.6.
(712) aekk ere
go.to.Imprt whoever
[w-a-\daer 0-jaer-aed asttaema] ras
[Ma-Dem.Sg-\in 2S-throw.PerfP-2SgS hope] only
wasr-aen 0-aemos-aen
Neg-Partpl.MaSg 3MaSgS-be.Reslt-PartpI.MaSg
