Languages and Linguistics Seminar: Possessor inflection in Chichimec

Presented by Borja Herce, University of Zurich

The morphosyntax of possession in Chichimec (Otomanguean) is notable for its overall complexity. In the majority of (alienable) nouns, the encoding of the possessor involves the use of several classifiers. In a closed but relatively large (150+) class of inalienables, it involves instead the use of synthetic possessive inflection for person and number. Based on novel data from recent fieldwork in the language, these two (overlapping) systems will be described with a focus on the inflecting inalienable nouns. This class is characterized by the simultaneous use of prefixation, stem alternations, and tonal changes, all of which are characterized by numerous inflection classes whose interactions we will explore.

Friday 3 July, 4:30pm (note special time)

https://unimelb.zoom.us/j/97658015968?pwd=QmNocWdNOTdQcDVqYVVacEVVeEl3dz09

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