Pan-Algonquian survey:
Agreement pattern in TA independent 3-on-3 forms
Variable: Do TA independent 3-on-3 forms use the absolute (prefixless) agreement pattern or the objective (prefixing) agreement pattern?
| Values (view key to language codes) |
Bft
4 |
|
Men
2 |
Cr-In
2 |
|
Mkm
4 |
|
AGV
2 |
|
Ptw
3 |
Oj-Al
3 |
|
Pqy
3 |
|
Chy
3 |
|
Mi-Il
2 |
Ms-Kp
2 |
|
EAb
3 |
|
| |
|
|
Shw
3 |
|
WAb
1 |
SNE
1 |
| |
|
|
|
|
Mah
1 |
Del
1 |
|
| Key to values |
| 1 |
absolute-objective contrast |
| 2 |
absolute only |
| 3 |
objective only |
| 4 |
other |
|
Background
The independent order provides two distinct agreement patterns for TA verbs in which the actor and primary object are both third persons (e.g. 'she sees him'). In the objective pattern, central agreement and peripheral agreement index distinct arguments, as illustrated by the Ojibwe 3p↔3′ forms in (1). The higher-ranked person is indexed by central agreement, which is realized as a prefix-suffix combination (o-…-waː '3p'), and the lower-ranked person is indexed by the peripheral suffix (-an '3′').
| (1a) |
owaːpamaːwaːn |
|
o-
3- |
waːpam
see.ta |
-aː
-3obj |
-waː
-3p |
-an
-3′ |
|
|
'they see the other(s)' (3p→3′) |
| (1b) |
owaːpamikowaːn |
|
o-
3- |
waːpam
see.ta |
-iko
-inv |
-waː
-3p |
-an
-3′ |
|
|
'the other(s) see them' (3′→3p) |
In the absolute pattern, central and peripheral agreement index the same argument, as illustrated by the Cree 3p↔3′ forms in (2). The higher-ranked person is indexed by both the peripheral suffix (-ak '3p') and the central agreement, which is realized in a reduced shape without a person prefix (-ẅ 'thrd').
| (2a) |
waːpameːwak |
|
waːpam
see.ta |
-eː
-3obj |
-ẅ
-thrd |
-ak
-3p |
|
|
'they see the other(s)' (3p→3′) |
| (2b) |
waːpamikwak |
|
waːpam
see.ta |
-ikw
-inv |
-ẅ
-thrd |
-ak
-3p |
|
|
'the other(s) see them' (3′→3p) |
The languages differ in whether TA 3-on-3 forms use one or both of these patterns.
1. Absolute-objective contrast
The most conservative state, reconstructed for Proto-Algonquian (Goddard 1967, 1969, 1974, 2007), is for the absolute and objective patterns to exist side-by-side within the same language: the use of an objective 3-on-3 form indicates that the lower-ranked argument is definite ('she sees the boy') while the use of an absolute 3-on-3 form indicates that the lower-ranked argument is indefinite ('she sees a boy') (Goddard 1974: 318).
The contrastive use of absolute and objective inflections is retained only in a subset of Eastern Algonquian languages: the Delaware languages, Mahican, the Southern New England languages, and Western Abenaki.
2. Absolute only
Several of the languages have lost the objective agreement pattern in 3-on-3 forms, leaving all such forms to be realized with absolute agreement regardless of definiteness. This is the case in Meskwaki-Kickapoo, Miami-Illinois, Menominee, Cree-Innu-Naskapi, and Arapaho-Gros Ventre.
3. Objective only
Conversely, several of the languages have lost the absolute agreement pattern in 3-on-3 forms, leaving all such forms to be realized with objective agreement regardless of definiteness. This is the case in Eastern Abenaki, Maliseet-Passamaquoddy, Shawnee, Ojibwe-Algonquin, Potawatomi, and Cheyenne.
4. Other
Blackfoot uses the absolute pattern in direct forms (3→3′) and a hybrid objective-absolute pattern in inverse forms (3′→3). Mi'kmaq has lost the independent indicative inflection entirely.