Database
Alsea
(Oregon coast; Penutian?)
Summary:
A sonorant consonant metathesizes with a following vowel under certain morphosemantic conditions to derive a new form of the root.
Summary:
A sonorant consonant metathesizes with a following vowel under certain morphosemantic conditions to derive a new form of the root.
Examples:
| "Light" stem | Gloss | "Heavy" stem | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| tmús-X | is closed | túms-a | door |
| stlák-sal-tX | had been sliding | stálk-t | slide it! |
| qLníp-al-X | strip him often | qLínp-ay | (don't) strip him! |
Conditions:
a. Affects sonorant consonants only; obstruent stems do not show alternation.
b. Applies within stem only; does not affect consonant at beginning of stem.
a. Affects sonorant consonants only; obstruent stems do not show alternation.
| "Light" stem | Gloss | Expected "heavy" stem | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| cxáp'-sal-nX | threw it all away | cxáp'-ay (*cáxp'-ay) | (don’t) throw them away! |
| pk'ús-X | urinates | pk'ús-a (*púk's-a) | (don't) urinate! |
b. Applies within stem only; does not affect consonant at beginning of stem.
| "Light" stem | Gloss | Expected "heavy" stem | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| látq-al | usually does (what) | látq-ay (*áltq-ay) | (don't) do anything! |
Motivation:
Possibly originated in stems with echo vowels, with eventual deletion of unstressed stem vowel, e.g. *túmus > túms, *tumús > tmús. Location of stress likely due to particular suffixes present in word, leading to correlation of stem type with suffix choice (Buckley 2004).
Possibly originated in stems with echo vowels, with eventual deletion of unstressed stem vowel, e.g. *túmus > túms, *tumús > tmús. Location of stress likely due to particular suffixes present in word, leading to correlation of stem type with suffix choice (Buckley 2004).
Related Information:
a. In other contexts, the stem vowel deletes rather than undergoing metathesis, e.g. L-tms-iyu 'closed suddenly'.
b. The stem vowel is copied to certain suffixes, e.g. cpuyt-úy-m '(will) be afloat'. Stem-vowel deletion most often occurs as well, e.g. cpyt-úy 'floated'.
c. Under prefixation, an "extended" stem sometimes participates in the same alternation.
a. In other contexts, the stem vowel deletes rather than undergoing metathesis, e.g. L-tms-iyu 'closed suddenly'.
b. The stem vowel is copied to certain suffixes, e.g. cpuyt-úy-m '(will) be afloat'. Stem-vowel deletion most often occurs as well, e.g. cpyt-úy 'floated'.
c. Under prefixation, an "extended" stem sometimes participates in the same alternation.
| Basic stem | Gloss | Derived stem with metathesis | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| látq- | do (what, something) | L-áltq-t | do it! |
Symbols:
c = [ts], voiceless alveolar affricate
X = voiceless uvular fricative
L = voiceless lateral fricative
C' = ejective consonant
Page prepared by Gene Buckley.
Last Updated: 6/20/2007
c = [ts], voiceless alveolar affricate
X = voiceless uvular fricative
L = voiceless lateral fricative
C' = ejective consonant
Page prepared by Gene Buckley.
Last Updated: 6/20/2007
References:
- Eugene Buckley. 2004. Alsea metathesis and syllable structure. Ms., University of Pennsylvania.
