Cover not available
Part of
Nominalization in Languages of the Americas
Edited by Roberto Zariquiey, Masayoshi Shibatani and David W. Fleck
[Typological Studies in Language 124] 2019
► pp. 301–340

Chapter 7
The ‘relative’ illusion and the origin of non-subject nominalizers in Cahita (Uto-Aztecan)

| Universidad de Sonora
This paper proposes to analyze non-subject relative clauses in Cahita languages (†Tehueco, Yaqui, and Mayo, from the Uto-Aztecan family) as non-subject grammatical nominalizations used as appositives in restrictive appositions. This analysis is based on a diachronic perspective which considers the origin of the markers involved in these constructions as well as the evolutionary paths that lead to the relativization function. The study shows that the different origins proposed for non-subject nominalizers in Cahita (a possessed nominal classifier, a subject nominalizer, a directional postposition, and a locative postposition) are all different types of nominal markers indicating that the base clause/verb is treated as a nominal constituent; that is, that the construction has been nominalized. As for the evolution to the relativization function, the first nominalization uses of these markers are always associated with a referential function and the modifying function corresponds to a secondary development made via apposition, indicating that non-subject relativization in Cahita corresponds in fact to a specialized function of the non-subject nominalization: the modifying function of a possessed non-subject nominalization used as an appositive in a restrictive apposition.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The nominalization approach to relativization
    • 2.1The notion of nominalization
    • 2.2The notion of relativization
    • 2.3The notion of apposition
    • 2.4The nominalization/relativization syncretism
    • 2.5Terminological problems in the domain of RCs
    • 2.6The origin of the nominalization/relativization syncretism
  • 3.The Cahita language(s)
  • 4.Non-subject nominalizations in Cahita
    • 4.1Old Cahita
    • 4.2Modern Cahita
      • 4.2.1Yaqui
      • 4.2.2Mayo
  • 5.The origin of the Cahita non-subject nominalization markers
    • 5.1The origin of the suffix -ye
    • 5.2The origin of the suffixes -’u/-’Vwi in Yaqui and in Mayo
    • 5.3An alternative source for the suffix -’u in Yaqui
      • 5.3.1The suffix -u in Old Cahita
        • 5.3.1.1Former agent nominalizer
        • 5.3.1.2Former attribuand nominalizer
        • 5.3.1.3Action/result nominalizer
      • 5.3.2The suffix -’u in Yaqui
  • 6.Final remarks
  • Abbreviations
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 8 August 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.124.07gon
References (56)
References
Álvarez González, Albert. 2016. The evolution of grammatical nominalizations in Cahita languages. In Finiteness and Nominalization [Typological Studies in Language 113], Claudine Chamoreau & Zarina Estrada-Fernández (eds), 107–140. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.Google Scholar
. 2018. Apuntes sobre el Manual para administrar a los Indios del idioma Cahita los Santos Sacramentos . In Las lenguas en México: Diálogos historiográficos, Barbara Cifuentes & Rodrigo Martinez Baracs (eds), 211–232. Mexico: IIB UNAM/Somehil.Google Scholar
. 2012. Relative clauses and nominalizations in Yaqui. In Relative Clauses in Languages of the Americas. A Typological Overview [Typological Studies in Language 102], Bernard Comrie & Zarina Estrada-Fernández (eds), 67–96. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Álvarez González, Albert & Felix Quesada, Rafael Jesús. 2011. Morfología derivativa y variación lingüística en cahita. In Estudios morfológicos, sintácticos, semánticos y de lingüística aplicada [Colección Estudios Lingüísticos 3], Maria del Carmen Morúa Leyva & Gerardo López Cruz (eds), 47–76. Hermosillo: University of Sonora.Google Scholar
Andrews, Avery D. 2007. Relative clauses. In Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Vol. II: Complex Constructions , 2nd edn, Timothy Shopen (ed.), 206–236. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bascom, Burton William. 1965. Proto-Tepiman. PhD dissertation, University of Washington, Seattle.Google Scholar
Buelna, Estaquio. 1989[1890]. Arte de la lengua cahita por un padre de la Compañía de Jésus. Mexico: Editorial Siglo XXI.Google Scholar
Campbell, Lyle & Langacker, Ronald. 1978. Proto-Aztecan vowels: Parts I-III. International Journal of American Linguistics 44: 85–102, 197–210, 262–279. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Carlson, Greg N. 1977. Amount relatives. Language 53: 520–542. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Comrie, Bernard & Kuteva, Tania. 2005. Relativization strategy. In World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS), Martin Haspelmath, Matthew S. Dryer, David Gil & Bernard Comrie (eds), 494–497. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
Comrie, Bernard & Thompson, Sandra A. 1985. Lexical nominalization. In Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Vol. III: Grammatical Categories and the Lexicon , Timothy Shopen (ed.), 349–398. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
Cristofaro, Sonia 2019. Nominalization in diachronic cross-linguistic perspective. In Nominalization in Languages of the Americas [Typological Studies in Language 124], Roberto Zariquiey, Masayoshi Shibatani & David W. Fleck (eds). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. (this volume) DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dakin, Karen. 1991. Nahuatl direct and mediated possession: A historical explanation for irregularities. International Journal of American Linguistics 57(3): 298–329. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dedrick, John M. & Casad, Eugene H. 1999. Sonora Yaqui Language Structures. Tucson AZ: University of Arizona Press.Google Scholar
Escalante, Fernando. 1990. Voice and Argument Structure in Yaqui. PhD dissertation, University of Arizona.Google Scholar
Gerner, Matthias. 2012. The typology of nominalization. Language and Linguistics 13(4): 803–844.Google Scholar
Givón, T. 2012. Toward a diachronic typology of relative clause. In Relative Clauses in Languages of the Americas. A Typological Overview [Typological Studies in Language 102], Bernard Comrie & Zarina Estrada-Fernández (eds), 3–25. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2009, The Genesis of Syntactic Complexity. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2001. Syntax: An Introduction, Vol. II. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Guerrero, Lilian. 2012. On relative clauses and related constructions in Yaqui. In Relative Clauses in Languages of the Americas. A Typological Overview [Typological Studies in Language 102], Bernard Comrie & Zarina Estrada-Fernández (eds), 97–126. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Halliday, Michael A. K. 1968. Notes on transitivity and theme in English: Part 3. Journal of Linguistics 4(2):179–215. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Haspelmath, Martin. 1993. A Grammar of Lezgian. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Heine, Bernd. 2003. Grammaticalization. In The Handbook of Historical Linguistics, Brian D. Joseph & Richard D. Janda (eds), 576–601. Oxford: Blackwell. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2009. From nominal to clausal morphosyntax: Complexity via expansion. In Syntactic Complexity. Diachrony, Acquisition, Neuro-cognition, Evolution [Typological Studies in Language 102], T. Givón & Masoyoshi Shibatani (eds), 23–51. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Heine, Bernd, Claudi, Ulrike & Hünnemeyer, Frederike. 1991. Grammaticalization. Chicago IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Heine, Bernd & Kuteva, Tania. 2004. World Lexicon of Grammaticalization. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
. 2007. The Genesis of Grammar: A Reconstruction. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
Hopper, Paul J. & Thompson, Sandra A. 1980. Transitivity in grammar and discourse. Language 56(2): 251–299. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hyde, Villiana. 1971. An Introduction to the Luiseño Language. Banning CA: Malki Museum Press.Google Scholar
Johnson, Jean B. 1962. El idioma yaqui. México: INAH.Google Scholar
Keenan, Edward L. 1985. Relative clauses. In Language Typology and Syntactic Description, Vol. II: Complex Constructions , Timothy Shopen (ed.), 141–170. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
Kubo, Yoshihiro. 2009. A note on two types of apposition. The Bulletin of Central Research Institute Fukuoka University, Series A: Humanities 9(7): 27–35.Google Scholar
Launey, Michel. 1981. Introduction à la langue et à la littérature aztèques, Vol. 1: Grammaire . Paris: L’Harmattan.Google Scholar
Lehmann, Christian. 1984. Der Relativsatz. Tübingen: Günter Narr.Google Scholar
Lindenfeld, Jacqueline. 1973. Yaqui Syntax. Berkeley CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Lionnet, Andrés. 1977. Los elementos de la lengua cahita. Mexico: UNAM.Google Scholar
Luján, Eugenio R. & Ruiz Abad, César. 2014. Semantic roles and word formation: Instrument and location in Ancient Greek. In Perspectives on Semantic roles. [Typological Studies in Language 106], Silvia Luraghi & Heiko Narrog (eds), 241–269. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Martínez Fabián, Constantino & Langendoen, D. Terrence. 1996. Sobre las llamadas cláusulas relativas en yaqui. In Memorias del tercer encuentro de lingüística en el Noroeste, Tomo 1: Lenguas indígenas, Vol. 2, Zarina Estrada-Fernández, Max Figueroa Esteva & Gerardo López Cruz (eds), 443–464. Hermosillo: Editorial Unison.Google Scholar
Miller, Wick R. 1986. Sketch of Shoshone, a Uto-Aztecan language. In Handbook of American Indians, Vol. 17: Languages , Ives Goddard (ed.), 693–720. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institute.Google Scholar
Miller, Wick R. 1984. The classification of the Uto-Aztecan languages based on lexical evidence. International Journal of American Linguistics 50(1): 1–24. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Moctezuma, José Luis & López, Gerardo. 1990. Variación dialectal yaqui-mayo. Noroeste de México 9: 84–105.Google Scholar
. 1991. El yaqui y el mayo como lenguas históricas. Noroeste de México 10: 79–84.Google Scholar
. 1994. En torno a la dialectología cahita. In Estudios de lingüística y sociolingüística, José Luis Moctezuma & Gerardo López (eds), 221–274. Hermosillo: University of Sonora/INAH.Google Scholar
Omamor, Augusta P. 1978. Case grammar and viability. In Valence, Semantic Case and Grammatical Relations [Studies in Language Companion 1], Werner Abraham (ed.), 261–293. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Payne, Thomas E. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax. A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Peña Valenzuela, Ana Patricia. 2012. Cláusulas relativas en el mayo de Sonora. MA thesis, University of Sonora.Google Scholar
Queixalós, Francesc. 2012. Notes sur la nominalisation. Amerindia 35:105–111.Google Scholar
Seiler, Walter. 1985. Imonda, a Papuan Language. Canberra: Department of Linguistics Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Shibatani, Masayoshi. 1985. Passives and related constructions: A prototype analysis. Language 61: 821–848. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2009. Elements of complex structures, where recursion isn’t it. The case of relativization. In Syntactic Complexity. Diachrony, Acquisition, Neuro-Cognition, Evolution [Typological Studies in Language 85], T. Givón & Masayoshi Shibatani (eds), 163–198. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2010. Nominalization. Workshop presented during the Seminario de Complejidad Sintáctica, 15–16 November. Hermosillo: University of Sonora.
. 2019. What is nominalization? Towards the theoretical foundations of nominalization. In Nominalization in Languages of the Americas [Typological Studies in Language 124], Roberto Zariquiey, Masayoshi Shibatani & David W. Fleck (eds). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. (this volume) DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Shibatani, Masayoshi & Awadh Bin Makhashen, Khaled. 2009. Nominalization in Soqotri, a South Arabian language of Yemen. In Endangered Languages: Contributions to Morphology and Morpho-syntax, Leo W. Wetzels (ed.), 9–31. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar
Traugott, Elizabeth C. & Dasher, Richard B. 2005. Regularity in Semantic Change. Cambridge: CUP.
de Wolf, Paul P. 1997. Esbozo del Mayo Sonorense 2 Vols. Hermosillo: University of Sonora.Google Scholar
Yap, Foong Ha, Grunow-Hårsta, Karen & Wrona, Janick. 2011. Nominalization in Asian Languages: Diachronic and Typological Perspectives [Typological Studies in Language 96]. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Álvarez González, Albert
2023. The origin of instrumental postpositions in Cahita (Uto-Aztecan): A new account. Cuadernos de Lingüística de El Colegio de México 10 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 28 june 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.