Relational Verbs: Paradigm and Practice in a Manitoba dialect of Swampy Cree

This thesis studies the verbal inflection in Cree called the relational form, with a focus on Western Cree dialects, primarily Swampy Cree as spoken in Kinosao Sipi (Norway House), Manitoba. I will overview previous literature on the topic, from early grammarians Horden (1881), Howse (1844) and Lacombe (1874) to more modern accounts from Ellis (1971, 2000, 2004), Junker (2003) and Wolfart (1973). As well, textual evidence will be discussed for the relational paradigm in Cree dialects from text collections and publications by Ahenakew (1987a), Bloomfield (1930, 1934), Ellis (1995), Kâ-Nîpitêhtêw (1998), Minde (1997) and Wolfart & Ahenakew (1992, 2000). Following a discussion of the textual evidence that exists on the relational construction, some of the outcomes of fieldwork research will be shared and uses of the relational form in the Cree community of Kinosao Sipi will be discussed. Furthermore, this thesis includes a typological survey of constructions which are related to the relational form, namely the ProtoAlgonquian /-em/ in Kickapoo, Cree and Ojibwa, and External Possessor Constructions (EPCs) in Romance languages such as French, Italian, Spanish and Rumanian (Lamiroy 2003), West Germanic languages of English, Dutch and German (Van de Velde & Lamiroy, ms), as well as Lillooet from the Salish language family (Van Eijk, 1997), and Mandarin Chinese from the Sino-Tibetan language family (Kusmer, 2010). I will demonstrate how these constructions are extremely similar in function to the relational form, as they may be conditioned by the level of affectedness of the possessor and the Speaker’s empathy towards him or her.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Linguistics

Grantor dc:publisher

Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Cenerini, Chantale Anna Marie

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Wolvengrey, Arok

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• van Eijk, Jan
• Lovick, Olga

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://doi.org/10.82465/4155

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/5488