The Carib Language, Phonology, Morphonology, Morphology, Texts, and Word Index

✍ Scribed by J. Hoff

• Publisher: The Hague
• Year: 1968
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 461
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Carib is a language of Guiana.

✦ Table of Contents

CONTENTS
o. INTRODUCTION 1
0.1. The Carib language and its speakers . 1
0.1.1. Linguistic classification 1
0.1.2. Current terminology 1
0.1.3. Area of habitation 3
0.1.4. The number of Caribs . 15
0.2. The Surinam Caribs 16
0.2.1. Some historica1 notes 16
0.2.1.1. Trade and war 16
0.2.1.2. Missionary activities 20
0.2.2. The present situation 22
0.3. The study of Carib . 24
0.4. Field work 26
0.4.1. Duration and place. Dialectal difference . 26
0.4.2. The informants 26
0.4.3. Procedure 27
0.4.4. Theoretical background . 29
1. PHONOLOGY 31
1.1. The consonants 31
1.1.1. Allophonics . 31
1.1.1.1. The allophones 31
1.1.1.2. The rules of palatalization 39
1.1.1.3. The palatalizing vowels 41
1.1.1.4. Final remarks . 41
1.1.2. Distribution and contrast . 43
1.1.2.1. Voiced and voiceless stops 43
1.1.2.2. ~and~. 45
VIII THE CARIB LANGUAGE
1.1.2.3. The semivowels .
1.1.2.4. x and ~. . . .
1.1.2.5. The glottal fricative .
47
48
48
1.2. The vowels . 48
481.2.1. Allophonics.
1.2.1.1. Long and short monophthongs . 48
1.2.1.1.1. Open and half-open. 49
1.2.1.1.2. Close 50
1.2.1.2. Diphthongs
1.2.2. Distribution and contrast .
51
51
1.2.2.1. Long and short monophthongs . 51
1.2.2.2. Diphthongs . . . . . . 52
2. THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORD FORMS. 54
2.0. Introduction . . . . . . . 54
2.1. General ruies of word structure 57
2.1.1. Sequential rules . 57
2.1.1.1. Consonant sequences 57
2.1.1.1.1. Sequencesoftwoconsonants 57
2.1.1.1.2. Sequences of more than two
consonants . . . . . . 61
2.1.1.1.3. Elision of a vowel in rapid
speech 61
2.1.1.2. Vowel sequences. . . . . . . . 61
2.1.1.3. Sequences of consonant + vowel. . 64
2.1.1.4. Sequences of vowel + consonant or
consonant cluster. . . . . . . . 65
2.1.1.4.1. Impossible sequences.. 65
2.1.1.4.2. Alternation of x with zero
between i-diphthong and t
or k . . . . . . . . 65
2.1.1.4.3. Alternation of vowel + x
or vowel + ~ with long
vowel .
2.1.2. Positional rules .
65
68
CONTENTS IX
2.1.2.1. Consonants 68
2.1.2.1.1. Initia! and medial position 68
2.1.2.1.2. Final position . 69
2.1.2.1.3. Position after first and
2.1.2.2. V owels .
2.1.2.2.1.
2.1.2.2.2.
2.1.2.2.3.
2.1.2.2.4.
second vowel
Initia! position .
Media! position
Fina! position .
Final and penultimate posi-
tion
2.1.3. Rules of vocalie structure . . . .
2.1.3.1. Voealie structure of words without
70
70
70
70
71
71
71
cluster and without diphthong. . . 72
2.1.3.2. Vocalie strueture of words with cluster,
without diphthong . . . . 80
2.1.3.3. Vocalic struoture of words with a
diphthong, wi,thout a cluster .
2.2. Disturbanee of the regular patterns .
2.2.1. Sequential rules . . . . .
2.2.2. Positional rules . . . . .
2.2.2.1. Clusters with a first component x or ~
in positions other than after the first
83
85
85
86
or the second vowel. . 86
2.2.2.2. Sequenee of vowels not 111 final and
penultimate position . 87
2.2.3. Rules of vocalie structure. .
2.2.3.1. Words without a cluster, without a
diphthong, in the vocalie structure of
which two long vowels take a eonsecu-
88
tive position . . . . . . . . . 88
2.2.3.2. Words with cluster, without diphthong,
with the vocalie structure -" + --
instead of - " - + -. . . . . 91
2.2.3.3. Words with cluster, without diphthong,
eontaining one long vowel extra. 91
2.2.3.4. Other irregular patterns. . . . . 93
x TIIE eARl B LANGUAGE
2.3. Alternation of x, ;> and vowel length in two enclitics. 93
2.4. Sandhi . . 94
2.4.1. Shortening . 94
2.4.2. Assimilation 95
2.5. Accent . . . .
2.5.1. Rules of accentuation
2.5.2. Expressive accent
2.5.3. Accent in certain types of sentence.
96
96
102
102
3. MORPHOLOGY 105
3.0. Introdllction 105
3.1. Verbs 111
3.1.0. Introduotion 111
3.1.1. The monomorphematic category . 116
3.1.2. Syntactic categories . . . 117
3.1.2.1. The se- and rï-categories . 117
3.1.2.2. The categories with vowel-alternation
ejo . . . . . . . 121
3.1.3. The polymorphematic categories. . .
3.1.3.1. Processes on the basis of l11onomor-
phematic verbs, which may OCCllr in
combination with all other verbal pro-
cesses
3.1.3.1.1.
3.1.3.1.2.
3.1.3.1.3.
3.1.3.1.4.
3.1.3.1.5.
3.1.3.1.6.
3.1.3.1.7.
3.1.3.1.8.
The we-category .
The wos-category
The potï-category
The lwpï-category
The ;>ma-category
The po-category .
The nopï-category
Combination of the proces-
ses discllssed in 3.1.3.1.1-8.
121
121
121
123
124
125
125
126
127
with each other . 127
3.1.3.2. A set of five personal prefixing pro-
cesses and the processes in combination
with which they can occur. . . . . 133
CONTENTS XI
3.1.3.2.1. The five personal categories 133
3.1.3.2.2. The mbo-category 136
3.1.3.2.3. The ni-category 137
3.1.3.2.4. The xpo-category 138
3.1.3.2.5. The xto-category . 139
3.1.3.2.6. The xpa-category 140
3.1.3.2.7. The topo-category 141
3.1.3.2.8. The netJ-category 141
3.1.3.2.9. The ne-categories 1-l1
3.1.3.2.10. The to-category 143
3.1.3.2.11. The mc-category . 144
3.1.3.2.12. The mï-category 146
3.1.3.2.13. The no-categories 147
3.1.3.2.14. Combination of the proces-
ses discussed in 3.1.3.2.1-13.
with each other 148
3.1.3.2.15. The ke- and the poro-
category . 157
3.1.3.3. Personal prefixture combined with
temporal and modal processes 158
3.1.3.3.0. Introduction 158
3.1.3.3.1. Personal prefix tu re 15fJ
3.1.3.3.2. Temporal/modal processes 169
3.1.3.3.2.1. The categories with -ya 169
3.1.3.3.2.2. The categories wi>th -take. 170
3.1.3.3.2.3. The categories with -yakoij 171
3.1.3.3.2.4. The categories with -yaine 172
3.1.3.3.2.5. The categories with -t0 2 172
3.1.3.3.2.6. The categories with diph-
thongisation 172
3.1.3.3.2.7. The categories with -'3 173
3.1.3.3.2.8. The categories with -:se 174
3.1.3.3.2.9. The categories with -ri 175
3.1.3.3.2.10. The semantic correlations
between the ca>tegories dis-
cussed in 3.1.3.3.2.1-9. 175
3.1.3.3.3. The processes which must
he combined with a personal
XII THE CARIB LANGUAGE
and a tempora! / modal pro-
cess 179
3.1.3.3.3.1. The ne-categories 179
3.1.3.3.3.2. The interrogative catego-
ries 183
3.1.3.3.3.3. Combination of the ne-
process (plural) and the
interrogative process 187
3.1.3.3.3.4. The tamï-categories 187
3.1.3.4. Personal prefixture 111 combination
with the imperative or with the vetative
process 188
3.1.3.4.0. Introduction 188
3.1.3.4.1. The categories formed by
personal prefixture, in com-
bination with -ko (impera-
tive) or with diphthongisa-
tion (vetative) . 188
3.1.3.4.1.1. Formation of the categories 188
3.1.3.4.1.2. Homonymy of vetative and
optative/affirmative verbs 191
3.1.3.4.2. The processes which must
be combined with personal
prefixture and the impera-
tive or the vetative process 193
3.1.3.4.2.1. The ne-caJtegories 193
3.1.3.4.2.2. The tamï-categories 194
3.1.3.4.2.3. Combination of the nc-
and the tamï-process 195
3.1.3.5. The non-personal tï-process and the
processes with which it may he com-
bined. 195
3.1.3.5.1. The tï-category 195
3.1.3.5.2. The mbo2-category 197
3.1.3.5.3. The to 2 -category . 199
3.1.3.5.4. Semantic proportionality to
categories discussed 111
3.1.3.3. 199
CONTENTS XIII
3.1.3.6. The non-personal toto-process, and the
processes with which it may be com-
bined. 200
3.1.3.6.1. Thc toto-category 200
3.1.3.6.2. The ne-category 200
3.1.3.6.3. The .rto- and the .rpa-cate-
gory 201
3.1.3.7. The non-persollal no 2 -process 201
3.1.3.8. The transpositioll-process with -sene . 202
3.1.3.9. Combination of the voice- alld aspect-
processes discussed in 3.1.3.1., with the
other verbal processes . 203
3.1.4. The defective verb wa 'I am' . 212
3.2. Nouns 214
3.2.0. Introduction 214
3.2.1. Syntactic categories 214
3.2.1.1. Formation and sylltactic valence 214
3.2.1.2. N ominal word-groups . 219
3.2.2. Morphological categories 220
3.2.2.1. The five personal categories . 220
3.2.2.2. The mbo-category 222
3.2.2.3. The xpa-category 225
3.2.2.4. The ne-category . 227
3.2.2.5. The no-category . 229
3.2.2.6. The nano-category 229
3.2.2.7. Transposition to the verbs 232
3.2.2.7.1. Transposition to the intran-
sitive verbs . 232
3.2.2.7.2. Transposition to the tral1-
sitive verbs . 234
3.2.2.8. Transposition to the adjectives . 241
3.2.3. Combination of the nomina} processes with each
other 245
3.2.4. The categories with -xto, mï-, -kepï, -po, as- . 247
3.3. Postpositions . 248
3.3.0. Introduction 248
3.3.1. The monomorphematic category . 249
XIV THE CARIB LANGUAGE
3.3.2. The five personal categories . 251
3.3.3. The as-category 252
3.3.4. The no-category 252
3.3.5. The ne-categories 253
3.3.6. The mbo-category 254
3.3.7. Combination of the postpositional processes with
each other 255
3.3.8. Incidental forma ti ons 256
3.4. Adjectives . 259
3.4.0. Inltroduction 259
3.4.1. The monomorphematic category 259
3.4.2. The no-category 260
3.4.3. The ne-category 263
3.4.4. The mbo-category 264
3.4.5. Combination of the adjectival processes with
each other 265
3.4.6. Incidental formations 265
3.4.7. Transpositiona~ adjectives . 268
3.5. Demonstratives 269
3.5.1. The monomorphematic demonstratives 269
3.5.2. The polymorphematic demonstratives . 275
3.5.2.1. The ba~-category 276
3.5.2.2. The mbo-category 276
3.5.2.3. The ne-category 277
3.5.2.4. Combination of the processes with
each other 278
3.6. Numerals 279
3.6.0. Introduction 279
3.6.1. Monomorphematic and compound Iltll11erals . 279
3.6.2. Word-groups with ku:pona:ka . 281
3.6.3. Three categories with -pai. -mboto, -no. 282
3.6.4. Incidental formations 284
3.6.5. Concluding remarks . 285
4. TEXTS 289
4.1. Oriole 290
4.2. Kuru : pi as teacher . 290
4.3. De Goede Hoop.
4.4. The deputy-chief
4.5. Pecca.ry-girl . .
4.6. The abducted girl
4.7. Chicken father .
CONTENTS
4.8. The descent at Iracoubo .
4.9. The killing of Pa :yawa:ru .
4.10. Eating snakes
4.11. The old woman .
4.12. The lost girl. .
4.13. The murderer
4.14. The red polishing stones .
4.15. The petroglyphs at Bigiston
4.16. A conversation . . . . .
5. WORD INDEX .
xv
300
304
306
314
324
330
336
344
348
350
352
360
364
374
385