Difference between revisions of "Obviation"

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(Created page with "(intro) ==From the Nouns article== ''This information has been taken from the ==Obviation== section of the Nouns article. It is no longer present there.'' Mi'gmaq is a lang...")
 
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(intro)
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''This page is meant to be an introduction to obviation in Mi'gmaq only; for further details, please see the linked pages''.
  
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==From the Nouns article==
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Mi'gmaq is a language with a feature called '''obviation'''. It is a way of distinguishing between different third [[Person and number|persons]]: a "closer to speakers" third person known as the '''proximate''' and a "further from speakers" third person known as the '''obviate''', also referred to as the 4th person (Payne 1997: 212). The obviate is marked on both nouns and verbs, as discussed below.
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''This information has been taken from the ==Obviation== section of the [[Nouns]] article. It is no longer present there.''
 
  
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Mi'gmaq is a language with a feature called '''obviation.''' (The wiki will also address it as it applies to [[Verbs: Overview|verbs]], so check that part out too!) Obviation is a way of '''differentiating between third persons.''' The usual set of persons is first (in English "me/we"), second ("you"), and third ("him/her/them"). Obviation makes a "closer to speakers" third person (often called proximate) which contrasts with a "further from speakers" third person (often called obviate). (Payne 1997: 212)
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=Obviation on Nouns=
  
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In Mi'gmaq, the obviate is generally marked with the suffix ''-l'', or ''-tl,'' though variation does apply. Though the circumstances of its appearance vary depending on the context of your conversation, there are certain words where it is guaranteed to appear.
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If there are two animate third person participants in a phrase, the object will usually be marked as the obviate by adding ''-l'', ''-al'' or ''-tl'' to the end of the singular noun (plural nouns are not marked for obviation) (Manyakina 2012). So, for example, in the phrase ''The deer sees the bear'', the bear will receive an obviate suffix, as in the example below:
  
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For instance, "his/her friend" is always going to be marked as obviate because in that situation, there are two "third persons": the him/her in question, and then the friend. The friend is more "distant" from the discourse, so it will appear as below, with the obviate marker on the end:
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<gl>
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\gll lentug nemi-at-l mui'n-al\\
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deer see-3>3-OBV bear-OBV\\
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\trans The deer sees the bear
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</gl>
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This makes it easy to keep track of who is doing what, especially if the word order changes:
  
 
<gl>
 
<gl>
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\gll w-itap-al
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\gll nemi-at-l mui'n-al lentug\\
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3-friend-OBV\\
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see=3>3-OBV bear-OBV deer\\
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\trans his/her friend
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\trans The deer sees the bear
 
</gl>
 
</gl>
  
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Obviation can also be marked on proper nouns, like names:
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<gl>
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\gll Mali gesal-at-l Piel-al\\
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Mary love-3>3-OBV Peter-OBV
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\trans Mary loves Peter
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</gl>
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Some [[Possession|possessed nouns]] necessarily have obviation marked on them since there are two third persons involved: a possessor (the proximate third person) and a person who is the object of possession (the obviate third person), as in 'his or her friend':
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<gl>
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\gll w-itap-al\\
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3.POSS-friend-OBV\\
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\trans his or her friend
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</gl>
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=Obviation on Verbs=
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''Proposed page: [[Obviation and Verbs]]''
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''This section may need to be shortened once obviation is covered further on other pages (namely the VAI and VTA pages and/or the proposed Obviation and Verbs page)''.
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In addition to being marked on nouns, obviation is also marked on verbs. This is most apparent in the [[VTA|transitive animate]] (or TA) verbs, such as ''nemiatl'', 'he or she sees him or her', and ''gesalatl'' 'he or she loves him or her', above. In general, these verbs will take either a singular obviate ending, '''-l''', or a plural obviate ending, '''-i''' (and sometimes '''-a'''), depending on whether the obviate is singular or plural. Some examples are given below:
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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! Obviate||Full Ending||Meaning||Example
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|-
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| rowspan="2" | -l
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| -at-l
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| 3>4
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| gesalatl, 'he or she likes him or her (OBV)'
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|-
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| -a'tit-l
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| 3PL>4
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| gesala'titl, 'they like him or her (OBV)'
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|-
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| rowspan="2" | -i
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| -aj-i
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| 3>4PL
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| gesalaji, 'he or she likes them (OBV)'
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|-
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| -a'tij-i
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| 3PL>4PL
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| gesala'tiji, 'they like them (OBV)'
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|}
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In addition to proximate third persons acting on obviate third persons, obviate persons may also act on other obviate persons. An example taken from a written transcription of a story about the ''puglatmu'jg'', or little people, is given below:
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<gl>
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\gll gs'gat-a'nita\\
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disappear-4PL>4PL\\
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\trans They (OBV) disappeared into them (the mountains; OBV)
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</gl>
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Obviate third persons may also be the subject of [[VAI|animate intransitive]] (or AI) verbs if the discourse context allows it. For the singular form of these verbs, the obviate ending is added to the regular third person proximate ending, as so (example taken from Manyakina 2012):
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<gl>
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\gll ug-tus-l etlenm-ilit-l\\
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3.POSS-daughter-OBV laugh-3-OBV\\
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\trans his or her daughter is laughing
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</gl>
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For the plural form, an entirely different ending is used for the obviate form (the dual form of the obviate for these verbs has not been seen as of yet):
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<gl>
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\gll wig-ulti'nij\\
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live-4PL\\
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\trans They (OBV) live
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</gl>
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=Obviation and Discourse=
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''Main Page: [[Obviation and Discourse]]''
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When there are two third persons within a given stretch of discourse in Mi'gmaq, it is usually one that is marked as proximate and the other as obviate, as in the sentence ''Lentug nemiatl muinal'', above. When there are more than two third persons in a given stretch of discourse, only ''one'' may be proximate; all others must be obviate, as shown in the example below (taken from Manyakina 2012):
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<gl>
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\gll Piel ignmu-at-l Mali-al tap'tan-n\\
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Peter give-3>3-OBV Mary-OBV potato-OBV\\
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\trans Peter gives Mary a potato'
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</gl>
  
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==From the Verbs article==
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=References=
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''Nothing was written in the [[Verbs]] article about obviation''
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* Manyakina, J. (2012) "An Analysis of Obviation in Mi'gmaq" Honour's Thesis. Montréal: Concordia University.
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* Payne, T.E. (1997) "Describing morphosyntax: A guide for field linguists". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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* Wilmot, Joe, prepared by. "Puglatmu'jg"

Revision as of 10:17, 26 July 2012

This page is meant to be an introduction to obviation in Mi'gmaq only; for further details, please see the linked pages.

Mi'gmaq is a language with a feature called obviation. It is a way of distinguishing between different third persons: a "closer to speakers" third person known as the proximate and a "further from speakers" third person known as the obviate, also referred to as the 4th person (Payne 1997: 212). The obviate is marked on both nouns and verbs, as discussed below.

Obviation on Nouns

If there are two animate third person participants in a phrase, the object will usually be marked as the obviate by adding -l, -al or -tl to the end of the singular noun (plural nouns are not marked for obviation) (Manyakina 2012). So, for example, in the phrase The deer sees the bear, the bear will receive an obviate suffix, as in the example below: 

  1. lentug  nemi-at-l    mui'n-al  
deer    see-3>3-OBV  bear-OBV  
    'The deer sees the bear'

This makes it easy to keep track of who is doing what, especially if the word order changes: 

  1. nemi-at-l    mui'n-al  lentug  
see=3>3-OBV  bear-OBV  deer    
    'The deer sees the bear'

Obviation can also be marked on proper nouns, like names: 

  1. Mali  gesal-at-l    Piel-al    
Mary  love-3>3-OBV  Peter-OBV  
    'Mary loves Peter'

Some possessed nouns necessarily have obviation marked on them since there are two third persons involved: a possessor (the proximate third person) and a person who is the object of possession (the obviate third person), as in 'his or her friend': 

  1. w-itap-al          
3.POSS-friend-OBV  
    'his or her friend'

Obviation on Verbs

Proposed page: Obviation and Verbs

This section may need to be shortened once obviation is covered further on other pages (namely the VAI and VTA pages and/or the proposed Obviation and Verbs page).

In addition to being marked on nouns, obviation is also marked on verbs. This is most apparent in the transitive animate (or TA) verbs, such as nemiatl, 'he or she sees him or her', and gesalatl 'he or she loves him or her', above. In general, these verbs will take either a singular obviate ending, -l, or a plural obviate ending, -i (and sometimes -a), depending on whether the obviate is singular or plural. Some examples are given below:

Obviate Full Ending Meaning Example
-l -at-l 3>4 gesalatl, 'he or she likes him or her (OBV)'
-a'tit-l 3PL>4 gesala'titl, 'they like him or her (OBV)'
-i -aj-i 3>4PL gesalaji, 'he or she likes them (OBV)'
-a'tij-i 3PL>4PL gesala'tiji, 'they like them (OBV)'

In addition to proximate third persons acting on obviate third persons, obviate persons may also act on other obviate persons. An example taken from a written transcription of a story about the puglatmu'jg, or little people, is given below: 

  1. gs'gat-a'nita      
disappear-4PL>4PL  
    'They (OBV) disappeared into them (the mountains; OBV)'

Obviate third persons may also be the subject of animate intransitive (or AI) verbs if the discourse context allows it. For the singular form of these verbs, the obviate ending is added to the regular third person proximate ending, as so (example taken from Manyakina 2012): 

  1. ug-tus-l             etlenm-ilit-l  
3.POSS-daughter-OBV  laugh-3-OBV    
    'his or her daughter is laughing'

For the plural form, an entirely different ending is used for the obviate form (the dual form of the obviate for these verbs has not been seen as of yet): 

  1. wig-ulti'nij  
live-4PL      
    'They (OBV) live'

Obviation and Discourse

Main Page: Obviation and Discourse

When there are two third persons within a given stretch of discourse in Mi'gmaq, it is usually one that is marked as proximate and the other as obviate, as in the sentence Lentug nemiatl muinal, above. When there are more than two third persons in a given stretch of discourse, only one may be proximate; all others must be obviate, as shown in the example below (taken from Manyakina 2012): 

  1. Piel   ignmu-at-l    Mali-al   tap'tan-n   
Peter  give-3>3-OBV  Mary-OBV  potato-OBV  
    'Peter gives Mary a potato''

References

  • Manyakina, J. (2012) "An Analysis of Obviation in Mi'gmaq" Honour's Thesis. Montréal: Concordia University.
  • Payne, T.E. (1997) "Describing morphosyntax: A guide for field linguists". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Wilmot, Joe, prepared by. "Puglatmu'jg"
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