2013/01/01 by Geoffrey Kimball · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Mathematics · #Historical Linguistics and Language Studies #Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation #Plural #Verb #Linguistics #Root (linguistics) #Principal (computer security) #Invertible matrix #Dual (grammatical number) #Causative #Semantics (computer science) #Morpheme #Natural (archaeology) #Computer science #Mathematics #History #Artificial intelligence #Natural language processing #Philosophy #Pure mathematics #Programming language
paper · doi:10.1086/668610
published in International Journal of American Linguistics 79(1), 133-147 (University of Chicago Press)
openalex publication_date 2013/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2025/11/06
The Natchez dependent verb has four principal parts or root shapes, which encode the number of that verb's subjects and objects. This system of root shapes is created by an abstract system of suffixation, the rules for which are complicated but completely regular. However, the occurrence of these principal parts in natural texts suggests that the semantics of the system are far more complex than previously understood, and that in addition to marking objects as singular and plural, the system also marks objects for dual number.[Keywords: Natchez, dual number, morphology, semantics, verb formation]