In: Mietzner & Storch (eds.). 2015. Nilo-Saharan: Models and Descriptions, pp. 61–71. Cologne: Koeppe.
CLASSIFIER, REFLEXIVE, AND BEYOND: A SYNCHRONIC AND
DIACHRONIC EXPLORATION OF THE MORPHEME /TSA/ ‘BODY’
IN GUMUZ
Colleen Ahland
1 Introduction
Gumuz is a Nilo-Saharan (NS) language/dialect cluster spoken in the river valleys of western Ethiopia
and southeastern Sudan (Republic of Sudan). It is considered an isolate within the NS family (Bender
1997) but is likely most closely related to the Koman languages (Ahland 2013). This article focuses on
two varieties of Gumuz spoken in Ethiopia: Northern Gumuz (NoG) and Southern Gumuz (SoG). In
general, NoG is spoken north of Debre Zeit and Mankush and SoG is spoken to the south of these areas
(see Map 1). Other languages spoken in the area are Berta (NS), Boro (Omotic), Oromo (Cushitic) and
Awgni (Cushitic) (Ahland 2004).
Map 1: Gumuz location
62
Colleen Ahland
Gumuz verbs are highly agglutinative, many of which have incorporated nouns ( INs). The majority of
these INs are body part terms which are either part of a lexicalized compound, an external possession
(EP) construction, or have grammaticalized as verbal classifiers (CLs) (Ahland 2010, 2012). In this paper
I explore the various functions and a possible historical source of the IN/CL /tsa/ in Gumuz which is the
only incorporated body part term in Gumuz that is bound and has no corresponding free form. In Section
2, I provide an overview of Gumuz verbal morphology and discuss the various functions of /-(́)ts(a)/
as part of the verb stem. In Section 3, I briefly describe the occurrence of /tsa/ in nominal compounds.
In Section 4, I discuss the historical source of /tsa/ looking both at evidence internal to Gumuz as well
as external comparative evidence found in the Koman languages. Lastly, in Section 5, I summarize my
conclusions regarding the multiple functions of /tsa/ and its likely historical source as an old term for
‘body’ in Gumuz which has undergone lexical replacement.
2 Functions of /-(́)ts(a)/ as part of the verb stem
Gumuz verb stems are comprised of a single verb root or a verb root plus an IN/CL as part of a complex
stem. These verbs stems are highly agglutinative with up to fourteen position classes in NoG (Figure 1)
and thirteen in SoG (Figure 2) for non-future verbs.1 The complex verb stems are discontinuous,
allowing inflectional (and derivational) morphemes to intervene.
The morpheme /tsa/ is one of many body part terms that can fill the IN/CL position class and this
morpheme serves several functions. It can 1) form a verb-noun lexical compound, 2) participate in an
external possession construction, 3) can serve as a verbal classifier which can also function as part of a
reflexive construction and 4) can index complement clauses such as perception-cognition-utterance
(PCU) complements.
1
Mood
Person (S / A)
Person (O or object of preposition)
Uncertainty
Instrumental & Dative; (-5) for INTR
Reciprocal
Pluractional
Main Verb Root
Greater Plural
Middle Voice
Directional
Incorporated Noun / Classifier
Perfect
Locative
Figure 1: Position class chart for NoG non-future verbs
(-7)
(-6)
(-5)
(-4)
(-3)
(-2)
(-1)
(0)
(+1)
(+2)
(+3)
(+4)
(+5)
(+6)
Gumuz follows a different position class chart for future verb stems (cf. Ahland 2012).
Classifier, Reflexive and Beyond
63
Mood
Remote Past
Person (S / A)
Instrumental & Dative
Uncertainty
Reciprocal
Pluractional
Main Verb Root
Nonfuture Tense
Middle Voice
Directional
Incorporated Noun / Classifier
Locative / Past Perfect
Figure 2: Position class chart for SoG non-future verbs
(-7)
(-6)
(-5)
(-4)
(-3)
(-2)
(-1)
(0)
(+1)
(+2)
(+3)
(+4)
(+5)
2.1 Verb-noun lexical compounds
Gumuz has a limited number of lexicalized verb-noun compounds in which the IN is distinct from the
IN of an external possession construction (Section 2.2) or a verbal classifier construction (Section 2.3).
Of these, there are only a few lexical verb-noun compounds in Gumuz involving /tsa/ ‘body’. Unlike
Mithun’s Type I noun incorporation (1984, 1986), the IN in these verb-noun compounds does not
decrease the valence of the verb; rather, the valence remains the same (1a-b, 2a-b). The only instance in
which valence is decreased with the addition of a body part term like /-(́)ts(a)/ is in a reflexive
construction (see Section 2.3.2). Some of these lexical verb-noun compounds have compositional
semantics in which the meaning of the verb-noun pair more or less equals the sum of its parts; e.g. ‘rise’
+ ‘body’ = ‘get up, stand up’ (1b).2 Other lexical compounds exhibit more idiosyncratic meanings. For
example, the verb root /gam/ ‘know, find’ (2a) combines with /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ to form the complex
verb stem ‘see’ (2b).
NoG
(1)
a.
f́ɗ
rise
‘Rise!’
b.
f́ɗ-́ts
rise-body
‘Get up!’
(2)
a.
́χó saŋa d-a-gam
3SG salt AFF-3SG.TR-find
‘He found salt.’
b.
́-gam-́tsa=ŋgó
óminza
2SG.TR-find-body=NEG leopard
‘You didn’t see the leopard.’
2.2 External possession constructions
Arguably, the majority of incorporated nouns in Gumuz form part of an external possession (EP)
construction. EP constructions involve an additional argument of the clause which serves as a possessor.
With noun incorporation, the external S or O argument serves as possessor and the IN as the possessed
entity (Payne and Barshi 1999). This is often referred to as “possessor raising” or “manipulation of case”
2
Example (1b) is likely related to the intransitive reflexive construction discussed in 2.3.2. However, it differs in
that the verb root ‘rise’ cannot have an additional argument when /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ is incorporated. That is, there
exists no transitive reflexive counterpart as with other complex verb stems in reflexive constructions. The construct
in (1b), however, could be an example of how /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ has grammaticalized as a reflexive marker (in
certain constructs) whereas other incorporated body part terms have not.
64
Colleen Ahland
as with Mithun’s Type II noun incorporation (1984). For example in (3), ‘hyena’ is the external
possessor of the IN ‘eye’. Similarly in (4), ‘hyena’ is the external possessor of the IN ‘body’.
(3)
(4)
SoG
gotaha b-a-ga-wáʃ-ag-ílíc
ŋaẃ ka-nnéa
hare
AFF-3SG.TR-INSTR-throw-NFUT-eye hyena INSTR-dirt
‘The hare threw dirt into the hyena’s eyes.’ (lit: The hare eye-threw the hyena with dirt.)
NoG
d-́-ga-kóχó-ts
́́↓ḿĺa
ka=ɗogwa
AFF-3PL.TR-INSTR-enter-body hyena
INSTR=bow
‘They entered the hyena’s body with an arrow.’ or ‘They shot the hyena with an arrow.’ (lit: ‘They
body-entered the hyena with a bow.’)
EP constructions in Gumuz involve incorporated body part terms that can be either literal (3, 4) or metaphorical (5, 6), both of which are usually locations. Compare the metaphorical location ‘body’ /-(́)ts(a)/
meaning ‘side’ (5) with the metaphorical location ‘hip/loins’ meaning ‘bottom’ (6).
(5)
(6)
NoG
d-ú-↓tʼóó-ts
wantʃá ń=kwaatʼ́
AFF-3PL.TR-put-body cup
LOC=bench
‘They put the cup on the bench (on its side).’ (lit: ‘They put the body of the cup on the bench’ or
‘They body-put the cup on the bench’)
d-́-tʼoo-ʃ
wantʃ́ ń=kwaatʼ́
AFF-3PL.TR-put-hip
cup
LOC-bench
‘They put the cup on the bench (right-side up).’ (lit: ‘They put the hip/loins of the cup on the bench’
or ‘They hip-put the cup on the bench’)
2.3 Verbal classifier and reflexive constructions in Gumuz
Verbal classifier (or predicate classifier) constructions involve classifiers found in the verb stem which
classify an argument of the verb (Grinevald 2000: 67), usually S or O. Reflexive constructions involve
a reflexive marker that indexes a referent identical with that of the S or A argument (cf. Schladt 2000:
103). The lexical source for both verbal classifiers (Mithun 1984) and reflexive markers (Schladt 2000)
are typically body part terms that originally functioned as direct objects. In Africa, the reflexive marker
most commonly arises from the word for ‘body’ (Heine 2011: 50). In Gumuz, reflexive constructions
can be transitive (involving A and O arguments) or intransitive (involving only S arguments). Thus, it
is no surprise that in Gumuz, verbal classifier and reflexive constructions overlap, most notably with the
classifier /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’. In other NS languages such as those of Central Sudanic and Kanuri, a
reflexive marker has more clearly grammaticalized from the same semantic lexical source ‘body, life’
(Tucker & Bryan 1966, Schladt 2000) but with a form non-cognate with Koman and Gumuz,
reconstructed as *ro ~ lu (Bender 1997: 89 ) for the “satellite” subgroup of N-S.
In Section 2.3.1, I first describe the verbal classifier construction in Gumuz and give examples of
/-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ as a classifier. Then in Section 2.3.2, I describe reflexive constructions in Gumuz and
the role /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ plays in such constructions.
2.3.1 The verbal classifier /-(́)ts(a)/
In Gumuz there are six (simple) body part terms that serve as verbal classifiers3: /-(́)kʼw(́)/ ‘head’, /(́)ć/ ‘eye’, /-(́)k’́s(a)/ ‘tooth’, /-(́)ts’́(a)/ ‘ear’, /-́́l(́)/ ‘belly’, and /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’. The classifier
3
There are ten verbal classifiers in Gumuz if one counts both the simple noun root and the complex noun root
classifiers and possibly more if one includes marginal classifiers like ‘mouth’/-(́)s(a)/ (cf. Ahland 2012: 269,
324).
Classifier, Reflexive and Beyond
65
/-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ classifies the human body, entities associated with the human body or those that are
functionally or physically body-like (objects longer than they are wide). Examples (7-8) demonstrate /(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ as a classifier and examples (9-10) demonstrate other body part term classifiers that
contrast with /-(́)ts(a)/. For instance, /-́́l(́)/ ‘belly’ classifies entities that have a concave surface or
encompass a large area (9) and /-(́)ć/ ‘eye’ classifies clothing (10) among other entities (cf. Ahland
2012: 270).
(7)
NoG
ára
d-ár-ʔáf-áts
1SG AFF-1SG.TR-wash-CL:body
‘I washed my hand(s).’
(8)
ʔaf-áts
ɓagá-ḿtsʼ́
wash-CL:body
body-house
‘Wash the wall(s)ǃ’
(9)
ʔaf-́́l
sánéá
wash-CL:belly
plate
‘Wash the plate(s)ǃ’
(10)
aχwa
ʔaf-ác
clothes wash-CL1:eye
‘Wash the clothes!’
eʔâ-m
hand-1SG.POSS
2.3.2 Reflexive constructions in Gumuz
In Gumuz, one can express a reflexive by means of a transitive or intransitive construction. The transitive
reflexive construction involves a possessed body part term as the O argument or simply a possessed form
of the word /ɓaga/ ‘body’ in NoG (11) or /boga/ ‘self’ in SoG (13)4. The main difference between a
more general transitive construction (12, 14) and the transitive reflexive construction (11, 13) is that in
the latter, the possessor of the O argument is the same referent as the A argument. In both transitive
constructions, the classifier ‘body’ is used if the O argument is a body part term or is body-like (7-8, 1114), and the bound subject pronominal exhibits a transitive tonal pattern.
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
4
NoG
́ra
d-́ŕ-Ɂaf-́ts
1SG AFF-1SG.TR-wash-CL:body
‘I washed my body (myself).’
́ra
d-́ŕ-Ɂaf-́ts
1SG AFF-1SG.TR-wash-CL:body
‘I washed the child’s foot/feet.’
ɓaǵ-ma
body-1SG.POSS
tʃogẃ-dua
foot-child
SoG
kʼó́ b-a-tʼar-ag-́ts
dog AFF-3SG.TR-lick-NFUT-CL:body
‘The dog licks himself.’
kʼó́ b-a-tʼar-ag-́ts
dog AFF-3SG.TR-lick-NFUT-CL:body
‘The dog licks the person.’
bogo-ḿ
self-3SG.POSS
ɓaga
person
In SoG, the historical source for ‘self’ /boga/ is the lexeme /ɓaga/ ‘body, person’.
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Colleen Ahland
Gumuz also has an intransitive reflexive construction. This construction involves an incorporated body
part term as part of a complex verb stem and an intransitive tonal melody on the bound subject
pronominal. The classifier /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ can be found in both the transitive and intransitive reflexive
constructions. In most instances in which the free NP lexemes for ‘body’ or ‘self’ are used in a transitive
reflexive construction, one can simply eliminate this O argument and use an intransitive tonal melody
to create an intransitive reflexive construct (15). Alternatively, it is also possible to have any
incorporated body part term in a complex verb stem with an intransitive verbal melody (16). The
transitive counterpart of this more general reflexive construction is nearly always an EP construct (17).5
(15)
NoG
́ra
d-́ra-Ɂaf-́ts
1SG AFF-1SG.INTR-wash-CL:body
‘I washed my body (myself).’
(16)
d-́ra-ʔaf-́tʃogw
AFF-1SG.INTR-wash-foot
‘I washed my feet.’ (lit: ‘I foot-washed.’)
(17)
d-́ŕ-↓ʔ́f-́tʃogw
dua
AFF-1SG.TR-wash-foot
child
‘I washed the child’s feet.’ (lit: ‘I foot-washed the child.’)
Therefore, while /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ serves a special function within reflexive constructions, it is not a
required element for reflexives, and does not function as a reflexive marker per se. Rather, /-(́)ts(a)/
‘body’ maintains its designated function as verbal classifier, and as people and body part terms are
classified as “bodies” in Gumuz, this verbal classifier regularly participates in reflexive constructions.
2.4 Valence increaser and the indexing of complement clauses
Beyond verbal classifier, the IN/CL /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ has further grammaticalized as a valence increaser
which can index certain types of clausal complements, PCU complements in particular. This valenceincreasing construction with /-(́)ts(a)/ is similar to that of a (transitive) EP or verbal classifier
construction in that an O argument or clausal complement is required. The main difference is that in EP
or verbal classifier constructions the verb root is transitive or labile whereas with valence-increasing
constructions, the verb root is intransitive. This construction is most commonly used for adding and
indexing PCU complements. For example, the PCU verb roots /ŋgaʃ/ ‘speak, talk’ and /ś́nz/ ‘think’
are intransitive (18, 20). When /-(́)ts(a)/ is added, the resulting complex verb stems take a non-finite
clausal complement with /ŋgaʃ-́ts/ meaning ‘say (that), tell’ (19) and /ś́nz-́ts/ meaning ‘think about’
(21).
(18)
(19)
5
NoG
baab-́a
ziaĺ d-́e-ŋgaʃ-́
father-1SG.POSS now AFF-FUT-speak-3SG.INTR
‘My father will speak now.’
NoG
noŕga ma-kód-a-ḿ
d-a-ŋgaʃ-́ts
book
NMLZ-buy-NM-IP:O
AFF-3SG.TR-speak-BODY
‘He said that he bought a book.’
Also note that there exists a corresponding internal possession construction (possessor and possessed expressed
within a noun phrase) given in (12). The IN/CL /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ in this construct is not part of an EP construction.
Classifier, Reflexive and Beyond
(20)
(21)
67
SoG
b-́-ś́nz-aǵ
AFF-3SG.INTR-think-NFUT
‘He thought.’
SoG
b-a-ś́nz-aǵ-ts
AFF-3SG.TR-think-NFUT-BODY
‘He thought about going.’
ma-tś
NMLZ-go
It is also possible for verbs in this construction to take non-clausal complements. In (22), for example,
when the intransitive verb root ‘sing’ forms part of a valence-increasing construction with /-(́)ts(a)/,
the verb stem takes the O argument ‘game’ qualified by the relative clause ‘which they play when their
relatives go to the fields during the day’.
(22)
SoG
[ga-aś-iida
NMLZ2-play-children
et-́́-aś́-ga
REL-3PL.TR-play-NFUT
nó↓ḱ=b-́i-tś-ǵ
TEMP=AFF-3PL.INTR-go-NFUT
ḱ́ĺḿts’a
to.field
ń́lóka
in.day
d́-gwa-́↓b́-ḿ́m
PRO.PL-PLACE-home-3PL.POSS
Ɂ́]
ḱma-eɁ́-́ĺ-ts
MED FUT-sing-1PL.EXCL.TR-BODY
ḱ=́ca
BEN=2PL
‘We will sing for you all a game (children’s play) which they play when their relatives go to the
fields during the day.’
For transitive/labile PCU verb roots, /-(́)ts(a)/ is not added for complement clauses. In (23), the
transitive verb root /gaŋ/ ‘know, find’ (NoG: /gam/) does not require the addition of /-(́)ts(a)/ in order
to express a complement clause or an O argument for that matter (see example 2a).6
(23)
SoG
maʒá ʔá
ma-u-é-á
alá-má
b-ár-gaŋ-gá
guy
MED NMLZ-go-TWRD-NM
GEN-3SG.POSS
AFF-1SG.TR-know-NFUT
‘I knew that the guy would come.’ (lit: ‘I knew the guy’s coming.’)
The valence-increaser /-(́)ts(a)/ can also be used to index other types of non-finite verbal complements.
For example, the intransitive verb root /k̂l/ means ‘return’ (24) but when /-(́)ts(a)/ is added to the verb
stem, a non-finite clausal complement must be added and the meaning changes to ‘do again’ (25).
(24)
(25)
SoG
b-́r-↓kól-aǵ
AFF-1SG-return-NFUT
‘I returned.’
b-́́-kól-aǵ-ts
AFF-3PL.TR-return-NFUT-BODY
‘They ate again.’
ma-ś-ŋga
NMLZ-eat-food
In fact, if /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ were added to the verb root /gaŋ/ ‘know’(NoG: /gam/), the resulting verb stem would
mean ‘see’ (see example 2b). In any case, it is clear that /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ functions as a valence increaser of sorts
for intransitive verb roots and not merely a suffix that indexes certain types of complement clauses.
6
68
Colleen Ahland
Another incorporated body part term /-(́)kʼw(́)/ ‘head’ can also serve as a valence increaser on
intransitive verbal roots. However, this IN often functions as a causative7 and typically cross-references
an O argument which is a not a nominalized verb (i.e. a non-derived noun). For example, in (25) the
verb stem with the IN /-(́)ts(a)/ takes the nominalized (infinitival) verbal complement ‘to eat food’
whereas in (26) the verb stem with the IN /-(́)kʼw(́)/ (which has the same intransitive verb root /k̂l/)
takes the O argument ‘book’.
(26)
SoG
kól-akʼw
noŕga
return-head book
‘Return the book.’
3 The morpheme /-tś-/ found in nouns
The morpheme /tsa/ ‘body’ also appears in nominal compounds. Its occurrence on nouns parallels to
some degree the distribution of class morphemes within class morpheme compounds in Gumuz (cf.
Ahland 2012). The Gumuz class morphemes are classifying morphemes that form compounds with
certain nouns, often functioning in a hypernym-hyponym relationship. The set of class morphemes in
Gumuz is similar to the set of verbal classifiers with similar categorization: /kʼẃ-/ ‘head’, /cá-/ ‘eye’,
/kʼ́s-/ ‘tooth’, /tsʼê-/ ‘ear’, and /ííl-/líí-/ ‘belly’. The morpheme /-tś-/ very rarely occurs in this sort of
nominal compound and when it does, it is often preceded and followed by another noun. Class
morpheme compounds, on the other hand, are typically comprised of two nouns – the class morpheme
and the noun it classifies.8 In (27), /kʼẃ-/ ‘head’ classifies containers and is therefore used in a
compound with ‘gourd’. The morpheme /tsa/ appears to form a part of a class morpheme compound in
(28) and (29), always co-occuring with the otherwise free noun form /ɓaga/ ‘body’ and its verbal
classifier counterpart /-(́)ts(a)/. This type of compound with /-tś-/ is only known to occur in NoG.
(27)
(28)
(29)
NoG
kʼẃ-↓ɓ́χ́ǵ
head-(specific type of)gourd
‘gourd for drinking’
NoG
χókwa-ka-ts
ɓagá-tsá-↓ḿtsʼ́
clean-INSTR-body body-body-house
‘Clean the wall with a cloth.’
ka-tʃéraka
INSTR-cloth
wíɗ-áts
maχab́-ts-ɓagá-ma
see-CL:body wound-body-body-1SG.POSS
‘Look at my (body) wound.’
4 Historical source of /tsa/
The morpheme /tsa/ can be internally reconstructed as a noun-like morpheme meaning ‘body’ based on
constructions like example (30) below (Ahland 2010: 165-66, 2012: 251 ). In (30), several body part
terms can be used in a prepositional construction denoting ‘by oneself’. However, /tsa/ is the only body
part term used in this construction that cannot be uttered on its own (31).
Other examples of /-(́)kʼw(́)/ as a causative include but are not limited to the following stems formed with
intransitive verb roots: /ʃ́-k’w/ (die-head) ‘kill’, /ɓ́ts’-́k’w/ (hide-head) ‘hide something’, /bit-́k’w/ (descendhead) ‘lower something’.
8
There also exist endocentric class morpheme compounds in Gumuz in which the dependent noun does not appear
to be classified by the class morpheme. Rather, the whole compound belongs to the class.
7
Classifier, Reflexive and Beyond
(30)
a.
b.
c.
(31)
a.
SoG
dua
child
“
b-a-ɗamb-aǵ-ts
AFF-3SG.TR-try-NFUT-body
“
69
ma-n-tś
NMLZ-PL-go
“
ka-tś-ḿ
INSTR-body-3SG.POSS
ka-ɓii-ḿ
INSTR-neck-3SG.POSS
“
“
“
ka-ć-ḿ
INSTR-eye-3SG.POSS
‘The child tried to crawl by himself/herself.’(lit: ‘…with his/her body/neck/eye’)
*tś-ḿ
b.
ɓii-ḿ
c.
(́l)ć-ḿ
body-3SG.POSS
neck-3SG.POSS
eye-3SG.POSS
‘his/her body’
‘his/her neck’
‘his/her eye’
As mentioned previously, the free noun form for ‘body’ in Gumuz is /ɓaga/ which is also the lexeme
for ‘person/people’ (see also examples 11 and 14). The polysemy of this lexeme is so commonplace in
Gumuz that the compound for ‘human body’ uses /ɓaga/ as both the head and dependent noun: first as
the head noun meaning ‘body’ and second as the dependent noun meaning ‘person’ (32).
(32)
NoG and SoG
ɓaǵ-ɓaga
body-person
‘person’s body’ or ‘human body’
Considering the polysemy discussed above and the comparative evidence to be presented below, I
propose that the bound morpheme /tsa/ ‘body’ was once a free noun form in Gumuz that existed
alongside the free noun form /ɓaga/ ‘person/people’. Over time, *tsa was incorporated into the verb
stem and became phonologically reduced. As *tsa became more grammaticalized and more
phonologically reduced, Gumuz speakers began to use /ɓaga/ ‘person/people’ to refer to ‘body’ in place
of *tsa. In Koman, the languages most closely related to Gumuz, apparent cognates of both noun forms
co-exist, namely in Komo and Uduk (Table 1). These likely co-existed as free noun forms in Gumuz as
well.
Table 1: Lexemes for ‘body’, ‘people’, and ‘person’ in Gumuz and Koman
Koman Languages
‘body /self’
Gumuz
Gwama
Komo
Opo
Uduk
(Kievet &
Robertson 2011)
(Manuel
Otero, p.c.)
(Lemi 2010)
(Don Killian,
p.c.)
yɪs ‘body’
ɪʃ ‘body’
eːs ‘body’
̄s ‘self, body’
‘person’
-
giba ‘people’
yiba ‘person’
-ts, -tsa
-tś-
(-(I)ʃ) REFL
‘body/ people’
Gumuz (all)
-
b̀ŋgw̌r
‘body’
ɓaga ‘body’ ,
people/person’
baaha ‘person’
I claim that these “cognates” from Table 1, namely those for /tsa/, are “apparent” due to the lack of
regular sound correspondences. However, there is a somewhat regular sound correspondence between
Koman languages and Gumuz which suggests that the correspondence in Gumuz should be /s/ instead
Colleen Ahland
70
of /ts/ (Table 2).9 The protoforms for all of these lexemes appear to have the proto-segment (most likely
*s) in non-word-final position. It is therefore possible that *s became /ts/ word-finally in Gumuz and the
earlier proto-form in Gumuz may have been *ats or *its.
Table 2: s:ʃ Regular sound correspondence in Koman plus Gumuz
‘eat’
‘stomach,
intestine’
‘tooth’
‘god, sky, up’
‘body’
Gwama
ʃa
b̀ʃ̀ʔ
ʃ́ʔ
wúús
yɪs
Komo
ʃ́
b̀ʃ
ʃɛ
mɪʃ
ɪʃ
Opo
saa
-
see
wusi
eːs
Uduk
ʃẃ
b̀ʃ
ʃ̄
ḿs
̄s
ś
boosa
kʼó-sa
ḿś (NoG)
*its
Gumuz
ḿś (SoG)
5 Conclusion
The bound morpheme /tsa/ is found in both verbs and nouns in Gumuz. In verbs, the IN /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’
can form part of a lexicalized verbal compound, an EP construction, a verbal classifier construction, and
a valence-increasing construction in which nominalized complements (most typically PCU
complements) can be added to an intransitive verb root. The IN/CL /-(́)ts(a)/ ‘body’ can also be found
in reflexive constructions but its designated function in such constructions is that of verbal classifier.
This bound morpheme /tsa/ is a relic of a free form that once co-existed with the synchronic free
form for ‘people’ /ɓaga/. Over time, /ɓaga/ eventually replaced *tsa as the free noun form for ‘body’.
Both internal evidence from Gumuz and external (comparative) evidence from the Koman languages
suggest that /tsa/ ‘body’ in Gumuz is very old and not likely borrowed.
Abbreviations
1PL
1SG
2PL
A
AFF
BEN
CL
EP
EXCL
FUT
IN
INSTR
INTR
MED
first person plural
first person singular
second person plural
most agent-like argument of a verb
affirmative mood
benefactive
classifier, either verbal or the head
of a class morpheme compound
external possession
exclusive
future tense
incorporated noun
instrumental
intransitive
medial demonstrative
NEG
NFUT
NMLZ
NMLZ2
NoG
O
REFL
REL
S
SoG
TR
TWRD
negative
nonfuture tense
nominalizer, verbal noun
(product) nominalizer, derives nominals
which retain no verbal arguments
Northern Gumuz
object of a verb
reflexive
relativizer
single argument of a verb
Southern Gumuz
transitive
action directed towards speaker, also
used for an action taking place in a
different location from the speaker
9
The sources for Gwama, Komo, and Opo in Table 2 are the same as those in Table 1. For Uduk, I consulted Beam
and Cridland (1979).
Classifier, Reflexive and Beyond
71
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