SPOKANE
SUMMARY
In Spokane, in the context of a (possessive) applicative suffix on the verb, but not otherwise, the possessor of the direct object can control object agreement on the verb, rather than the direct object itself. Agreement features are person and number. Evidence for constituency of possessors controlling agreement and possessed nouns arguably comes from the marking of the whole possessive phrase with a single determiner (rather than marking both the possessor and the possessed noun).
See also Chimane, Mi’gmaq, Nxaʔamxcin, Tseltal, Tzotzil (Zinacantán).
LANGUAGE PROFILE
ISO 639-3:
spo
WALS ID:
spo
LOCATION:
Washington, United States
CO-ORDINATES:
47°55'N, 118°04'W
AFFILIATION:
Salishan, Interior Salish
EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF PIPS
- Evidence for the internal status of the agreeing possessor comes from the presence of a single determiner preceding the noun phrase including both the possessor and the possessive phrase.
- This contrasts with benefactive constructions in which the possessor and the possessed noun each have their own determiner.
KEY SOURCES
Carlson, Barry F. 1980. Two-goal transitive stems in Spokane Salish, International Journal of American Linguistics 46(1): 21-26.
